Novel concept for green technology comes from the
University of Texas
Researchers at the University of Texas
(Arlington) have taken the windmill and miniaturized it — so much so
that it can actually be applied to one’s smartphone to serve as an
emergency source of green power.
Now,
while that description might seem a bit far-fetched, it is in fact
what Smitha Roa and J.-C Chiao, the engineers behind this crazy
concept, have done. Their micro-windmills measure approximately 1.8
mm in diameter — about the size of a pinhead. They were able to
achieve this remarkable feat of design prowess by using flexible
nickel alloy, and combining traditional origami concepts with
conventional wafer-scale semiconductor device designs.
“The
micro-windmills work well because the metal alloy is flexible and
Smitha’s design follows minimalism for functionality,” Chiao
explained.
Roa and Chiao came up with the idea while
exploring green technology concepts on the smaller scale. Their
design has been perfected to the point that they can fit 10
micro-windmills on a single grain of rice.
What’s more, the
concept has proven so worthwhile that Taiwanese company WinMEMS
Technologies Co. has already secured exclusive rights to
commercialize the concept.
“The company was quite surprised
with the micro-windmill idea when we showed the demo video of
working devices,” Rao said. “It was something completely out of the
blue for them and their investors.”
“It’s very gratifying to
first be noticed by an international company and second to work on
something like this where you can see immediately how it might be
used,” said Rao. “However, I think we’ve only scratched the surface
on how these micro-windmills might be used.”
See the tiny
windmill in action in the video below:
The
micro windmills were first successfully tested in September 2013,
when the duo discovered that the windmill’s unique, aerodynamic
design, coupled with the durable nickel alloy, allowed it to operate
under strong artificial winds without fracturing.
“The
problem most MEMS designers have is that materials are too brittle,”
Rao said. “With the nickel alloy, we don’t have that same issue.
They’re very, very durable.”
“Imagine that they can be
cheaply made on the surfaces of portable electronics,” Chiao adds,
“so you can place them on a sleeve for your smart phone. When the
phone is out of battery power, all you need to do is to put on the
sleeve, wave the phone in the air for a few minutes, and you can use
the phone again.”
At present, an agreement has been
established for UT Arlington to hold the intellectual properties
while WinMEMS explores the commercialization opportunities.
UT Arlington has since applied for a provisional patent.
Story via
uta.edu 