International Journal of Sustainable and Green Energy

Submit a Manuscript

Publishing with us to make your research visible to the widest possible audience.

Propose a Special Issue

Building a community of authors and readers to discuss the latest research and develop new ideas.

Development and Techno-Economic Analysis of a Large-Scale Speed Bump Power Generation System

This study explores the practicability of a large-scale power generation from road speed bumps by harvesting moving vehicle energy using mechanical speed bump (MSB). It includes conceptual design of a large-scale speed bump power generation system (SBPGS), analysis of the power generating capacity, and techno-economic analysis of the system. The system is designed with 8 mechanical speed bumps that are installed sequentially on the road with its linked DC generators connected together in parallel to the energy storage system (ESS) via the low voltage bus bar. To analysed the power generating capacity, performance data of the mechanical speed bump fabricated-prototype simulated under traffic condition was collected, and traffic survey was conducted for the proposed installation road. The analysis carried out on the system shows that with the passage of 16,949 vehicles per hour on the road, the power generating capacity of the system is 2MW, of which 8MWh of usable energy would be harvested in 6-hours period of continuous traffic flow per day. The harvested energy would be stored in a 15MWh capacity battery storage system, contains 375 batteries of 24V, 1500Ah capacity each, wired into 3 parallel strings, from which it would be withdrawn for use and also transmitted into the gird. The techno-economic analysis carried out shows that the system can be implemented at a cost of ₦250,518,000, with levelized cost of energy generation of ₦5.58/kWh, a payback period of 3years, and would mitigates 1,281,880kg of CO2 emissions and its accrued carbon bon tax of ₦4,486,580 annually. The proposed system design would enable addition of more renewable power generated to the national gird, and despite its initial investment cost, the lowest value of the levelized cost of energy guarantee is it an economic feasible source of renewable power generation.

Energy Harvesting, Energy Storage System (ESS), Speed Bump Power Generation System (SBPGS), Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), Mechanical Speed Bump (MSB), Moving Vehicle Energy, Traffic Flow

Baribuma Gbaarabe, Barinyima Nkoi. (2023). Development and Techno-Economic Analysis of a Large-Scale Speed Bump Power Generation System. International Journal of Sustainable and Green Energy, 12(2), 13-20. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijrse.20231202.11

Copyright © 2023 Authors retain the copyright of this article.
This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

