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Electronics

Trinity portable wind turbine takes a breezy approach to charging-on-the-go

By Ben Coxworth
April 22, 2014
Trinity portable wind turbine takes a breezy approach to charging-on-the-go
A top view of the Trinity
A top view of the Trinity
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The legs can be laid flat, or partially extended to form a tripod
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The legs can be laid flat, or partially extended to form a tripod
As the blades turn, they spin an internal 15-watt generator that in turn charges a 15,000-mAh lithium-polymer battery pack
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As the blades turn, they spin an internal 15-watt generator that in turn charges a 15,000-mAh lithium-polymer battery pack
The plastic-bodied Trinity is carried as a 12-inch (30.5-cm) cylinder when not in use
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The plastic-bodied Trinity is carried as a 12-inch (30.5-cm) cylinder when not in use
One full charge of the battery should reportedly allow for four to six phone charges
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One full charge of the battery should reportedly allow for four to six phone charges
A top view of the Trinity
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A top view of the Trinity
Using one of two USB ports on the bottom of the unit, you can then plug in your phone (or other device) and charge it
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Using one of two USB ports on the bottom of the unit, you can then plug in your phone (or other device) and charge it
View gallery - 6 images

There are already plenty of solar-powered phone chargers out there, but they won't do you much good at night, when it's cloudy, or even if you live too far north. Chances are, however, that in any one of those situations, there will be at least a slight breeze ... and that's where the Trinity portable wind turbine comes into play.

The plastic-bodied Trinity is carried as a 12-inch (30.5-cm) cylinder when not in use. When you want to juice it up, you pull out the turbine's three aluminum legs, and prop it up to catch the wind. The legs can be laid flat to form a pedestal, or partially extended to form a tripod base. And yes, it is waterproof (rated to IPX6), should the wind be accompanied by rain.

As the blades turn, they spin an internal 15-watt generator that in turn charges a 15,000-mAh lithium-polymer battery pack. Using one of two USB ports on the bottom of the unit, you can then plug in your phone (or other device) and charge it. According to Skajaquoda, the Minnesota-based company that's developing the Trinity, one full charge of the battery should allow for four to six phone charges – you can also forgo the battery, and charge your phone directly from the generator.

As the blades turn, they spin an internal 15-watt generator that in turn charges a 15,000-mAh lithium-polymer battery pack
As the blades turn, they spin an internal 15-watt generator that in turn charges a 15,000-mAh lithium-polymer battery pack

Skajaquoda hasn't stated how long it takes to fully charge the battery, although it obviously depends very much on wind speed. The company plans on providing that information on its Kickstarter page soon – important information to know, for sure.

That said, if you just want to bring the Trinity along as an extra power source and don't have the time or inclination to set it out in the breeze, you can also just charge it from an outlet via an integrated mini-USB port.

The suggested retail price of the Trinity is US$399, although you can preorder one now for a pledge of $279. Delivery is estimated for January, assuming it reaches production. Should you feel like shopping around, you might also want to check out offerings such as the Orange Wind Charger, the HYmini or the Powertraveller.

More information on the Trinity is available in the pitch video below.

Sources: Kickstarter, Skajaquoda

View gallery - 6 images

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ElectronicsChargerWind turbineKickstarter
8 comments
Ben Coxworth
Ben Coxworth
Based out of Edmonton, Canada, Ben Coxworth has been writing for New Atlas since 2009 and is presently Managing Editor for North America. An experienced freelance writer, he previously obtained an English BA from the University of Saskatchewan, then spent over 20 years working in various markets as a television reporter, producer and news videographer. Ben is particularly interested in scientific innovation, human-powered transportation, and the marine environment.

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8 comments
BigGoofyGuy
I think this would be great for emergency situations and for travellers and campers. It is portable and compact which means it won't take up much space.
Dan Lewis
NObody spoke to that guy (before release of video) about the lousy audio at the beginning and elsewhere in the video?? That guy needs much better advisers!!
FIRST IMPRESSIONS are IMPORTANT. It's not a myth or old wive's tale! This video tells us the people behind the device don't care very much about their public reputation...maybe even about the quality of their product.
Better wake up folks. Get with the basic program.
tyme2par4
I designed the exact same thing for my senior project in college about 4 years ago.
Lewis M. Dickens III
I mentioned Bill Allison below concerning bicycle suspensions.
In his retirement he perfected the wind engine hitting the Betz Limit utilizing a fan design with 10 blades in a 12 blade configuration.
I sat next to a beautiful small model that he had built inside his screened in back porch. With a very slow breeze the thing took off spinning like crazy and was a sight to behold.
Bill was no engineering slouch. Hitting the 59% efficiency still lies way above what is currently available and it seems that no one knows how to measure efficiency percentages, nor much less post them. Seems like one huge secret engineering conspiracy to me.
This design is beautifully worked out. I wish that they would look at Bill's patent drawings and carefully think of building his alternative as well. They might be very pleasantly surprised and the world would be better off with it. Yet the damned lemming instinct of 3 blades seems to be deeply embedded.
Bill
CliffG
Oh dear, not another energy solution for charging cell phones. This little unit will never, ever recoup the energy it took to manufacture it. Someone has too much time on their hands.
grtbluyonder
I say bring back the propeller beanie. It's the ultimate geek headgear and could charge all your devices using solar and wind.
Bharath Shri
Wind turbines for charging mobile phones!
longhawl
Lots of details missing - particularly weight and performance statistics. Wind chargers don't seem to do well in general - I'm speaking of business success, not usage in the field. If you check on the related articles listed here I think you will find that not a single one of those earlier wind charger products ever came to fruition or if they did they are no longer on the market. What is with the cheap pledges? Why would anyone buy a pouch but not the product itself? Is this a way to make it seem less expensive by having $25 and $30 pledge categories? Scroll along down and you eventually get to the actual pricing. Even $279 for a product like this seems unreasonable, let alone the $399 "expected" retail price.