Electronic gadgets assume an imperative part for our exercises in nature. They are basic for exploring and recording our escapades, scientific surveys or acquisitions and even for save operations and fiasco administration. In any case, charging electronic gadgets amid long stretches far from populated areas remains a troublesome assignment. Today, sunlight based panels are the main accessible answer for this basic issue, making the power supply totally reliant on climate periods with adequate daylight. Aversion of this problem requires a constant solution and the wind energy seems to be the way in mitigating this issue. Nils Farber a design student at École Cantonale d’Art Lausanne has developed a portable solution that can be carried around in a backpack.
The motivation behind this innovation lies in Farber’s personal experience. Many times, he used to run out of his smartphone’s battery during his trekking hours. Irked by this issue he contacted many mountaineers, climbers, film-makers and expedition leaders to inquire about their experience regarding this issue. Farber writes on James Dyson Awards Site that, “all of my contacts told me that they are usually using solar panels. But being entirely dependent on sunshine is a huge problem for them, sometimes putting them out of work for several days”. When Farber disclosed his idea of wind turbine, his contacts admired him but pointed out few hindrances that lie in moving this idea towards practicality like size, weight and ease of use.
Image: NILS FERBER
To ameliorate these issues, the turbine Farber built weighs less than a kilo and is 40% lighter than its closest counterpart. When not in use it can be folded down into size of an umbrella. When setup to function, it can generate 5 watts in 11mph wind. The turbine has a coordinated 24 Wh battery pack that acts as a cradle amongst incoming and active loads and can likewise store energy for later utilization. Setting up the turbine requires no expertise; it’s like opening an umbrella, thanks to its telescopic size.
Image: NILS FERBER
Image: NILS FERBER
Image: NILS FERBER
Vertical axis rotor design is based on principles of tension and compression. It captures the wind for energy production from all directions and is mounted right on top of the generator axis which is placed in the lower part of the shaft. According to Farber, no other turbines are present in the market built on a similar scale. Current design is built to provide energy for smaller applications. Nevertheless, its scalability can easily be varied and multiple turbines can be used for communal utilization.
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References: James Dyson Awards, Digital Trends, Tree Hugger