Speed breakers to generate power in Asom

Guwahati, Apr 26 (UNI) Cars zooming past at breakneck speed are not always bane, but sometimes boon also.

The speeding cars could soon be a blessing for the power-starved Asom.

A city-based innovator, Kanak Gogoi, has come up with his latest invention, which promises to convert the kinetic energy generated by speeding vehicles into electrical energy, a "mechanical ramble stripe" or "mechanical speed breaker".

Explaining the working of the speed breaker, he said, '' Small machines will be placed below the speed breakers. Whenever a vehicle will pass over it, the energy generated by it will move the machines, which in turn will be connected to a dynamo or motor. '' Several such small machines below the ramble stripes would be connected with the dynamo and the kinetic energy of the vehicles, which would move the machines, would in turn move the dynamo and help generate electricity, he added.

He said, '' The power scarcity in the state is a matter of concern for all of us. The thermal and hydel projects have not been able to solve the problem. We are still dependant on rain for power generation. So I hit upon this concept of power generation. '' Mr Gogoi informed that according to preliminary calculation by the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, a single car would generate 0.98 KW power, considering average speed of a car while crossing a speed breaker.

'' These are just preliminary calculation and would vary once details like weight of the car, its speed, and other factors are considered, '' he added.

The innovator also informed that the state Power Minister had visited him and proposed to instal the mechanical speed breakers on an experimental basis.

Mr Gogoi has a number of such inventions to his credit, including a three-wheeled car and a cycle, which can run on land as well as water.

UNI