Scientists develop game-changing method to generate energy from gentle breeze: 'What excites us most is the simplicity'
It's a stark contrast to the "world's largest" turbine accomplishments in China and elsewhere.
"Yet, there is a quieter, more compact option: a slender strip of material fluttering in the breeze, capable of converting ambient airflow into usable electrical energy," the experts from the Indian Institutes of Technology wrote in a summary published by Tech Xplore.
And while the small-scale breeze catchers won't be powering cities, the team said they could energize sensors and lights in remote settings and hard-to-reach areas.
The key is slim polymer sheets that are used as piezoelectric materials. They can convert flutters, or vibrations from ambient air, into electricity. The team's blueprint isn't overly complicated, per the report.
"Our work focuses on a simple idea: attach a flexible plate with a piezoelectric sheet to the downstream side of a cylinder and expose it to wind. As wind flows past the cylinder, it causes the attached plate to flutter — much like a flag," they wrote.
Experts around the world are working on ways to harness unique energy sources. Students in France built turnstiles in a metro station that generated electricity from everyday human movement, powering nearby TV screens as people passed through. An international research team is studying how to generate voltage as low winds pass over water droplets.
The team did some tweaking to the sheets to improve the device, generating more energy. It's thanks to "a resonance phenomenon where the oscillation frequency of the plate synchronizes with the frequency of vortex shedding," the experts said.
The device was able to light 20 LEDs continuously, and 40 momentarily, with stored charge.
The inventive energy generation is part of the overall shift to a cleaner future without reliance on heat-trapping fossil fuels. NASA has linked the fumes those energy sources produce to increased risks for severe weather — blackout-causing storms that are more damaging and frequent.
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In India, the researchers said they still have some improvements to make to the low-speed wind setup to prepare it for practical use.
"What excites us most is the simplicity and scalability of this approach. Unlike traditional turbines, these harvesters have no rotating parts, minimal maintenance needs, and can be easily integrated into urban or natural environments. As the world seeks smarter, smaller, and cleaner ways to generate energy, this flutter-powered harvester may just have the wind at its back," the team wrote.
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