For those who love camping holidays, the availability of electricity is not a trivial matter. GPS, smartphone, torches and/or electric stove: most of our devices require recharging. Every now and then some "nomadic" and portable solution based on wind energy comes up, and slowly one gets the feeling that sooner or later there will be a valid product. Wind power is an option to consider, for a very simple detail: the wind blows both during the night and during the day.
In 2019 the start-up Kitewinder introduced an innovative flying wind turbine called Kiwee, thanks to the funds raised through crowdfunding. Few presentations, then the Covid nightmare literally buried this news, which is now making a comeback for a new version of the device. In less critical times (at least from a health point of view) it's worth a look.
Kiwee, a small nomadic turbine that flies and powers gadgets
Let's start immediately by saying that the idea itself is nothing new. Last April I told you about Kitecraft, a sort of "high altitude wind farm". Last month, however, we got acquainted with AIR-W, a sort of "foldable mini wind farm" to exploit wind energy anywhere. Here: if we put these two technologies together, the Kiwee emerges: a small wind-powered kite for the outdoors.
Lightweight and foldable, the nomadic device weighs only 5 kilos and can be assembled in just 5 minutes without any expertise. It is suitable not only for campers, but also for remote places that do not have access to electricity through conventional networks. All you need is to have a tree, or a tow hitch at hand: there you fix the system and start collecting energy. When Kiwee is lifted into the air, its propellers generate tra 100 and 250 watts of energy depending on the speed of the wind, allowing you to recharge small devices or provide lighting. It can withstand winds of 90 km/h and works even in harsh conditions such as sand, dust, frost. The energy produced can be used right away or stored in a battery for later use. Please watch the video first.
Nothing fancy, but
Some other data on Kiwee, to anticipate the probable questions of readers. It weighs about 10kg, the output power ranges from 100W at 28km/h up to 400W at 50km/h. Its flight altitude ranges from 30 to 60 meters, depending on the wind speed. The diameter of the propeller is one round meter, while its internal batteries are Li-ion, 10S, 40V, 2200mAh, 80Wh. If you need more information, however, you can find it on the manufacturer's website which is not nomadic but is nice and stable on the web.
To end the reflection begun at the beginning of this post, there is no big news. However, there are repeated attempts, which show us a tendency: that of resorting more and more to practical solutions, even small ones, which have renewable energies as our guiding star: and this, if you allow, is an encouraging sign in difficult times.
