Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Wind Belt - Galloping Gurdy inspired energy source


http://www.humdingerwind.com/windbelt.html

The windbelt is a brand new idea using old technology. Based on a effect called Aeroelastic Flutter.
It used the power of the wind to vibrate a thin strand of material that in turn produces an electric field.

from humdingerwind.com:

The WindbeltTM technology was originally conceived in 2004, during a trip to Petite Anse, Haiti. This fishing village near the coast was not connected to an electrical grid, and the only lighting available was diesel-powered or kerosene-based.

Shawn Frayne, a member of a team from MIT and Petite Anse working in the area, recognized that instead of kerosene lamps, white LEDs powered by a very inexpensive wind generator might be able to better light homes and schools in the area. However, when Shawn tried to design this affordable, turbine-based wind generator, he hit a brick wall: turbine technology is too inefficient at these scales to be a viable option.

However, these difficult constraints of cost and local manufacture led to a new invention, the world’s first turbine-less wind generator.

This could have an incredible impact in the world especially in third world countries where it would be impractical because of cost to have a wind turbine.

Personally, I would love to install about eight of these in a bank on my Gadget Mobile's grill and use it to power a laptop or store energy for the vehicle. I am curious as to the earodynamic hindrance it would cause to the vehicle. Would the drag be an issue? Would the power output be enough to warrant the installation on a vehicle?

No comments: