Is it possible to generate electricity with noise?

Question

I knew about the microphone part, but posted this in engineering wondering if there are any ways to produce any large amount of electricity with a 'sound' electrical generator?

It probably is not possible to harness much electricity, but I'm thinking about noise as externalites of daily activity... airports for example.

Answer 1

While people of thought of this the energy in noise is not concentrated enough to get a significant amount of energy at a reasonable cost.

The heat to sound to electric energy conversion relies on generating sound in a confined space (heat being the energy source) and then converting that into usable electrical energy.

Perhaps some day nanotechnology will provide an economical way to make enormous sound to electrical converters at a low cost. For now I'd say no, it cannot be done at a cost that would make it worth while.

Answer 2

Some of the public address systems, such as in schools, back in the days of electronic tubes used a speaker to send sound into the room and as a microphone to pick up the responses from the room. They could also listen in whenever they wanted to. You could use a speaker to pick up ambient sound in an environment and run it through a full wave rectifier and charge a capacator or maybe a small battery. You couldn't generate a significant amount of electricity that way , but some. Another way to get electric generation from Niagra Falls? Maaaaaybeeee! Just not very efficient.

Answer 3

Yes.

US Navy uses "Sound powered Phones"

These use a diaphragm that is put in motion by sound, generating a variable frequency and variable amplitude current, which goes through wires to a coil, creating a variable strength and polarity magnetic field, causing a magnet to move and that makes another diaphragm move... as in a typical speaker... reproducing the sound that was input to the original diaphragm.

Replace the speaker with a full wave rectifier and appropriate circuitry and you can use the thing to light up an LED.

Answer 4

Possibly, If you can come up with a system. I will plant this seed in your head & see what happens. How about a speaker type set up with the base magnet that would normally drive the cone converted to a small crankshaft that would be at 90 degree's to the cone. you would need to ensure that the movement from the cone was deep enough to complete the downstroke of the cranksaft. Connect it to a generator. P.S. Now that I think about it, I don't think it is possible.

Answer 5

In limited applications, it is possible to generate electricity with noise.

A piezoelectric device is typically used to create changes in pressure using electricity. For example, a smoke alarm is typically a piezoelectric ceramic that will change volume rapidly in response to an applied voltage. This change in volume creates a rapid change in pressure, and an oscillation of these creates sound.

This can work in reverse, in that a mechanical stress on a piezoelectric ceramic can generate a voltage.

The ability of electricity generation through the piezoelectric effect has been well-documented. An interesting article below describes one application of this property.

Answer 6

If you are generating the sound you are harnessing for power, there will be a net loss in the entire system. Since noise has zero fro an average, you can't extract sigifican power there either.

Answer 7

>Yes. Microphones depend on the fact.<

Answer 8

microphone?