Wind Charger

For charging batteries- a very small wind charger

Well, just when you thought they had come up with everything, there is a personal, portable wind charger and a more serious and capable wind power system that charges batteries to run appliances.

A personal wind power battery charger uses wind power to charge your phone, or camera, run a personal fan, or charge batteries or your GPS, while you are riding a bike, walking, camping, or any other outdoor activity.  It is a personal wind powered turbine that comes in handy for charging small appliances to save electricity, or when there is no other energy source around, such as camping out in the woods or remote areas, where there is wind.

Some of the gadget chargers are more of a limited power generator, that barely generates enough power, while the other wind chargers are able to supply enough power to start engines, run lights, refrigerators, pumps, TV’s and computers.

On the smaller, limited side is the HYMINI Tiny Portable Wind-powered Gadget Charger runs around $60, and right now they are throwing in a solar powered charger in the package. The Kinesis K2 Solar/Wind Charger will power any USB device and looks like a tiny personal fan.  It allows you to plug it in to a regular outlet, as well.

On the more capable side is a Rutland 913 Wind charger that is actually a wind generator which can store wind power for larger applications.  Because of high inertia, it can accumulate enough wind power to fully charge batteries for larger appliances.  It also has an inverter, regulator and controller and is a more serious wind charger at a 12 volt starting price of $995.

Some enterprising people are building prototypes for personal wind chargers, and others have built wind systems that can power home appliances, for under $400.

Generally a wind system has the fan, which drives the unit that generates the direct current, the tower or support, batteries and an inverter to change the direct current to alternating current or AC power, to be used with common household appliances, like stereos, televisions, and lighting or personal items that take batteries, and have an AC adaptable charger.

Some of the portable charger units are focused on personal items, like cell phones, MP3 players, cameras, and GPS units, and can be found under $100 in most cases.  They are not meant for any type of heavy duty usage, but are more of a novelty that comes in handy in certain circumstances.

The more capable charger systems use batteries to store the power that is generated to power the appliances in a household, and is also known as a wind power system.

Both systems harness the power of wind as an energy source to power appliances, and personal gadgets.  While the smaller, personal wind systems would be practical for camping trips, the larger systems would be more practical for home systems and appliances, or an outbuilding on a farm, where electricity has not been run.

Either way, both wind power systems offer the convenience of power wherever there is a wind resource available to charge batteries and power appliances, whether personal gadgets or household goods.  It is an environmentally clean energy source that is more portable than a generator, and is a great option when use for powering things on a boat, or in an RV when camping.

They have come up with tent mounted wind charger systems to charge your cell phone and GPS systems, when in remote areas, such as hiking up mountain tops or driving across the desert.  Most of the portable personal wind systems are lightweight, and they are still in a development stage, for the most part.

The more comprehensive systems that charge batteries to convert direct current to AC current are more reasonable than a full wind power system that has more expensive parts and are used in larger applications that involve a generator and enough power to sell it to a utility.

Whatever kind of wind charger system you are after, they are an affordable way and oftena  convenient way to charge personal items, or batteries that run appliances, especially when you are in a remote setting, or without power.  The more sophisticated our knowledge on wind power, the more likely we are to find uses for it. Stay tuned to our Wind Power NEWS page for more.

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