Shawn Frayne’s Windbelt Wins Popular Mechanics 2007 Breakthrough Award
If you’ve ever put a blade of grass between your thumbs and blown, you’re already aware of the force that drives Shawn Frayne’s ingenious Windbelt. A small amount of air passing over a thin strip of material can create frequencies that translate into sound waves or, in the Windbelt’s case, energy.
Frayne’s device consists of a flat, taut membrane that flutters within its housing as air passes through it. At each end of the membrane are magnets that oscillate between metal coils as the band flutters, effectively creating an electric charge. According to the 28-year-old Frayne, prototypes of the Windbelt have generated 40 milliwatts in 10-mph slivers of wind, making his device 10 to 30 times as efficient as the best microturbines.
For his innovation, Shawn recently received a Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award and I had the pleasure of hearing him speak during a conference held on the top floor of Hearst Tower.
Frayne, now based in Mountain View, Calif., gathered a variety of lessons while studying at MIT, especially under the tutelage of Amy Smith (a 2004 MacArthur fellow) in her “D-Lab” class. In this design lab, Frayne learned the politics of delivering technology to poor nations, as well as the technical aspects of mechanical engineering.
Frayne remarked in a 2003 New York Times article on Smith’s D-Lab:
”I learned in an economics class that if someone has a good idea and they can implement it in a third-world country, they can dramatically change the economy of the country…I was surprised by how much technology can affect the well-being of a people.”
During his mid-semester break at MIT, Frayne traveled to Haiti where he acted as a consultant for remote villages there and helped locals solve their technical problems.
It was while Frayne was in Haiti, helping locals make charcoal out of biomass, that he came up with the idea for the Windbelt. He saw the need for small-scale windpower, as it could power LED lamps and radios in the rural villages there.
According the Popular Mechanics article on Frayne:
Conventional wind turbines don’t scale down well—there’s too much friction in the gearbox and other components. “With rotary power, there’s nothing out there that generates under 50 watts,†Frayne says. So he took a new tack, studying the way vibrations caused by the wind led to the collapse in 1940 of Washington’s Tacoma Narrows Bridge (aka Galloping Gertie).
So it was that the Windbelt was born. Frayne posits his invention within the realm of “appropriate technology“, which roughly translates to mean “accessible technology”. The Windbelt is made of low-cost materials, it is easily serviced and repaired by the local population that uses it and it is environmentally friendly.
Furthermore, Frayne believes that the benefits of his invention can easily transfer from developing to developed nations. One example that Frayne gave during his talk involved the microsensors used to moderate air temperature and flow in large buildings (such as the 44-floor Hearst Tower, which carries a LEED Gold certification.)
The majority of these sensors (and there are lots of them) operate on battery power and before these batteries fail, they must be replaced. Frayne predicted that each sensor would cost close to $2000 over the course of its life simply to remain powered by these batteries. Instead, Frayne argues that his windbelt could be installed alongside these sensors in the air ducts, where the movement of the air would keep each sensor powered in perpetuity.
At that revelation, the mind reels with examples and applications of how such a simple device could be used across (and maybe even inside?) the planet.
Each fundamental technology developed in the developing world can give birth to entire industries down the line. This simple tenet gives plenty of traction to Frayne’s innovation and it is an appropriate reason that he be rewarded and recompensed for his efforts.
My hat’s off to you Shawn — I’ll be looking for you in the future.
- Curtiss Martin
Curtiss P. Martin grew up in a geodesic dome on the side of a mountain in Southern Appalachia. Now he serves as ScribeMedia's clean technology editor in a tall building in downtown Manhattan.
Very cool! I too was blown away by footage of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.
Wow, thanks so much for publicizing this! I was thinking about oscillating wind generators, with lots of complicated mechanics to control & harness energy from the flutter, but this is so simple and effective it puts my ideas to shame. So very elegant & cool.
By the way, I think you mean tennet, not tenant.
I wonder if this could be applied to generating power for vehicles?
Wow! I am amazed to have Stumbled upon this so early in its announcement. What an innovative and timeless design. This guy is brilliant. Oh man, I am excited for the future once again. I want to build one of these for my home.
Are they putting this product into production? Are there any stock options involved with it or anything of that nature. Thanks for your time.
Great work Shawn. Keep turning up stones even when people say there’s nothing underneath. The world needs people like you. I look forward to reading about further discoveries you make. Good luck, Adrian.
Socialpyramid
“…I was blown away…” Pun?
“According to the 28-year-old Frayne, prototypes of the Windbelt have generated 40 milliwatts in 10-mph slivers of wind, making his device 10 to 30 times as efficient as the best microturbines”
but he already says that microturbines are impractical. How does this approach scale up to larger sizes? How efficient can the electrical converter be made for high power applications?
This solution is so easy and cheap! This has the possibility to change the world a bit and close the gap between poor and rich.
I wonder if it’s released under GPL license.
You are the man, Shawn.
But are you sure generating efficient alternative energy sources like this is superior to spending billions and trillions on invading a single Oil Producing Country…? Oh. It’s a shame our elected leaders prefer war over investment in and solutions from science. Why, I remember a time when we visited the moon.
…or perhaps even “tenet”
Nice demo. But the real question is: How Many Watts Did That Demo Produce?
Oops, I already see he said it made 40mW. That’s a lot of trouble for trivial amounts of energy. A 40mW solar cell is $0.40.
