In the near future, electric motors could replace the thermal energy of vehicles. But, to achieve this, there are many challenges, including that of electric battery charging.
The current network of charging stations is insufficient to meet the requirements of the market and charging times generate constraints that are not compatible with the challenges of speed of delivery.
It is therefore necessary to think about new solutions to power or charge vehicles while they are on the road, which would save time and money.
So What Are The Different Possible Solutions to Achieve This?
1) The first of the solutions, which has already been used for decades in the railway sector, is based on the conduction of electricity via catenaries placed along the tracks, this system is therefore applicable for roads, a catenary could, for example, transmit energy to trucks equipped with a pantograph, i.e. an articulated mechanical arm placed on the roof.
In contrast to the rails that are used for the return of the electric current to the catenary, trucks would have to be equipped with a double pantograph with two points of contact.
This solution is currently being tested by Siemens on an open road in Germany, under the name e-Highway, on sections of 400 m and 3.4 km with power outputs of 300 kW/km and 5,600 kW/km respectively.
2) The second solution would be conduction through a rail.Like children's car circuits, the second electric road solution is based on ground conduction, the current is delivered only when a vehicle passes by.
3) The third possibility would be contactless inductive charging. This is based on the principle of passive coils inserted into the road, and receiver coils attached to the underside of the vehicles. The coils are powered when a vehicle passes over them, by transferring energy over a distance of about 30 cm.
This induction technology seems to be the most relevant, as it is the least intrusive on the road, it does not require the addition of equipment to vehicles that are directly connected to the power supply system, thus offering less risk of damage and stress while driving.
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