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Shawn Frayne International Development Design Summit, MIT 2007 smf@humdingerwind.com 650.279.0109. “Harder problems make for better inventions.” -Kurt Kornbluth Or Constraints are good. Example #1: SODIS Gets a New Bag. SODIS = SOlar water DISinfection, pioneered by SANDEC.
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Shawn Frayne International Development Design Summit, MIT 2007 smf@humdingerwind.com 650.279.0109
“Harder problems make for better inventions.” -Kurt Kornbluth Or Constraints are good.
Example #1: SODIS Gets a New Bag • SODIS = SOlar water DISinfection, pioneered by SANDEC. • Two million people use SODIS regularly for their clean water. • Old 1-2 L bottles are the typical container for SODIS. Photo by SANDEC, www.sodis.ch
The Challenge: Improve the SODIS Bag • Improving the SODIS bag was a D-Lab Design Challenge from 2004-2005. • 2 million current users. Why so few? • Bottles are keeping SODIS from reaching a wider audience. (Shipping bottles is shipping empty space) • SANDEC realized this, and did a large-scale trial of bags. At first, the bags were received well (“Swiss-made. Whoo!), but then abandoned.
SODIS Bag: The Constraints • Constraints: • Can be manufactured in Haiti • Will last for two months • Less than US$0.50 selling price • Easy to fill • Easy to pour • Marketable (e.g., must be able to convince people that this is a unique bag that can actually disinfect water)
The SODIS valve The difficult constraints forced the innovation of a new type of valve. This valve had strong novelty, and so was patented in the US/EU, and rights in non-solar disinfection applications sold to a Fortune 500 company.
Example #2: Non-revolutionary wind The history of wind power is a history of rotating systems
Small-scale Wind: The Constraints • Constraints: • $1-5 wind generator can light 2 white LEDs, charge a cell phone, or power a radio • Can be manufactured in Haiti • No specialized materials required • If magnets are necessary, they must be small • Easy to repair, improve • Minimize grinding, wearable parts
How to Make Wind Small, without Turbines • Lift & drag over a wing governs turbine-based generators. • Fortunately, the world is full of wonder (and other aerodynamic effects). • Humdinger’s technologies use aeroelastic flutter: A destructive force, reformed.
“Windbelt” Technology Works • Approximately 10x greater efficiencies than recently published state-of-the-art in micro-turbines. • The reality of a “printable” wind generator! • New, licensable applications in wealthy countries – there is no other small-wind power. • Still open-source in developing countries. • Share of royalties will fund the development of the much longer maturation, but much larger markets in Haiti and other developing countries.
Appropriate technology is better technology. • The revolutionary inventions of the next 50-100 years – the industry starters – will mostly be created in developing countries. • Wind, ocean, solar power, biogas, urban planning, food processing, clean water, ICT, business models • IDDS is one of the first conferences in the world that will help make this possible.