http://murfitt.net/tags/renewable-energy/ Recent content in Renewable Energy on Dan Murfitt Hugo en-gb Sat, 23 May 2009 11:27:00 +0000 http://murfitt.net/blog/windbelt-electrical-wind-powered-generator/ Sat, 23 May 2009 11:27:00 +0000 http://murfitt.net/blog/windbelt-electrical-wind-powered-generator/ <p>A few years ago Shawn Frayne came up with an ingenious way of generating electricity on a smaller scale than wind turbines by using vibrations rather than rotary power. His invention, called the windbelt, works by oscillating a pair of magnets through a metal coil at the end of a belt which vibrates as wind passes over it. This physical phenomenon is know as aeroelastic flutter and it&rsquo;s the same principle that caused the Tacoma Narrows Bridge to collapse. Prototypes have generated 40 milliwatts in 10-mph wind, making the windbelt 10 to 30 times as efficient as the best microturbines.</p>