Simulating key Characteristics of Transition Process at start of Road Energy Harvesting System

A share of renewable sources at electricity generation keeps increasing year by year. A global scientific community places a particular focus on the development and enhancement of the existing renewable electric energy sources. One of the alternative solutions for electricity generation are road energy harvesting systems made in the form of a speed bump. They are to convert car motion energy into electricity. The authors of this research suggest the structure of a road energy harvesting system with a slider-rocker mechanism of the converter transforming mechanical energy into electric one. The article presents methodical basics for calculating the characteristics of a transition process in the mechanical of the electric drive of the road energy harvesting system. The authors developed a mathematical model for the interaction of the retractable pressing platform with a car wheel. The approbation of the method allowed building the transition process characteristics for the road energy harvesting system when a car (1,600 kg) passes along such system at the speed of 20 km/h. The calculations showed that a rocker reaches a peak rotation speed of 269 rad/s; the peak moment value on the generator shaft is 281 N m while a peak power value equals 32 kW. The method developed allows researching the electric drive mechanical which is an important design part of the road energy harvesting system.