Chapter II: Analysis of Current Literature on Automated Arduino Charging Station using Solar and Floor Kinetic Energy

The utilization of smart energy floors to generate kinetic energy from human walking or vehicle movements represents a promising area of research. The objective of this study is to evaluate the cutting-edge smart energy harvesting floors to determine the optimal solution to power both a lighting system and charging columns. Specifically, the mechanisms underlying the primary harvesting methods applicable in this field, such as piezoelectric, electromagnetic, triboelectric, and relative hybrids, are discussed. Additionally, this review provides an overview of various scientific works related to energy harvesting floors, including the architecture of developed tiles, transduction mechanism, and output efficiency. Finally, the commercial energy harvesting floors that have been proposed by companies and startups are examined. Our analysis indicates that piezoelectric transduction mechanisms appear to be the most efficient and compact solution for smart energy floors that require high efficiency and lack of moving parts.

The solar powering unit that we present is a time-switching battery-powered device that uses solar energy to power an Arduino Uno and other peripherals. This device is energy efficient due to its built-in timer that turns the Arduino on at regular intervals. As the Arduino consumes significant energy on non-essential functions such as displays, this device is particularly suited for applications such as remote data loggers and weather stations. With variable time delay, the unit can minimize energy consumption and can power the Arduino even at night. In essence, this two-in-one combination of solar energy and timer provides an energy-saving solution for powering the Arduino. The unit consists of two solar panels, one for the timer circuit and the other for output. The timer circuit is connected to a relay module, and the unit includes rechargeable cells charged by a solar panel. When the power needs to be used, toggle the switch and utilize it.

This footstep power generation project generates energy from human footsteps to charge a battery which can then be utilized to charge a mobile phone using an RFID card. The system is powered by an Atmega328 microcontroller and comprises an Arduino IDE, RFID sensor, USB cable, and LCD. Once the system is powered on, it enters a registration mode in which up to three users can be registered. When a user swipes their card, the system prompts them to connect the charger. By default, each user is given an initial 5-minute charging period. If the user is authorized, the system activates charging, but if the user is unauthorized, the system displays this message. If the user wishes to stop charging mid-way, they need to swipe their card again. Whenever the recharge button is pressed, the user can add another 5 minutes by swiping the card.

In order to reduce CO2 emissions, a sustainable and simple process of collecting energy from various sources in the environment is necessary. This energy may be harnessed from sources like light, heat, wind, salinity gradients, and kinetic energy generated by human walking or vehicle movements. The objective is to convert this energy into electric energy that can be utilized to power wearable technology, sensor networks, or saved for large-scale power production. The kinetic energy associated with human and vehicle motion is a valuable but often wasted energy source that could generate electric energy. This paper discusses the rectifiers and signal regulation systems that can improve the overall energy harvest. It also analyzes various harvesting prototypes developed by researchers to enhance the efficiency of existing commercial systems. These prototypes are often informed by interdisciplinary knowledge in areas such as nanomaterials, electronics, mechanics, and applied physics. Although some solutions are more suited for small-scale power production or may not be useful for harvesting energy from human walking, the ideas underpinning these technologies can be extrapolated to hybridize a large-scale device.

1. Mechanisms of Energy Harvesting, Conditioning Techniques, and Operational Strategies for Intelligent Flooring Systems

Energy can be efficiently harvested from the impact of footsteps in numerous ways; for instance, the direct piezoelectric effect, the contact of two different triboelectric layers producing electrostatic energy, and linear motion converted to rotation using mechanical solutions for electromagnetic generators.

2. Fundamentals and Working Principle of Piezoelectric-based Intelligent Flooring Solutions

One popular method of designing a piezoelectric harvesting system involves using piezoelectric device flooring layers. A tile made up of a floating surface suspended by springs above the piezoelectric components travels downwards when pressure is applied to its surface. The projections on the tile surface come into contact with the piezoelectric material, generating electric charges as the imparted force creates strains inside it. Springs play a vital role in ensuring the stability of the piezo material and preventing it from being damaged by the extra load. The base plate is also securely installed into the framework to support the piezoelectric material during compression.

References:

Darshil, P. (2018) UPDATED: Solar Station for Arduino., Project Hub., Retrieved from: https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/PatelDarshil/updated-solar-power-station-for-arduino-e52b6f Date Accessed: 30 July 2022.

“Advanced Footstep Power Generation System using RFID for Charging”., Nevons Projects (n.d.) Retrieved from: https://nevonprojects.com/advanced-footstep-power-generation-system-using-rfid-for-charging/ Date Accessed: 30 July 2022.

Visconti, P. et al.,(2022) Available Technologies and Commercial Devices to Harvest Energy by Human Trampling in Smart Flooring Systems: A Review., Scholarly Journal. Retrieved from: https://www.proquest.com/docview/2621365277/9D818C8FF46B4564PQ/1 Date Accessed: 30 July 2022.