Each year, the Energy & Environment: Design and Innovation team engages students in the exploration of energy challenges that result in prototypes of new energy technologies, systems or approaches.

This subteam examined wind energy to accommodate the growing demand for reliable, off-grid electricity. Power banks and other charge carriers present a short-term solution to such issues, but do not solve the problem in long run. Efficient sources of renewable energy are key to solving issues related to energy shortages and inaccessibility. 

To tackle this challenge, team members developed a low-cost, sustainable and reliable energy source: a 3-D printed portable vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) made out of recyclable material. They hope that their invention can promote sustainability and provide low-cost energy to underserved communities.

Check out their poster below and see what other subteams developed, including an energy-harvesting speed bump, bricks made of recycled plastics, new green roof technology, and new heat capture systems for solar cells.

Wind EnGen: Portable Vertical Axis Wind Turbine

Poster by Jack Dugoni, Prokop Martinek, Alfredo Sanchez and Isabelle Sanz

Landing page image by Dennis Jarvis, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.