1. Alloisio, I., Bonan, J., Carraro, C., Davide, M., Hafner, M., Tagliapietra, s. et al. (2017). Energy poverty alleviation and its consequences on climate change mitigation and African economic development. FEEM Policy Brief No. 02.2017, https://ssrn.com/abstract=3047700.
2. Adewuyi, O. B., Kiptoo, M. K., Afolayan, A. F., Amara, T., Alawode, O. I., & Senjyu, T. (2020). Challenges and prospects of Nigeria’s sustainable energy transition with lessons from other Countries’ experiences. Energy Reports, 6, 993-1009. doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2020.04.022.
3. Rhodri, P. (2009). Speed bump to get new role as a source of green energy. The Guardian International. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/feb/08/alternative-energy-speed-bump
4. Todaria, P., Wang, L., Pandey, A., Connor, J. O., McAvoy, D., & Harrigan, T. (2015). Design, modeling and test of a novel speed bump energy harvester. Proceedings volume 9435 of Sensors and Smart Structures Technologies for Civil, Mechanical, and Aerospace Systems, California, 1 - 14. doi: 10.1117/12.2084371.
5. Saneifard, R., Dana, R., & Ali, S. (2009). Design and implementation of an electromechanical system utilizing speed bumps to generate electric power. Journal of Engineering Technology 26 (2), 16-23.
6. Mark, L. T. (2006). Investigation on the impacts of traffic energy harvester on speed breakers. Bachelor’s degree final year project. Tunku Abdul Rahman University, Kampar.
7. Dave, J. J. (2015). Power generation from speed breaker by air compression method. International Journal of Engineering Development and Research, 3 (2), 75-80.
8. Dey, M., Akand, T., & Sultana, S. (2015). Roadside power harvesting for auto street light using PZT. Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Green Energy and Technology, Dhaka, 1-5. doi: 10.1109/ICGET.2015.7315113.
9. Castillo-Garcia, G. D., Blanco-Fernadez, E., Pascual-Munoz, P., & Casro-Tresno, D. (2018). Energy harvesting from vehicular traffic over speed bump: a review. Proceedings of Institution of Civil Engineers: Energy, 171 (2), 58-69. doi: 10.1680/jener.17.00008.
10. Olugboji, O. A., Abolarin, M. S., Ohiemi, I. E., & Ajani, K. C. (2015). Modelling and design of an auto street light generation speed breaker mechanism. American Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 3 (3), 84-92. doi: 10.12691/ajme-3-3-3.
11. Wang, L., Todaria, P., Pandey, A., O’Connor, J., Chernow, B., & Zuo, L. (2016). An electromagnetic speed bump energy harvester and its interaction with vehicles. IEEE/ASME Trans Mechatron. 21, 1985-1994. doi: 10.1109/TMECH.2016.2546179.
12. Gholikhani, M., Reza, N., Sayed, T. A., Legette, S., Dessouky, S., & Montoya, A. (2019). Harvesting kinetic energy from roadway pavement through an electromagnetic speed bump. Applied Energy, 250 (C): 503-511. doi: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2019.05.060.
13. Gbaarabe. B., Hart, H. I., & Nkoi, B. (2019). Design and fabrication of speed bump power generation system. Journal of Newviews in Engineering and Technology, 1 (1), 91-100.
14. Weje, I. I., Obinna, V. C., & Isetima, A. (2018). Evaluation of traffic management techniques on major roads in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 6 (10): 111-122.
15. Lallmamode, M. A. M., & Al-Obaidi, A. S. M. (2021). Harvesting energy from vehicle transportation on highways using piezoelectric and thermoelectric technologies. Journal of Physics Conference Series, 2120 (1), 1-17. doi: 10.1088/1742-6596/2120/1/012016.
16. Earnest, J., & Wizelius, T. (2011). Wind Power Plants and Project Development. New Delhi, PHI learning, 532-544.
17. Mahmoud, M. M., & Ibrik, I. L. (2006). Techno-economic feasibility of energy supply of remote villages in Palestine by PV-systems, diesel generators and electric grid. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 10, 128–138. doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2004.09.001.
18. Misra, D. (2019). Design of a stand-alone rooftop PV system for electrification of an academic building. International Journal of Engineering and Advanced Technology, 9 (2), 3955- 3964. doi: 10.35940/ijeat.B3872.129219.
19. Alibaba Group. (2022). Electrical equipment and supplies http://www.alibabagroup.com/en/about/overview.
20. Kobos, P. H., Drennen, T. E., Outkin, A. S., Webb, E. K., Scott, M. P., & Wiryadinata, S. (2020). Techno-economic analysis: Best practices and assessment tools. Sandia Report. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1738878
21. International Renewable Energy Agency. (2021). Renewable power generation costs in 2020. http://www.irena.org/publications
22. McNair, S. (2011). Budgeting for maintenance: A behavior-based approach. Life Cycle engineering. doi: 110912-Life-Cycle-Engineering-budgeting-maintenance.pdf
23. Raikar, S., & Adamson, S. (2020). Renewable energy finance: theory and practice. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-816441-9.00013-1.
24. Rashford, B. S., Macsalka, N., & Geiger, M. (2013). Renewable energy investment analysis: what’s the payback? https://www.wyoextension.org/publications/Search_Details.php?pubid=1833
25. Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission. (2018). Port Harcourt Disco Tariffs. Available at: https://nerc.gov.ng/nercdocs/tariffs/portharcourt-tariff.pdf
26. Lee, B. J., Lee, J. I., Yun, S. Y., Hwang, B. G., & Park, Y. K. (2020). Methodology to calculate the CO2 emission reduction at the coal-fired power plant: CO2 capture and utilization applying technology of mineral carbonation. Sustainability. 12 (18), 1-13. doi: 10.3390/su12187402.
27. Sam-Amobi, C., Ekechukwu, O. V., Chukwuali, C. B. (2019). A preliminary assessment of the energy related carbon emissions associated with hotels in Enugu metropolis Nigeria. International Journal of Science and Technology, 8 (2), 19-30. doi: 10.4314/stech.v8i2.2.
28. Akanonu, P. C. (2017), Climate policy and finance: designing an effective carbon pricing system for Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. https://cseaafrica.org/wpcontent/uploads/2017/07/Climate-Policy-and-Finance-2723.pdf