Tiny Windmills Could Power Cell Phones

Jan-13-14 Cell phones of the future may one day be powered by wind with development of windmills so tiny that ten of them can fit on a single grain of rice.

Designed by Smitha Rao and J.C. Chiao, the windmill measures 1.8 mm at its widest point. In theory, a cell phone could be equipped to hold hundreds of the tiny windmills, allowing the device’s battery to be charged by waving the phone in the air or placing it by an open window. One key to the windmill’s design is the use of nickel alloy, which is very durable, and the aerodynamic design, both of which allow the device to function in high winds without fracturing.

The micro-windmills can be manufactured using batch process, which makes it possible to mass produce them inexpensively.

More Info about this Invention:

[PHYS.ORG]
[WINMEMS]

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