GITAM INSTITUTE OF FOREIGN TRADE (GIFT)

Gen-BE A cost effective wind generator

Harshavardhan Utharavalli

Introduction:

This innovation is a mere outcome of social concern and a critical observation. I would like to

narrate the story in a brief way that led to this pursuit:

“It was a sunny day and I was watching my batch mates play cricket against our rivals in the

college. We were all excited and shouting like hell. One of my friends, who went to get a cool

drink, got a toffee along with him as the shopkeeper had no change. He gave me the chocolate; I

unwrapped it and enjoyed the chocolate. Suddenly, one of the players hit a six and everybody

was cheering him with whistles. The sad part was I wanted to whistle but didn’t know how to, I

turned to my friend and told him in dismay the same. He taught me an alternative method to

whistling using a wrapper of the toffee, he asked me to fasten the ends of the wrapper in between

my fingers and blow air perpendicular to it , then it fluttered terribly and made a whistle like

sound. I was happy for the moment by using it as a whistle but was also thinking about the

unknown effect which made the phenomenon happen. The inquisitiveness in me drove me to

pursue the real reason. After a lot of effort and book skimming I figured out the dynamics and

kinematics related to this and learnt that this phenomenon was called the AERO ELASTIC

EFFECT. Long after understanding this concept I could design a generator which is based on

Faraday’s law of induction and which generates electricity using wind at a very cost effective

scale”.

The Innovation Process:

Identification:

With an intention to complete my minor project with a sustainable electricity generating

equipment, I developed this concept into a working prototype. The real motto was to develop

equipment that satisfies the needs of electricity that is rising exponentially and the energy deficit

which is impeding the economic development of third world countries. This was centric to

satisfying the needs of the downtrodden sectors of these third world countries in a way that could

light their houses almost at no cost. This gave us a impetus to materialize this idea to find a

source that is freely available and still generates electricity. The answer we got was “Wind

energy”.

The Prototype design:

Materials required: Aluminum Frame, copper rings, neodymium magnets, wires, rectifier,

taffeta, LED.

Sourcing:

It took a great effort, to find a material that exhibits an aero elastic effect. But finally after long

awaited perusal I identified a material called “Taffeta” (500/-) which is used to make kites in

China for their kite material. Using an online portal, this material was procured from China and

later few copper rings (40/-), neodymium magnets (145/-) and a rectifier (250/-) were procured

locally from India. An aluminum frame (200/-) to embody these materials was build using a

mechanic’s help.

The laws governing this Phenomenon:

After, a great deal of time and effort I could finally draw a design that could make this

phenomenon happen and generate electricity depending upon these two laws of physics:

Aero-elastic effect: “The deformation of structurally elastic bodies in response to aerodynamic

loads”.

Faraday’s Law of electromagnetic Induction: “When the magnetic flux linking a circuit

changes, an electromotive force is induced in the circuit proportional to the rate of change of the

flux linkage”.

The prototype:

The process predominantly consists of three simple steps:

1) Conversion of wind energy to mechanical energy: When ever wind blows even at the

speed of 2 mph, the taffeta is very sensitive to it and starts fluttering vigorously. So this

translates the wind energy to mechanical energy.

2) Conversion of mechanical energy to electric energy: Whenever the air blows and taffeta

flutters, the neodymium magnets placed on it goes in and comes out of the copper rings

which are placed at the ends as shown in the figure. Whenever a copper wire cuts the

magnetic flux of a magnet current is induced in it. Hence, electricity is generated.

3) Converting AC to DC: As the current is generated to an alternating process of fluttering,

the collected current would be AC. But to make use of it in lighting a led we will have to

convert it to DC. Hence we use a rectifier to convert AC to DC as shown in the figure.

Appealing facts about Gen-Be:

This device is more efficient 10-30times than the prototypes of small wind turbines.

It’s cost effective and can be priced around 1200/-.

It can light up houses with LED’s and carry out few basic things like charging batteries,

running wall clock etc.

It redefines generating electricity using wind which was traditionally done through wind

mills and incurred huge costs.

It does not require a huge manufacturing setup to commercialize it, it can be made by

trained people to install the parts and manufacture the product there by creating

employment to lower classes of the society.

It can optimize the power bills by electrifying the less wattage required equipment in

homes most of which are electronics in the modern lifestyles.

Future prospects:

The current design can satisfy few electronic needs and is vulnerable to non acceptability. But it

gives a potential impetus to design the same in a way that it can cater to electrical needs like

running am motor, or fan, powering a induction stove. This can very well be done by connecting

the belts in a parallel fashion for high voltages and connecting them in series for high currents.

The challenges that have to be faced in this pursuit would be to keep the cost low even by adding

few expensive equipment to the device like instrument transformers. This is still being worked

by me since few years and would come up with the same in quite some time.

Conclusion:

This Gen-Be can revolutionize the future of third world countries to cater to the downtrodden

classes of the society making electricity affordable and engineering a better world.

About my experience:

Innovation is the process of developing beyond obvious. There is a world within us which has to

be untangled, acquainted with, to understand our real potential and work with it. Every failure in

this pursuit redefined my success in many different ways. It may not matter to the world. But it

surely introduced me to the potential with which I can think and develop. Innovation for me is

the art of asking questions because a question is something which always awaits and answer and

I know how to get answers.