Miniature windmills could power outlying wireless networks

Wireless technology has allowed scientists and researchers to pepper internet-enabled sensors far beyond the range of the wired grid, but the issue of powering these devices still remains. University of Texas electrical engineer Dr. Shashank Priya thinks he has the solution to this problem, in the form of miniature windmills (not pictured) that can provide adequate power from breezes as faint as 10 MPH. Priya's 4-inch diameter 'mills differ from their larger counterparts in that they employ piezoelectric crystals which generate a current when flexed by a rotating cam. Were he to have used the conventional generators found in regular windmills, his minimills would only achieve one percent efficiency, as opposed to the 18 percent they can reach using the piezoelectric materials. Up next for Priya is perfecting the even-smaller windmills that he has patented, which should be able to capture even lighter breezes, and may also be suitable for mounting on a top hat.

[Via The Raw Feed]

[iptydafu @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Great, the first person'll be Don Quixote glancing at it with his iPaq

[DarkFader @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Your data carries with the wind.

[John Doe. @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Sweet. So we can mount these things in Boundary Waters up near Canada. . .I always thought it was unfare that nature was left out of the WIFI loop. Now bears, pumas, and deer can all join in on the wireless revolution.

[Roceh @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

So if you see any suspicious top hat wearing folk nearby, secure your WiFi.... WarHatters are about!

[Lawyers @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

This is the stupidest thing I have ever seen.

[Simon Waddington @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Someone needs to use his pizeo electric system for all those wireless keyboards. No wind required - just the energy from your keypresses. Most people agree that keyboards need tactile feedback for usability reasons - currently that goes into little springs that just waste your fingertip energy as heat and noise. Instead put some piezoelectric crystals in there and generate enough power to keep the keyboard going! See unpatent #4: http://longdarktechtime.com/2005/08/unpatent-4-self-powered-wireless.html

[DK @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Stupid? Enough of the sarcasm and what not, this is great in the sense that this kind of technology can be used in so many different application to save energy. FOr people with homes, slighter bigger versions can probably be used for boilers/heaters/who knows what...better than solar panels!!

[Zex_Suik @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

? better than solar panels?

I guess that all depends on where you live.

In the desert, with batteries to charge the unused current to for nighttime consumption, I think the solar panels would win out. However the two systems can work together even throw in a hydro generator (one of those 'throw it in the stream barrels') and you've got a redundant power system.

I have some land that the sun shines on 330 days out of the year and the wind blows across constantly. I've considered throwing up a windmill just to sell power to other folks and to the power company, so this brings to mind something even better.

Hack my way into a satellite connection, bridge it to a wimax type router which would all be powered by my solar/wind power generators. Then all my ranching neighbors could join the workgroup/network file share with each other and join in on the cost of the equipment/connection (if I paid for it)

This is the next evolution. Armageddon Proofing the internet... no really...

[JS @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

This has been around for a long time. Sailboats have used similar technology along with solar panels to recharge their batteries while either under sail or in a breezy port.

Kinda funny that the sailboaters figured it out before all the fancy schmancy tech companies that get paid to think up this stuff.

[Bible and Apologetics Teacher @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

In California, we use solar panels to power the call boxes along our highways. This has worked quite well for us - but we are a sunny state.