Abstract: A system for utilizing the weight and momentum of moving vehicles to produce usable energy comprising a fluid displacement pump positioned either under a moveable plate in a roadway or between the rail and railbed in a railway which compresses a fluid such as air or hydraulic fluid as the vehicle passes over, a low pressure line for supplying fluid to the pump chamber, a high pressure outlet line communicating with the chamber and connected to a manifold which is supplied with high pressure fluid from a number of other similar pumps and which directs the fluid to an energy conversion device such as a fluid motor and electric generator, or a fluid motor driving an air compressor, or to a fluid motor driving machinery in a factory or other industrial plant.
Abstract: A plurality of actuator members are mounted along the surface of a roadway in the path of vehicular traffic, so as to be actuated as the wheels of vehicles pass thereover. Beneath each actuator is a chamber formed of resilient material, one of the walls of this chamber being deflected inwardly in response to an associated actuator. The chambers are filled with gas and connected to each other in series by means of a suitable valving arrangement. The gas contained within the chambers, which is preferably air, is compressed by virtue of the actuation of the chamber, gas being fed from chamber to chamber such that successively higher gas compression levels will be reached at succeeding chamber stages in the chain. To facilitate the actuation of the higher level compression stages the actuation surfaces thereof are made to have a decreased area so that greater force per unit area can be provided for a given weight vehicle.
Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing useful work by utilizing the weight of moving traffic by incorporating in a roadway or traffic-way a readily deformable chamber which is filled with a fluid arranged so that the weight of a vehicle in passing thereof affects a displacement of the fluid therein. The energy of the displaced fluid in turn is translated into mechanical or electrical energy.