Light Weight Wind Turbine item

[eDJ_]

I was just watching this video in the website that shows this folding back pack-able wind turbine. Thought I'd share it here.  Could it be scaled up some and work when we are where there is plenty of wind.

Micro Wind Turbine weighs about as much as an umbrella. 

http://www.digitaltrends.com/outdoo...ign=Micro_Wind_Turbine_Usb_Charger_US_Desktop

[video=dailymotion]<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/174336941" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>http://[/video]



If these were affordable & efficient enough a camp could have it's own "wind farm" to supplement
the Solar power.  These may even scare off unwanted "varmint's" that would come prowling around camp.
A few red blinking LED lights and a buzzer triggered by a proximity switch could discourage curious scavengers.

 

[MrNoodly]

I thought about wind power because of its ability to charge at night, but the more I researched it the less practical it was for me. The turbines that are small enough to carry around in a van don't generate much power and still require annoyingly strong and steady wind. Besides the turbine, you need a tall and strong mast to mount it on and guy-lines to keep it upright. That's more than I waned to deal with. It's easier to use solar and be prudent with my electricity use. But a small wind turbine like the one above could be fine for people who need very little power.

 

[sephson]

I get the impression that it's designed for intermittent use rather than the near constant use it would see with a full time van dweller. durability over the long haul may be an issue.

Still, it's a product to keep an eye on as a possible future addition to a power setup.

 

[eDJ_]

I agree,  it could have it's place for back packers and short term usage.  If nothing else recharging a Cell Phone or tablet.

But as a concept,  if it could be scaled up a bit in size and output and be deployed in multiples in windy areas it may be viable for some basic needs. 

I may pitch it to some friends of mine over at "Instructables".

 

[Ticklebellly]

Nice idea. I would not be interested because 5 Watts at 11 MPH of wind is not worth the work to carry and assemble and there is too much uncertainty of delivery of energy from the device. Wind power is all about capture area and steady, non-turbulent air flow above some minimum design speed and lower than a critical design strength top speed. How long does it take to charge a phone from a 5 Watt source?

 

[SternWake]

The design of the blades does not look very efficient for capturing wind.

It appears is there is only slightly less resistance on one side or the axis compared to another, and it would work much better if the against the wind side of it was blocked from the wind.

Wonder what it would produce in a 20MPH wind.

I see potential for dwelling, if it could be scaled up.

 

[acfdexpo]

http://truckcamperadventure.com/?s=Wind+turbine     A review from 2014.

It appears, at least as of 11/24/16 he was still using it.

 

[INTJohn]

If you're serious about wind generators google 'boat wind generators' because the best ones that are also the quietest are made for boats......

http://www.primuswindpower.com/about-grid-wind/

This is probably the one that would be best for most for overall rv use tho the one I gave serious consideration to for my RV is made in Germany for about 1800$ if I recall. I couldn't justify the expense and never went thru with it but I did a lot of research on it & frankly tried my damnedest to be able to justify it for RV use but couldn't.

Here's the best thing I found to use for a mount: attach mast to wheel anchor & drive on it!
Simple!