The Wind up battery is the endless independent source of power. It is the only tool you will need to charge your mobile phone batteries, notebook batteries, GPS or any other modern gadget which is in this information-packed world essential life companion. The use of wind up battery charger is easy and being that it is totally portable and independent power supply, it is a valuable part of accessory of every trekker’s, backpacker’s, traveler’s adventures journey. It is also an essential back up power supply for any critical emergency events when there is no power supply available nearby.

How does it work?

The wind up battery mechanism uses internal generator, which is usually hand-powered by spinning the handle on the device. The hand motion, in which AC alternator is driven by a crank converts human mechanical energy and generates the electrical power, by spinning magnets past a coil of wire, which is stored in battery. To charge the device, utilizing the wind up mechanism the hand crank needs to be pulled out of the folded position, and spun in clockwise/counterclockwise direction. After some time of cranking, when the device is charged the handle is folded into position and the device is available to use.

There are also foot powered wind up battery devices, which generate power and self charge by human energy through step action. These are able to jump-start a boat or automobile battery, and power a wide array of instruments and accessories and present a valuable and versatile tool for power supply.

The Devices using wind up mechanism

There are several devices on market which utilize the wind up mechanism. It can be used as a wind up battery charger, wind up flashlight, wind up radio, wind up clock, mp3 player, or a larger electricity supply unit. Usually there are hand cranks folded into the devices, which can be pulled out when needed. The wind up devices are a great way to promote environmentally clean green energy source as the power is derived through windup mechanism which efficiently harvests the human energy and converts it to electricity.

If you are an environmentally conscious consumer who likes to travel and have a power charger available for his electric devices and an emergency power supply then the wind up battery is the device to look for.

Technorati Tags: wind up, Wind Up Battery

myFC™, an innovative fuel cell technology company from Stockholm (Sweden), developing fuel cell chargers and low cost fuel cell components which efficiently extend battery life of portable electronics from cell phones to laptops, has presented a new innovative USB battery charger called the PowerTrekk used for cell phones, smart phones, gps devices, ipods and other gadgets. PowerTrekk is the first commercial application of Sodium silicide, a new chemical powder developed by green energy company SiGNa Chemistry, put into the consumer product.

Source: PowerTrekk.com

HOW IT WORKS

What is innovative about the PowerTrekk is that the battery charger runs on water reacting with sodium silicide as its main source to produce charge. The sodium is stored in a small round container (similar to a hockey puck) called a PowerPukk. 

Almost any type of water, including puddle water and saltwater, starts a chemical reaction with sodium silicide which produces hydrogen gas. To operate, hydrogen must be supplied to the fuel cell, and the fuel cell must be exposed to the open air. The chemistry process is said to be safe and eco-friendly with only a little water vapor as a by-product. The fuel cell inside PowerTrekk is a completely passive system. Without fans or pumps, the fuel cell silently converts hydrogen into electricity via its Proton Exchange Membrane.

Source: PowerTrekk.com

RELIABILITY

As the myFC™ is explaining one tablespoon of water added to the sodium cell should charge a phone or other gadget for up to 10 hours. This new fuel cell power technology has some competitive edge over traditional and alternative energy portable chargers as the electricity is generated immediately as soon as the water is added to the sodium cell and compared to battery powered travel chargers, PowerTrekk offers reliable charging as the fuel packs do not deplete as batteries do and charging is neither impacted by weather nor the position of the sun, as for solar panels. The PowerTrekk, a lightweight pocket sized fuel cell charger has been designed for the active people who spend time away from the electricity grid and do not have access to conventional power in remote locations. The ability to simply insert a PowerPukk fuel pack and add water provides users instant and limitless power on the go and with enough replacement sodium cells and water you will have plenty of juice to power your gadgets for the trekking trip in the middle of nowhere.

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION POWERTREKK

Rated input (micro USB charging of the internal battery): 2.5 W

Rated total output: 2.5 W Fuel Cell Mode

Fuel Cell: 5.0 W Battery Mode

Internal Buffer:

Internal Buffer (Battery) capacity: 5.9 Wh (1600 mAh, 3.7 V)

Operation temperature: +5°C … +30°C

Charging Input Port: Micro USB-B

Charging Output Port: USB-A

Dimensions (W x L x H): 66 x 128 x 42 (approximate)

Weight: 175 g without Tray System / 240 g with Tray System

Enclosure: Splash Proof

As presented by the producer the PowerTrekk and PowerPukk meet industry security standards and can even be brought on an airplane passenger cabin.

