Experimental evaluation of a high-voltage energy-harvesting speed bump for roadway applications

• 68% peak energy conversion efficiency achieved. • Up to ∼1.161 W output under vehicle loading. • Prototype validated via lab and road tests. • Reduced impact with stable force–displacement response. • Continuous harvesting via bidirectional mechanism. Speed bumps are widely used for traffic calming but dissipate considerable vehicle kinetic energy during wheel passage. A prototype matching the full geometric and structural dimensions of a real-world deployment unit was developed and evaluated using an MTS servo-hydraulic testing platform. It is important to note that the term "full-scale" refers strictly to the geometric configuration of the system; spring stiffness was intentionally reduced during laboratory testing to enable controlled sinusoidal displacement excitation within the MTS actuator capacity, while preserving the integrity of the transmission and energy conversion mechanism under evaluation. The system converts vertical wheel motion into continuous unidirectional generator rotation via mechanical rectification, enabling energy recovery during both compression and rebound phases. A geometrically full-scale prototype was developed and evaluated using an MTS servo-hydraulic testing platform, where the term “full-scale” refers to the real-world geometric and structural configuration of the system, while the stiffness was intentionally reduced during laboratory testing to enable controlled loading conditions. The system exhibited stable nonlinear force–displacement hysteresis behavior, indicating effective load buffering and mechanical stability. Under higher excitation conditions, the output voltage reached approximately 26 V, with a maximum power output of 1.161 W. The energy conversion efficiency increased from 16% to 68% under laboratory conditions. Compared with conventional single-stroke energy harvesters, the proposed design enables continuous bidirectional energy conversion, improving overall energy utilization. These results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed system for distributed roadway energy harvesting applications, while further work is required to evaluate long-term durability under realistic traffic loading conditions.