Magnetic Induction In terms of Creating Charge

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the feasibility of charging batteries through magnetic induction, particularly in the context of using traffic movement to generate power for street and pedestrian lights. Participants explore the principles of magnetic induction and its practical applications, as well as potential limitations and alternative solutions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the possibility of charging batteries using magnetic induction, referencing the operation of traffic light sensors that utilize coils beneath the road.
  • Another participant suggests that while it is theoretically possible to charge a battery through magnetic induction, it may not be practical, as the traffic light systems primarily serve as sensors rather than power sources.
  • A different participant proposes the idea of powering street lights using traffic movement as a cheaper alternative to solar power, questioning the feasibility of such a solution.
  • Concerns are raised regarding the low voltage generated by coils under the road due to factors such as distance from the car and the underground placement of the coils, suggesting that significant energy storage would be necessary.
  • One participant estimates that a large number of coils would be needed to generate sufficient energy to power lightbulbs, indicating that the current setup may not meet energy demands effectively.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the practicality and feasibility of using magnetic induction for battery charging, with no consensus reached on the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include assumptions about the efficiency of energy transfer, the physical setup required for induction, and the specific conditions under which the proposed systems would operate.

marias3
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Hi,
I'm an industrial designer and I was wondering if there is a way to charge a battery through magnetic induction. I have heard that the way some stop lights work is there are coils below the road, and when the steel body of a car goes over it, it creates a change in charge in those coils. Is there a way a similar idea could be used to charge small batteries?
thanks
 
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I would think that it is possible however it is not practical.

The traffic lights are using the induction as a sensor, and rely on the moving car, and not as a power source.

If you wanted to charge a battery by the same principal, say in a lab, you would have to physically move something to create that induction, for example youself, or maybe a motor moving a magnetic core through the solenoid, which in turn uses power from another source.

So why not just use the power to charge the battery straight from the main source of power?

Hope that helps
 
I was hoping to rig up some sort of device that could power the pedestrian/street lights via the traffic that goes over them. Also I was hoping this would be a cheaper solution than using solar power in areas where there might not already be power lines. is this feasible?
 
If you do some quick calculations with Faradays law you will start to see the problem. A very small voltage would be created across a winding under the road, due to a number of things; The car being realitivlty far from the coil, the coil is underground, cars may not come past so energy would need to be stored. So you would not get enough power out of one coil.

If a lightbulb is ~75W or so, you are not going to create enough energy to run these lightbulbs all night. At a guess you would need probably 20-30 large coils, under a busy road were the cars are going >80km, to start to even get the energy you need. Just a guess though I didn't do the calculations :-)
Who knows, maybe a smart idea will get around this problem...
 

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