Energy harvesting on airport pavements: State-of-the-art

Abstract

Society is dependent on transport systems, not only to meet its daily needs with short journeys but also to meet their arising needs with longer distances. The ability to connect remote regions and the trip duration makes the aircraft a mode of transport for distant travel. However, it impacts greenhouse gas production. The survey for new ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions emerges from the contribution of energy harvesting systems. Energy harvesting technology has been presenting prosperous solutions and applications in road pavements. Due to the similarity between road pavements, this paper addresses state-of-the-art technologies for airport pavements and road pavements, aiming to analyze which ones can be developed for application in airport pavements. An analysis is presented not only for the density, efficiency, and energy generation, but also for each energy harvesting technology’s implementation and technology readiness level. The photovoltaic technology, to be incorporated into airport pavements, will allow sustainable energy generation dependent on the airport location. The hydraulic/pneumatic technology, to be incorporated into the airport pavements, will generate electrical energy based on aircraft movement.