Electric road for Aylesbury in the UK

Researchers from the UK’s Lancaster University will design, fabricate and test systems that generate electricity using piezoelectricity and hydromechanical dynamics from passing vehicles. The electricity produced will be stored in roadside batteries to power street lamps, road signs and air pollution monitors in the town of Aylesbury. There will also be sensors that detect the formation of potholes, according to a statement from the university’s engineering department. In addition, the so-called smart
November 25, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

 Researchers from the UK’s Lancaster University will design, fabricate and test systems that generate electricity using piezoelectricity and hydromechanical dynamics from passing vehicles.

The electricity produced will be stored in roadside batteries to power street lamps, road signs and air pollution monitors in the town of Aylesbury. There will also be sensors that detect the formation of potholes, according to a statement from the university’s engineering department.

In addition, the so-called smart roads will generate data on vehicle speed, type of vehicle travelling along the road, as well as other information on traffic flow. This data will help the local highways authority to better manage traffic.

“We see this next generation energy harvesting of road surfaces as an important part of future smart cities,” said Mohamed Saafi, a professor at Lancaster University. Researchers will develop designs specific to road conditions in Aylesbury. Road designs will be tested using computer simulations to determine the optimum number and locations of energy harvesting sections before being constructed and installed in Buckinghamshire.

Leading Lancaster’s Live Lab project is Buckinghamshire County Council which has chosen a road section in Aylesbury Garden Town. Aylesbury was awarded Garden Town status by the UK government 2017, meaning it was recognised as key growth area, with just over 16,000 new homes planned. To accommodate development in the town, new transport links, infrastructure and facilities will be needed. A masterplan, including cycling and walking infrastructure, for Aylesbury will soon go to public consultation.

The project in Aylesbury, which has received around €5.3 million of funding from the SMART Places Live Labs Programme, is one of eight Live Labs projects.

The €26.75 million SMART programme is funded by the 5432 Department for Transport and is led by the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (3514 ADEPT). ADEPT was set up in 2010 and consists of directors from local governments at county, unitary and combined authority level as well as private and corporate business organisations.

Road Structures

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • SmartDrive testing safer signalised intersections for emergency responders
    May 15, 2012
    While both the police and firefighting are recognised as occupations that carry dangers, nearly 13 per cent of the firefighters and police officers who die in the line of duty are killed in vehicle-related incidents, while fire trucks are involved in ten times as many collisions as other heavy trucks.
    Read More
  • Our connected and automated future to go under the microscope at RA – IRF Sydney Conference
    May 10, 2018
    As industry and governments around the world continue to grapple with the challenges of vehicle automation, experts will gather in Sydney at the end of May to take stock of progress on the global journey to a new era of mobility. The two-day 2018 Roads Australia (RA) – IRF Regional Conference for Asia and Australasia, to be held over May 31st and June 1st, marks only the second time the two organisations have co-hosted an international event ‘down under’. And with RA playing a key role in helping inform t
    Read More
  • Weigh in motion and ANPR techology aid highway protection
    April 10, 2012
    Weigh-in-motion technology manufacturers have been involved in a number of significant highways tolling projects across the world in recent months, while others are looking to become involved in major new initiatives. Guy Woodford reports. The continuing global economic crisis did not prevent UK-based TDC Traffic Systems from recently securing the prized US$2.84million (€2.14million) contract to supply 20 high speed weigh-in-motion (WIM) systems for overweight pre-selection and enforcement in Saudi Arabia
    Read More
  • The second ERF LAB event: 10 years down the road?
    October 24, 2019
    The second ERF LAB event* in Brussels examined the ‘Impact of new mobility on road infrastructure and equipment’, writes Christophe Nicodème, director-general of the ERF
    Read More

Highlighted Content