Portable wind turbine weighs only ten kilograms

A Danish startup has developed a wind turbine that is designed to be lightweight and portable, with a set-up time of only 15 minutes

Spotted: Wind energy is a clean source of fuel and unlike other power plants, wind turbines do not emit air pollutants or greenhouse gases. However, wind turbines are typically heavy-duty towers, making them permanent structures. Aiming to change that, a Danish startup, KiteX, has developed the Wind Catcher. Inspired by kiteboarding kites and kite-like airborne wind turbines, the device is a lightweight and portable wind turbine that can be set up by one person within 15 minutes. The idea is that the system can be used anywhere, from off-grid settings to private homes.

The Wind Catcher is made up of interlocking glass fibre rods, recycled plastic and expanded polystyrene foam. The structure is supported by three guy wires that are each attached to cam buckle nylon straps, which will be anchored to stakes when being fixed into the ground. When fully assembled, the device has a turbine diameter of four metres and an uppermost reach of six metres. The Wind Catcher allows users to have instant access to electricity, but KiteX’s objective is that it gets stored in a hard-wired third-party power pack for later use.

Two versions of the Wind Catcher have been developed – the first produced 200 watts starting at a wind speed of 5.5 metres per second, while the other produces 600 watts at 7.5 metres per second. The former is suitable for powering items such as laptops, small fridges or a few light bulbs, and the other is aimed at devices that require more energy, such as e-bikes and power tools.

If the Wind Catcher reaches production, a pledge of €990 will get you to 200W, and €1471 for the 600W version.

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