Intro To Windbelt Project

Team S.E.A

  • Shane B.
  • Ana F.
  • Enrique D.
    • We are working with Otros Mundos, to generate clean energy by innovating on the windbelt wind generator. Our goal is to build multiple models of the windbelt with the hope to aid Otros Mundos in an energy cinch.


Literature Review

The purpose of the literature review, is to provide background information on relevant topics of the design project. The literature review includes the client criteria, windbelt trademark, aeroelastic flutter, windbelt models, electromagnetic force, climate, wind energy, assembly instructions, and materials.

Client Criteria

In order to make clear, translucent decisions in the design making process, Team S.E.A will be utilizing the following client criteria:

Client Criteria Criteria Constraint
row 1, cell 1 row 1, cell 3
row 2, cell 1 row 2, cell 3

Windbelt Trademark

  • [Humdinger's]
    • Windbelt technology uses a phenomenon called aeroelastic flutter, inspired by the Tacoma Bridge disaster of 1940. Invented by Shawn Frayne, the windbelt is the world's first small scale, turbine free, wind generator. Wind turbines are difficult to scale down in size; The components are expensive and encounter friction as their size decreases. Frayne's study focused on the wind vibrations that caused the failure of the Tacoma bridge, to provide clean, cheap energy to developing countries. The windbelt was originally designed to solve lighting problems of third world countries, yet the device has many applications. An array of windbelts could generate enough power to fuel a laptop, television, or a house. The windbelt pulls energy from the wind with the use of a tensioned membrane. As wind hits the windbelt, the tensioned membrane captures the flutter of the wind. To turn the oscillations of the wind into electricity the windbelt uses of new type of linear generators. This technology comes in a variety of scales, from small handheld windbelts, to windcell panels that can generate megawatts of energy.

Aeroelastic Flutter

  • [Journal Source]
    • The article explains aeroelastic flutter, which is a phenomenon that can be harnessed to produce electrical current. Shawn Frayne's windbelt, has a flat membrane tightly stretched between two poles that shakes in the wind, just like the Tacoma bridge did before it collapsed. Aeroelastic flutter can be viewed as the iris shape produced by membrane of the windbelt as the wind hits it.

Existing Models

  • [microbelt specs]
    • the microbelt, seen below in figure 1, can provide clean energy to power the billions of wireless light and power sensors around the world; by using aeroelastic flutter rather than a spinning turbine. The microbelt is able to provide power to wireless sensors as long as there is airflow hitting it. For example, under a car, inside the ducting of buildings, or at the outside of a building.Table 1 and Figure 2 show the correlation b/w wind speed and power output of the device. The higher the wind speeds, the greater the electrical current.


microbelt, Figure 1
microbelt output graph, Figure 2
Table 1 Specifications Airflow speed (m/s) Power output (mW)
Power Output @ 70 HZ 3.5 .2
N/A 5.5 2.0
N/A 7.5 5.0



Assembly Process/Materials

Electromagnetic Force

  • [from journal]
    • This article explains electromagnetic force in a simple manner. It talks about a flash light called the "No Batteries Light" that needs no batteries to operate and emits light due to an electromagnetic force produced as the item is shaken or moved. Moving or shaking the flashlight passes a magnet in and out through a coil, producing energy. In other words, the introduction of a magnetic field into an electric field, produces electrical current.

Wind Energy

  • ASCE Journal
    • The ASCE article comments on the rapid growth of wind energy as world demands increase for clean energy. Larger, more efficient wind turbines have been built that are able to function underwater. The new media for wind turbines, the ocean, will pose challenges for designer in building safe off-shore wind turbines.
  • source on commercial applications of wind energy
    • the book talks about the commercial applications of wind energy, dangers, and history. It mentions that wind energy is now being merely reintroduced to a society that forgot about it. Hazards to the environment are the following: Fauna destruction, e.g. birds flying into the rotors, and the potential risk to a community that flying rotors may have.

Climatology

San Cristobol de las Casas

http://www.tutiempo.net/en/Climate/SN_CRISTOBAL_LAS_C/05-2010/768450.htm

      • This is a website that has data recording the various weather information, and for us more importantly it shows wind speeds (km/h) for San Cristobol de las Casas, which sits at a latitude of 16.75, longitude of -92.63, and an altitude 2,276m. There was plenty of data going all the way back from the 1970's. I looked up the mean(average) wind speed for every month of every year since 2000 and I took the average of all of those months in order to calculate the mean wind speed for the last 10 years...or really 9 years and 5 months since we're only half way through 2010. The mean wind speed is 4.6 (km/h) and it has been fairly steady with the highest speed recorded in May of 2004 and in general I cannot say that any certain months are windier than others. Highest monthly speeds were recorded in every month except July, September, and December. This information will help us calculate how much energy we will be able to produce from our wind belt powered mechanism(s). If we can create a system of wind belts that produce enough energy to power a cellular phone or an LED light with 4.6(km/h) of wind speed then we will succeed in our goal to create power from a renewable source of energy, wind!
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