The Micro Wind Turbine is a portable energy source for remote regions and enables people to charge USB devices far away from civilization. It weights less than one kilogram, folds down to the size of a trekking pole and can operate day and night.
École Cantonale d’Art Lausanne design student Nils Ferber has developed the Micro Wind Turbine, which came out of his personal experience of running out of battery during longer treks.
The shape of the vertical axis rotor is based on an optimized Savonius turbine, a simple yet versatile device that can operate in a wide range of different locations and wind speeds: It is very suitable for unsteady and gusty winds and the sails can catch wind from all directions without the need for a pointing mechanism or external regulation.
To avoid energy loss through friction and mechanical transmission, the rotor is directly mounted to the generator shaft that is placed in the lower part of the mast. The produced energy can either be used to charge devices directly on the built-in USB port or will be stored in an integrated battery pack with a capacity of 24 Wh. The current design is optimized to be used for standard USB devices and produces a constant output of 5 Watts at a wind speed of 18 km/h.
Lightweight, collapsible, and quick to deploy, this little wind generator might be a viable off-grid portable power source in places where solar isn't appropriate.