Power for the third world was inspired by a 1940 Washington bridge. Shawn Frayne, a 28-year-old inventor, has found a way to capture the energy that caused the bridge to fall.
Galloping Gertie (aka Tacoma Narrows Bridge) collapsed on November 7, 1940 but not before becoming a tourist attraction - something of a carnival ride. Spanning Tacoma Narrows, a stiff breeze would set the center spanning bridge to resonating, the bridge would toss and turn, rolling across the gap, causing cars in front and behind to disappear and reappear with the waves. The bridge lasted four months.
Frayne realized the same energy that caused the bridge to buckle could be captured to drive micro-generators. His prototypes use a membrane under tension that is fitted with a pair of magnets. The magnets oscillate between metal coilshave and generate 40 milliwatts in winds of just 10-mph. His WindBelt is 10 to 30 times as efficient as the best available competing technologies. Applications include powering LEDs, clocks, small/battery-powered appliances, and microscopic HD plasma screens for the Sunday game.
Windbelt Power
Bridge Collapse Inspires Third World Power Innovation
Trend Themes
1. Renewable Energy Generation - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Explore the potential of capturing energy from unconventional sources like wind vibrations to generate renewable energy.
2. Micro-generator Technology - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop and improve micro-generator technology that can efficiently convert small-scale vibrations into usable electrical power.
3. Efficient Energy Conversion - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Find innovative ways to increase the efficiency of energy conversion technologies for better utilization of available resources.
Industry Implications
1. Renewable Energy - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Explore the integration of wind vibration capture technologies in the renewable energy sector for decentralized power generation.
2. Consumer Electronics - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Incorporate micro-generator technology into consumer electronics to enhance their energy efficiency and reduce reliance on traditional power sources.
3. Smart Home Appliances - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Implement efficient energy conversion techniques in smart home appliances to reduce energy waste and enhance overall performance.