While traveling self sufficient gadgets are best to carry around as you don’t always have an opportunity to connect to the electricity grid and recharge the batteries.  The Wind ‘N Go TimeMinder is a wind up travel alarm clock which can be powered by hand. It is ideal for long travels as it will not only be a reliable alarm clock, but it is also a personal emergency tool. The internal rechargeable battery can be charged by using the dynamo and hand crank. You can also charge the battery by using the included USB adapter plugged into a USB port. The internal rechargeable battery powers the 3 LED flashlight, AM/FM radio and high decibel siren.

The Wind ‘N Go TimeMinder is also equipped with a power out jack that can provide emergency charging of your cell phone. Although it cannot fully charge your cell phone you would be able to make an emergency call when charging you cell phone by hand cranking for a minimum of 3 minutes.

Features

• Digital alarm clock
• AM/FM radio
• 3-LED flashlight
• Blue Backlit display
• High-decibel siren
• Cell phone charger (Nokia adapter included).
• May be charged using a USB adapter (included)
• Warranty 1 year

Specifications

• Internal Rechargeable battery : 3 AA NiMH 3.6V 300mA
• Clock/Alarm battery : 2 Replaceable AGIO (expect 1 year usable life)
• USB DC charging input : 5 volt DC
• Weight : 8 oz
• Dimensions : 4.38″ Length x 2″ Width x 2.5″ Depth
• Radio Bands : AM 525 – 1710 Khz and FM 88 – 108 Mhz

Other features and info on Wind ‘N Go TimeMinder

Although today’s smartphones come equipped with  large touch screens, Bluetooth, build in GPS receivers, multiple connectivity options and all other useful capabilities they are very energy consuming devices and have pretty disappointing battery life. This could be a big problem while traveling in remote countries with scarce infrastructure or in times of big catastrophic events when the entire infrastructure fails and with it the basic services such as electricity supply. But a small hand-powered charger in your pocket can make a difference providing you’ll never have to live with a dead phone again.

Ben Heckendorn discovered that a windup flashlight had enough juice to recharge his android smartphone.  He made a quick DIY tutorial on how to convert a wind up LED flashlight to wind up smartphone battery charger by adding a simple voltage regulating circuit using a Zener diode and a 100hm resister. By adding a USB port to plug in a microUSB recharging cable the device is capable to charge all smartphone models using USB chargers.

Check out the video below to see how it’s done.

(Source: Revision3)

If you are not handy enough, or if you want to save yourself some troubles with assembling it on your own, you can also check the stores for chargers.

Technorati Tags: wind up cell phone charger

Natural disasters are consequences of a natural hazard, which can be any major disaster like tsunamis, floods, volcanic eruption, earthquake, hurricane, landslide, tornado… claim millions of lives and have tendencies to repeatedly occur on specific geographic locations.

Considering that nowadays when natural disasters around the world are almost daily news, it is necessary to be prepared for the worst scenarios in case anything happens. That is especially true if you live in a place inclined to natural disasters. In that case you have to have a fully equipped emergency kit at your disposal in the times of crisis.

Emergency kit for natural disasters

Since there is obviously no time to plan for a disaster once it is already in progress, emergency officials urge to stock up before disaster strikes. Sufficient water supply and food supply are the basic lifesaving items which have to be included in emergency supply kit. A first aid kit is also essential and should be packed in every emergency kit as due to the potential damage done by disaster, emergency services could not be immediately available and any injury, without proper care, can turn into something far more serious. Next on the list of lifesaving essentials are electrical devices such as radio, flashlight, and cellular phones, which are necessary to keep you well informed on progress of situation and enable you to communicate and signal for help. In case of natural disaster such as a major earthquake it’s likely the power will be out that’s why it is recommended that hand-crank radios or flashlights, which do not require batteries, are always at the reach of your hands. Obviously it is crucial for your survival that you don’t run out of power to juice your electronic device that’s why a models using an independent source of power like hand crank or wind up battery devices are better choice than their battery-powered counterparts. Wind up devices can easily be charged and used in emergency situations by turning the crank even if you’re cut off from power supply and you can never ran out of power and the batteries can never get outdated.

