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According to an engineering tools expert, now running trains can generate electricity. Santosh Pradhan, a mechanical engineering expert has demonstrated this low-cost technique by utilising the air pressure created along the tracks by running trains.
Pradhan said, "When a train runs at a full speed of 110-120 kms, it creates an air pressure in opposite direction and no one has ever thought to utilise this huge air pressure which is freely and easily available,".
He said that it was the impeller fixed at the front part of each coach which generated the high air pressure.
He also said, "When a train runs, it produces huge quantity of compressed air due to high velocity of the wind and by accumulating this compressed air in big fabricated tanks on either side of the track, we can run turbines or air turbine motors which can produce a considerable amount of electricity."
Pradhan has sought the permission of the railways to design the prototype and demonstrate it later on.
According to the scientist, the new technique is eco-friendly and cost effective.
If this happens, then the 14,300 trains running on 63,028 route kms in the country can generate about 14,81,134 MW of power. That means, about 20.89 MW electricity can be generated per km by using this technology. More to it, 2,586 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emission can be prevented by this technology.
However, the railways need to set up an additional parallel wind pipes over the Over Head Electric lines (OHE) to pass on high velocity wind to reach the tanks.
