Multidirectional wind turbine breezes to top spot in Dyson Award

Designed to capture the chaotic wind that blows through cities, O-Wind spins on a single axis but can harness gusts coming from any direction. The turbine makes use of Bernoulli’s principle for its mechanical motion, relying on differences in air pressure to generate momentum. The structure is lined with vents that have large entrances and smaller exits for air. In the presence of wind, the difference between the two terminals causes the turbine to move, with vents placed all across the sphere making it receptive to wind from any angle.

“O-Wind Turbine is a 25cm spherical device, which sits on a fixed axis and spins when wind hits it from any direction due to the geometric structure of its vents,” Orellana, 36, explained. “When wind energy turns the device, gears are triggered which kickstarts a generator. The generator converts the wind energy into electricity which we hope to then plug into the home or the grid. The prototype we have designed can be integrated into everyday urban life. It can be attached to a variety of structures, like the side of a building, a balcony, or a porch.”