We wrote about RMRD Tech’s mission to bring clean wind energy to remote communities using a portable micro wind turbine with 3D printed parts back in February. Now, they’ve launched their Kickstarter campaign with an ambitious to do list. Ever since entering and winning the University of Windsor’s David McFadden Energy Entrepreneur Challenge, Kyle Basset and his partner Lucas Semple have been busy drawing out plans for their Kickstarter launch. Not only do they want to bring portable wind turbines to techno-campers and the open source community, but they also want to launch a pilot project to bring 3D printed wind turbines to Nicaragua. They plan on bringing 3D printers with them and setting up a mini-manufacturing zone in remote villages in need of power. Using basic 3D printing technology, they will set up turbine arrays that can power standard off-grid 12-volt batteries, providing energy for homes, schools, small industries and agriculture. Basset and Semple believe that their micro turbines combine well with other clean energy sources like hydro and solar power, greatly increasing the ability of remote communities to use their natural resources to gain power.
The technology itself is simple enough. Basset, a PhD candidate from the University of Windsor, Ontario used hollow pipes and 3D printed brackets to build the structure of the wind turbine which can be assembled and dissembled within minutes. The foldable rotor and tower collapse into a compact 100cm x 10cm size. This makes the turbine easy to ship, easy to carry, and easy to set up. One wind turbine outputs 5 volts to a USB-powered device, which is great for charging cell phones, GPS, or flashlights.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rmrdtech/a-small-wind-turbine-for-a-big-difference/video_share
On their Kickstarter, RMRD Tech writes that using 3D manufacturing was a no-brainer “because it provided the best consistency, quality, and accuracy while staying within the project’s desired price-range.” They give an estimate of 120 minutes to 3D print the parts for one turbine, which will certainly help them keep up with Kickstarter backer demands and will ensure quick production of off-grid turbine arrays in Nicaragua.
The project is an innovative and practical use of additive manufacturing and is certainly worth a look. The rewards for backing the project are quite confusing, making it tough to gauge what the price of one turbine would be on the market if RMRD Tech gets their project funded. But, the project just launched, so hopefully all of the ‘Rewards’ details will get sorted out with time.