The list of recommended items to include in a basic Emergency Supply Kit (ready.org)

• water – one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
• food – at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
• battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
• wind up flashlight
• first aide kit
• emergency whistle
• dust mask to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
• moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
• local maps

The most important thing in a case of natural disaster is that you keep sane mind and that don’t panic as it will only make it worse.

Technorati Tags: wind up devices

There are several wind up radios available on the market, but few of them offer multiple green energy rechargeable power options. The Freeplay Summit Radio is a first-class representative of the multi rechargeable power sources radios, which you can power not only using body motion when cranking the handle, but exposing to the sun rays as it has solar power cells included. Naturally you can power it by using AC charger for electrical charging when available although it would almost be a shame not to use the green energy when having the option.

As manufacturer says “key features include coverage of 4 wave bands (FM/MW/SW/LW), digital tuning and 30 station presets.  An LCD digital display panel with backlight enables the user to see the selected radio station, clock and alarm settings – day or night, making the Summit an ideal bedside clock radio.”

This ultimate alternative energy radio is small enough to fit any small backpack or handbag and the global frequency coverage makes the Summit an ideal travel companion, whether trekking, camping or sailing.

Power independence which the Freeplay Summit Radio offers will enable you to listen to the music wherever you are.

Features include:

• Wind-up, Solar, and Rechargable power options
• 4 wave bands (FM, AM, SW, LW)
• Digital tuning
• 30 station presets
• LCD digital display panel
• Clock and Alarm

Other features and technical info…

Technorati Tags: Wind Up Radio

As nowadays oil prices are spiking, the alternative green biofuels are becoming more and more attractive and the gap between the costs of green biofuel production relative to cost of oil is closing. Scientists are constantly developing new technologies to fuel our tomorrow energy needs and the race to find the most efficient alternative fuel, which can rival oil, has already begun.

One of these companies which are developing a green fuel from banana waste is Growcom, one of Australia’s leading horticulture organization. The organization has recently completed the major infrastructure on the banana plantation of Bush Holdings at Tully required for its Banana Waste to Energy project. The goal of the project is to transform a laboratory study, made by the Division of Environmental Engineering at the University of Queensland in 2005, into a commercially viable energy plant. The process transforms the waste banana material, loaded into anaerobic digester, into biomethane, which can then be used to fuel vehicles.

As the project manager and Growcom Board member Keith Noble said “an over-riding principle of the project has been to use locally available materials and expertise wherever possible.” “The system must also integrate with existing farm practices. If on-farm digesters are to have a commercial future they must add to farm efficiency and be simple to operate.”

While currently an estimate of 30 percent of crops is going to waste, this method could present a valuable alternative for producing green biofule.

{Source: http://www.ngvglobal.com}

Technorati Tags: Alternative Energy, Green Energy

If you are afraid of the dark a chance is that sooner or later you will ran out off batteries and the dark night will get you unprepared. You can easily avoid this by having a Freeplay Jonta Wind Up torch always packed with you on your journeys. The handy wind up mechanism enables everlasting beam of light powered by human hands rotating the crank in both directions. The harder you spin the more energy is created and stored. The LED light indicates the optimum winding speed and the low battery level.

This handy wind up torch is perfect for campers, backpackers, treasure hunters and Indiana Jones wannabes (he would definitely have one packed with him).

The manufacturer assures that the Freeplay Jonta Wind Up torch is both energy efficient and on the cutting edge of new technology which enables that a mere 30 second wind of the handle provides about 10 minutes of light – and you can always wind more to get as much shin-time as you desire. The fully charged torch provides up to 12 hours of continuous ultra bright light.

The Freeplay Jonta Wind Up torch might easily be the last flashlight you will ever buy.

Features:

• virtually everlasting light
• a choice of three light settings: energy saving, full power, emergency flash
• effective beam – over 50m (55yards)
• signal visibility over 3 km (nearly 2 miles)

Other features and info…

Technorati Tags: Wind Up Flashlight, wind up torch