[…] If you’ve ever put a blade of grass between your thumbs and blown, you’re already aware of the force that drives Shawn Frayne’s ingenious Windbelt. A small amount of air passing over a thin strip of material can create frequencies that translate into sound waves or, in the Windbelt’s case, energy. Frayne’s device consists of a flat, taut membrane that flutters within its housing as air passes through it. At each end of the membrane are magnets that oscillate between metal coils as the band flutters, effectively creating an electric charge. According to the 28-year-old Frayne, prototypes of the Windbelt have generated 40 milliwatts in 10-mph slivers of wind, making his device 10 to 30 times as efficient as the best microturbines… [More: ScribeMedia.org] […]
Very nice idea. Wonder if it will make it into the real world as a commercial product. If the efficency per square cm is better then what turbines produce I think it will be a success.
[…] Shawn Frayne’s Windbelt Wins Popular Mechanics 2007 Breakthrough Award “If you’ve ever put a blade of grass between your thumbs and blown, you’re already aware of the force that drives Shawn Frayne’s ingenious Windbelt. A small amount of air passing over a thin strip of material can create frequencies that translate into sound waves or, in the Windbelt’s case, energy.” “Conventional wind turbines don’t scale down well—there’s too much friction in the gearbox and other components. “With rotary power, there’s nothing out there that generates under 50 watts,†Frayne says. So he took a new tack, studying the way vibrations caused by the wind led to the collapse in 1940 of Washington’s Tacoma Narrows Bridge (aka Galloping Gertie). “ […]
[…] at scribemedia.org « Reality check #3 on global warming | […]
Wow. Many thanks to everyone who stumbled, dugg and commented on this article. The response has been great.
First of all, thanks for the eagle-eyed spellcheck, as tenet was the word that I was looking for (but tenant somehow sounded right when I read over it…grr.)
Secondly, there would seem to be a potential vehicular application for this device, though I imagine that it would have to be tweaked and hardened considerably, given that the airspeed would vary dramatically. This, in turn, may make it economically unattractive. Who knows what will come of our adaptation of this device’s properties to different applications?
I imagine that the Windbelt is going into production and primarily targeted towards developing nations. As for stock options, perhaps you should contact Shawn (his LinkedIn information is attached to a hyperlink within the article.) Maybe Shawn will market the Windbelt similar to the One Laptop per Child method, in that you buy them in pairs — one for yourself and one for the developing world.
Again, I feel the need to stress that this device is meant to be small and accessible to local populations. As far as I’m aware, it doesn’t scale up all too well (though I imagine that there will be attempts), as that wasn’t the intention in the first place. This device is meant to provide small amounts of power, but the difference between it and a solar panel is that anyone can operate and repair the Windbelt. The Windbelt is also built from common materials — many, such as the magnets and the housing, can be sourced from the copious amounts of e-waste that exist worldwide.
What is important to understand is that we need to let go of the idea that every technological innovation that comes along is “for us.” We have to learn to be able to step outside our needs and consider the needs of others when evaluating this sort of technology, if not in general. This invention was developed out of an interest for helping people who had no electricity. None. Not for supplementing the energy demands of the western world, not to further strengthen our independence from oil companies/nations, but for establishing little amounts of electrical energy where there previously was none. That the Windbelt utilizes an elegant, intuitive process makes it all the better.
Granted, this product has promise for everyone and it may end up contributing to all those things mentioned above in due time. But realize that people who have zero electricity need this invention more than those of us who desire for the invention to be more powerful or more sophisticated so that it can fit OUR needs.
Again, thanks for all of your interest and thought-provoking comments. Stay tuned to this space, as I intend to showcase more appropriate technologies alongside more clean technologies, as I think they have much to offer one another.
So interesting! Maybe it will be useful in places that don’t have enough sun for solar energy.
I hope you will also post follow-ups to your stories.
[…] This looks interesting. Sure, it can’t do much, but not much is necessary in a lot of circumstances. […]
Everything has its place. This one is bound to fund its niche before too long. Very exciting.
I imagine it would have certain unique advantages over solar;
- Unlike a solar panel, it could be located in a place that is shaded by trees or buildings. This is a practical advantage.
- Since it does not need to be exposed to the sun, (ie out in the open) it can be more easily protected from the weather / animals / theft etc. eg it could be in a cage or under a shelter.
- Unlike a solar panel, it would work day at night.
Great work.
Hi Shawn,
Just wanted you to know that I am deeply grateful for the work you are doing in the world. You bring not only a keen mind, limitless imagaination and hard earned skill set to your work…you bring a strong moral compass. Thank you for your work to better the environment and to help the disadvantaged of the world. Thank you for being friends with my sons.
Joy Boothe
Jesse and Eli’s mama
[…] belt - ce ziceti de asta? Pe domnul din imagine il cheama Shawn Frayne si cauta modalitati inedite de folosire a energiei regenerabile. In cazul de mai jos energia eoliana. Ar […]
[…] to the saying “Build it and they will come,” I reported on Shawn Frayne’s Windbelt in my last post and boy, did they ever come. This is evidently the […]
It is the microeconomies that are all too often forgotten in this macro-focused world. Innovations such as these are what make us remember to appreciate the smaller things and their value in life. Thanks for directing me to this site CSS.
[…] ScribeMedia and the November issue of Popular Mechanics reports, Popular Mechanics has honoured MIT alum Shawn […]
really nice work , tahnks for sharing . i appreciate ur effort.
Angelina Mina
That’s awesome. Can I help?