He can produce electricity using air power

In an era where non-conventional methods of power generation like wind and solar energy have gained popularity, a city-based entrepreneur has hit upon a unique idea of producing electricity through air power technology using 'air pressure' created along railway tracks.

Santosh Pradhan, 38, who runs a bunch of engineering and mechanical units and has almost two decades of experience in manufacturing engineering tools, has registered 20 patents with the government of India about his technology.

"When a train runs at a full speed of 110-120 km, it creates an air pressure in opposite direction and no one has ever thought to utilise this huge air pressure which is freely and easily available," Pradhan told PTI.

As per his technology, a small impeller is fixed at the front portion of railway locomotive and similarly on top of each coach of a train.

"When the train is running, it will produce huge quantity of compressed air due to high velocity of the wind and by accumulating this compressed air in big fabricated tanks on either side of the track, we can run turbines or air turbine motors which can produce a considerable amount of electricity," he explained.

Keeping his cards close to the chest, Pradhan has now approached the higher railways authorities to seek permission for prototype and a subsequent demonstration of this technology which he says is 'eco-friendly and cost effective'.

However, he is yet to get a green signal but 20 of his patents have been registered so that he remains the sole person to further develop this technology.

Pradhan said about 14,300 trains were running on 63,028 route kms in the country and about 20.89 MW electricity can be generated per km with the use of air power technology.

Thus approximately 14,81,134 MW of power can be generated by using the entire railway track if one goes by his data, statistics and calculations.

According to him, the Indian Railways was spending 17 per cent revenue on the fuel head which is roughly Rs 15,000 crore (Rs 150 billion) per annum.

When adopted even in phases, it would start reducing the cost of fuel for Indian Railways, he said.

However, it all depends on the Indian Railways to allow additional fabrication of parallel wind pipes over the over head electric lines to pass on high velocity wind to reach tanks on either of side of track, Pradhan said.

Also, the technology, Pradhan claims, can save 2,586 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emission in the country.