Our modern life runs on energy. It powers everything, from homes and industries to the transport we use in our daily lives. Yet the sources of this energy, like oil, gas and coal are running out and harming the environment. Scientists and tech enthusiasts around the world are searching for cleaner and cheaper ways to produce power.
Bangladesh too is exploring new ways to combine different renewable sources such as wind and solar power. One such idea is to capture the strong wind created by fast-moving vehicles on highways and use it to generate electricity. When combined with solar panels, this system can provide an eco-friendly supply of power.
A team of young innovators has built a system called “BD Highway Turbine.” These vertical wind turbines collect wind made by fast-moving vehicles on highways and generate electricity. The design can be placed on highway medians. That’s how wind from both sides can increase the turbine speed. The electricity generated can be used for street lights, toll booths and other public facilities.
When asked about their project, Abdullah Al Araf, CEO of EcoTech Innovation and one of the champions of the 2022 Generation Unlimited Youth Challenge, said they’ve already tested prototypes on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway and Cox’s Bazar Marine Drive.
Araf also mentioned that the technology cannot yet be adapted to Dhaka city roads because of the slow-moving vehicles. The turbine requires a speed of 12.6 kph to operate. “But in areas with less traffic, like Dhaka’s highways, the technology can work very well. Elevated roads, such as the expressway and the Mawa highway, have better airflow. It makes them ideal locations for our system,” he added.
Meanwhile, a group of young engineers in Italy has developed a device that works even for slower traffic. Their device converts traffic movement into hydrogen. It’s one of the cleanest fuels available. The device works like a speed bump. When cars pass over it, it captures the motion. Then it converts it into hydrogen without using high pressure or heat.
This kind of movement is called kinetic energy. It’s the energy an object has because of its motion. Every time a car speeds up, slows down or moves along the road, energy is created and then wasted. Every turning wheel, every push of wind behind a bus and every stop at a speed bump releases kinetic energy into the air.
According to Work for a Better Bangladesh Trust, a non-profit organisation in Dhaka, around 82 lakh working hours are lost daily due to traffic congestion in the city. Because of severe traffic and pollution, it’s often ranked as the slowest city in the world.
Energy specialists believe that technologies based on kinetic energy are still in the early stages. But it could become an important part of future renewable systems for countries like Bangladesh. By turning motion into electricity, Dhaka could one day turn their traffic problems into power solutions. The constant movement of vehicles could potentially be used to generate this clean energy.
