Your electricity may someday be generated by micro-windmills smaller than rice

[unhappycamper]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/01/12/your-electricity-may-someday-be-generated-by-micro-windmills-smaller-than-rice/



Your electricity may someday be generated by micro-windmills smaller than rice
By George Chidi
Sunday, January 12, 2014 18:26 EST

Researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington announced the development of experimental micro-windmills a tenth the size of a grain of rice, which might someday power electronics like cell phones with a wave of the hand.

Hundreds of the windmills could be embedded in a sleeve for a cell phone, the university noted in a release touting the innovation.

The project developed out of work by Smitha Rao and J.C. Chiao as a way to make maximum advantage of an advanced fabrication technique used by a WinMEMS, a Taiwanese semiconductor firm. The micro-windmills can be made in an array using batch processes, reducing the fabrication cost because making one device costs about as much as making hundreds or thousands on a single wafer.

Done inexpensively enough, flat panels with thousand of windmills could be mounted on the walls of houses or building to harvest energy for lighting, security or environmental sensing and wireless communication.

[kristopher]

1. With wind smaller is usually worse because of the economics, but...

...I won't jump to that conclusion in this case. The ability to mass manufacture integrated panels is at least intriguing enough to hold off judgement until hard specifications become available.

I instinctively don't think it would be a strong contributor because of the low amount of energy embodied in wind near the ground, but if very large collection areas can be made at a very low price...

[DetlefK]

2. Too many open questions.

How much voltage does one windmill produce under typical wind-velocities?
What are those typical wind-conditions and what are the minimum it needs and the maximum it can withstand?
Will they still work, once they are scratch-protected by a "roof"?

Is an array the size of a rechargable cellphone-battery strong enough to power a cellphone?

[Mustellus]

3. The "Boundary Layer" is.....

... the layer close to any surface, where the fluid flow slows down. Putting windmills in the boundary layer is not a great idea. Usually we put windmills on high pylons to get them out of the boundary layer near the ground, and into the higher speed wind above the trees and houses...

[paulkienitz]

7. not to mention the cleaning problem

"might someday power electronics like cell phones with a wave of the hand. Hundreds of the windmills could be embedded in a sleeve for a cell phone..."

two words: skin oil.

[Locrian]

8. cleaning, dust, etc

Dust mites hitting the blades like birds! Oh the humanity!!!

[packman]

4. I can see the underwear companies

and these micro-windmill people joining forces. If you can power a cell phone with the wave of the hand, imagine what can be done after a meal of beans and cabbage. My gawd, you could light up the house.

[hueymahl]

5. Awesome post

Thanks for the chuckle!

[stuntcat]

6. genius

totally!

[DamnYankeeInHouston]

9. If only cars could run on snot.

Elementary school teachers would be rich.

[JoeyT]

11. And if anyone asks where you get your power,

you just tell them "Internal combustion" and refuse to elaborate.

[toby jo]

10. Cool idea.

Love the leaps of thought.