"Dear Mrs. Schmalbeck and Mrs. Halpin, We would like to say that we are still finding data and
resources that we can use for our Literature Review. We notice that our Literature Review is currently
small and we will make up for it with more data and a longer length by the deadline of January 5th. “
Sincerely,
- Bryce Pilcher
- Mark MacIntyre
Humdinger Literature Review by Bryce Pilcher and Mark MacIntyre
Introduction
How can a Humdinger be effectively used and how can the design and/or function of it be
improved upon? With the ever increasing need for energy and an apparent need for renewable
energy this question is vital. The application that we, Mark and I, are proposing to study would
be practical for use at and around homes in discrete but windy places. However, this is not just
limited to homes. Our proposed inquiry could be used to power message boards and portable
lights.
Literature Review
The main point of the experiment would be to take an existing creation and adapt it for
commercial use. In 2004, “Shawn Frayne hoped to devise a way to convert abundant
agricultural waste into cheap fuel” (Vella). Shawn soon realized that the community, that he
hoped to help, was still living in the “Old Ages.” This community, Petite Anse in Haiti, ran off
of kerosene lamps because they were not connected to the local power grid. Shawn saw this as a
problem because the lamps were dirty and were “also unhealthy and dangerous” (Vella). After
observing this, he then realized that he was to then modernize the community by creating a
device that would power lights and electronics.
For years, scientists have been looking for ways to shrink wind turbines to reduce costs and
improve distribution. Problems existed when smaller turbines were produced not having a great
percentage of efficiency. The Humdiger used mechanical resonance “with a pair of Neodymium
magnets that oscillate in and out of coils of magnet wire” (“Renewable Energy UK”), which
would convert mechanical energy into electrical energy efficiently. The Humdinger is “an
alternative for small scale wind power… at a (claimed) efficiency of 10-30 times greater than
that of a similarly rated wind turbine” (“Renewable Energy UK”).
The Humdinger is optimal for mind speeds from 4-14 mph, where the “power output increases at
a rate close to a cube of the increase in wind speed. At windspeeds above 14 mph however the
power output becomes constant” (“Renewable Energy UK”). “A wind turbine usually needs
wind speeds of around 10 miles an hour to start generating electricity and optimum wind speed
for large turbines is approximately 30 miles per hour” (“Wind Power Basics”). Since the
Humdinger uses speeds of around 4-14 and Turbines use speeds of at least 10, the humdinger is
optimal at lower altitudes, as opposed to being posted in the sky.
Conclusion
After our findings it is obvious that better locations exist to study other than Mount Airy and
Oriental. The restricting factor is our ability to test in such places and effectively collect data.
The majority of high wind areas are not within easy driving distance. However, we aim to see
that this will work everywhere, so if it works in places with low wind speeds and infrequent
gusts of wind, then it should almost any other location. Though this will be a challenge, to test a
semi-windy area, we believe that with the right tweaks to the Humdinger, this challenge can be
easily overcome.
References Cited
1. Vella, Matt. "Humdinger's Wind Power Alternative." Green Design (2008): n. pag. Web. 16
Dec 2009.
<http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/oct2008/id2008106_231604.htm?campaign
_id=rss_topStories>.
2. " Windbelt Cheap Micro Wind Generator." RENEWABLE ENERGY UK (2007): n. pag. Web.
16 Dec 2009. <http://www.reuk.co.uk/Windbelt-Cheap-Micro-Wind-Generator.htm>.
3. "Wind Power Basics North Carolina." Wind Power Basics n. pag. Web. 16 Dec 2009.
<http://articles.directorym.com/Wind_Power_Basics_North_Carolina-r1148397North_Carolina.html>.