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  Today Online 8 Feb 07
Electricity from thin air?
Letter from tan kok tim

We have been told that SMRT has been generating electricity to light up the MRT stations by tapping the friction and momentum of the train wheels.

It is a simple technology and electricity is generated easily. It saves costs however minimal.

SMRT should go for even bigger savings. With so many kilometers of MRT tunnels, has the transport operator thought of using the air in the tunnels to generate electricity? Will it be feasible?

When a train moves at a fast speed in the narrow tunnel, it pushes a strong force of air forward into the tunnel. The air can be compressed to make it more forceful. If the end of the tunnel is closed with a "flap door", the gush of air will be compressed. The compressed air can be channeled into an auxiliary tunnel to propel turbine fans to generate electricity.

It is a simple technology to release compressed air and convert it into energy. The "flap door" should be made to open automatically before the train reaches the tunnel exit, with a "fool-proof safety release" to prevent the train from crashing into the "flap door".

With many trains running in the tunnels, there will be a constant supply of compressed air power to tap and convert into energy--a cheap but precious source of untapped power.
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