Sailwind 4 project is turning windmills into power generators

The project is being carried out by students at HTWG University of Applied Sciences in Konstanz, Germany, and is being supported with €10,000 plus lubrication-free linear guides and polymer bearings from igus.

"igus is known for its commitment to innovative projects by pupils and students," said Professor Dieter Schwechten, who initiated Sailwind 4 together with Professor Ditmar Ihlenburg, both of the Konstanz University of Applied Sciences. "We are very pleased to have secured the company as our first partner and hope to be able to win even more industry supporters for the project."

For the Sailwind 4 project, the student engineers built a replica of a Greek sail windmill, which is said to be the oldest known device for using wind energy. According to igus, thousands of mills are already in place and can be retrofitted as mini-power plants for green electricity.

MORE FROM ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

"igus has the goal of being CO2-neutral with buildings and production by 2025, but at the same time we are also thinking beyond the boundaries of the company,” Matthew Aldridge, managing director at igus UK said in a statement. “That's why igus is supporting the Sailwind 4 project with €10,000 and providing these students with free components for the construction of new windmills, where some sites may be suitable for installing new, similarly designed windmills.”