Is it possible to harvest kinetic energy?

Question

and use it for our daily energy need?

Answer 1

Yes.  However it is going to take a long time before we can harness it to meet 100% of our daily needs.

Here are some examples:

- The brakes on hybrid cars take the kinetic energy of the moving car and use it to recharge the batteries.

- Wind turbines use the kinetic energy of the wind.

- There is even research into harnessing the up/down movement while walking to charge batteries.

Answer 2

use of wind power and water current power in making electricity i.e wind mills and turbines are ways to harest kinetic energy...

Answer 3

TANSTAAFL

Since K.E. = (1/2)mv^2, harvesting kinetic energy necessarily results in a reduction of velocity, or speed.  If you try to harvest all the kinetic energy from an action, the action can no longer take place.

Answer 4

Of course. Hoover dam does it to the tune of Gwatts all the time.

Water from the dam is allowed to fall down a pipe, trading potential energy for kinetic energy. It is run into a turbine, where the KE is transfered to mechanical energy of the turbine, and from there to the electric generators.

Answer 5

Yes.

Examples: Hydro-power, wind power.