Vibration energy harvesting system based on track energy-recycling technology for heavy-duty freight railroads

To ensure the efficient and safe operation of train transportation systems, the track vibration resulting from train movement can be utilized to power the sensors for intelligent applications. This paper presents a vibration energy harvesting system based on track energy-recycling technology for heavy-duty freight railroads. The energy-recycling system includes a vibration conversion module, a generator module and a power storage module. The irregular vertical vibrations produced by contact between the wheel and railroad are considered. The vibration conversion module converts the reciprocating vertical displacement into a one-way rotation through a scissor linkage and slider mechanism. A three-phase generator is coupled with an energy conversion module shaft and generates a three-phase direct current. Then, after rectification and filtering, the electricity is stored in the supercapacitors. Theoretical analysis, dynamic model analysis and mechanical simulation verify the dynamic response of the system under input excitation. Furthermore, mechanical testing and sensing (MTS) machine tests yield a 73.38% maximum mechanical efficiency with a 7.44 W peak power. Moreover, the charging tests of the proposed system with a supercapacitor indicate that the proposed system is suitable for self-powered sensors in railroads.