MICRO WINDMILL – THE BATTERY CHARGER

Electrical engineers have developed an innovative solution to cell phone batteries constantly in need of recharging, a micro-windmill that generates wind energy and may become home energy generation.

INTERESTING DESIGN:

v The device that is about 1.8 mm at its widest point.

v A single grain of rice could hold about 10 of these tiny windmills.

v Hundreds of the windmills could be embedded in a sleeve for a cell phone.

Wind, created by waving the cell phone in air or holding it up to an open window on a windy day, would generate the electricity that could be collected by the cell phone's battery.

MATERIALS INVOLVED:

It involves a conventional wafer-scale semiconductor device layout so complex 3-D moveable mechanical structures can be self-assembled from two-dimensional metal pieces utilizing planar multilayer electroplating techniques that have been optimized by WinMEMS Technologies Co., The micro-windmills work well because the metal alloy is flexible. 

UT ARLINGTON – THE DESIGNER:

WinMEMS became interested in the micro-electro mechanical system research and started a relationship with UT Arlington. Company representatives visited with the UT Arlington team several times in 2013 to discuss collaboration.

An agreement has been established for UT Arlington to hold the intellectual properties while WinMEMS explores the commercialization opportunities. UT Arlington has applied for a provisional patent.

Currently, WinMEMS has been showcasing UT Arlington's works on its website and in public presentations, which include the

ü Micro-Windmills

ü Gears

ü Inductors

ü Pop-Up Switches

ü Grippers

All of those parts are as tiny as a fraction of the diameter of a human hair.

OTHER PERSPECTIVES:

The micro-windmills can be made in an array using the batch processes. The fabrication cost of making one device is the same as making hundreds or thousands on a single wafer, which enables for mass production of very inexpensive systems.

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.

Also because of the small sizes, flat panels with thousand of windmills could be made and mounted on the walls of houses or building to harvest energy for lighting, security or environmental sensing and wireless communication.