Introducing the Windbelt: a cheaper, efficient micro-turbine power source

This may be one of the more groundbreaking inventions to date: Shawn Frayne managed to come up with the Windbelt, a brilliant device that can generate 40 milliwatts from 10 mph winds, just enough to power LED lights and radios.

The set-up is virtually simple, and involves a thin strip of membrane that oscillates between metal coils, and two magnets. So simple, it can easily be fixed by someone with a little technical know-how.

Frayne, who works in Haiti, wants his invention to be used by people living in third-world countries. Haiti locals usually use kerosene, a virtual fire hazard, as their staple source of energy. With the Windbelt, its easy to see how it can easily replace kerosene for their lighting needs, provided that there’s wind around.

The Windbelt’s current record of 40 milliwatts isn’t much right now, but it’s a great start. We can now see a future with more manageable, simpler devices that can generate needed electricity, with no neighbors ragging us about how unsightly wind turbines look in the neighborhood.

Frayne’s Windbelt invention was featured in Popular Mechanics magazine, for its November issue.

Check out the video in the Read link!

This may be one of the more groundbreaking inventions to date: Shawn Frayne managed to come up with the Windbelt, a brilliant device that can generate 40 milliwatts from 10 mph winds, just enough to power LED lights and radios.

The set-up is virtually simple, and involves a thin strip of membrane that oscillates between metal coils, and two magnets. So simple, it can easily be fixed by someone with a little technical know-how.

Frayne, who works in Haiti, wants his invention to be used by people living in third-world countries. Haiti locals usually use kerosene, a virtual fire hazard, as their staple source of energy. With the Windbelt, its easy to see how it can easily replace kerosene for their lighting needs, provided that there’s wind around.

The Windbelt’s current record of 40 milliwatts isn’t much right now, but it’s a great start. We can now see a future with more manageable, simpler devices that can generate needed electricity, with no neighbors ragging us about how unsightly wind turbines look in the neighborhood.

Frayne’s Windbelt invention was featured in Popular Mechanics magazine, for its November issue.

Check out the video in the Read link!