Described as ingenious concept.

An inventive new type of turbine, O-Wind Turbine, has been awarded the international James Dyson Award. Inspired by a NASA space rover, the two young inventors, Nicolas Orellana from Chile and Yaseen Noorani from Kenya, wanted to make electricity in windy cities.

Traditional wind turbines only capture wind travelling in one direction and are therefore, inefficient in cities where wind is unpredictable and multi-directional. O-Wind Turbine is a 25cm sphere with geometric vents; it sits on a fixed axis and spins when wind hits it from any direction. When wind energy turns the device, gears drive a generator which converts the power of the wind into electricity. This can either be used as a direct source of power, or it can be fed into the electricity grid.

Commenting on the invention, Sir James Dyson said, “Design something that solves a problem, is an intentionally broad brief. It invites talented, young inventors to do more than just identify real problems. It empowers them to use their ingenuity to develop inventive solutions.

“O-Wind Turbine does exactly that. It takes the enormous challenge of producing renewable energy and using geometry it can harness energy in places where we have scarcely been looking – cities. It is an ingenious concept.”

Nicolas Orellana commented, “We hope that O-Wind Turbine will improve the usability and affordability of turbines for people across the world. Cities are windy places but we are currently not harnessing this resource.

“Our belief is that making it easier to generate green energy, people will be encouraged to play a bigger own role in conserving our planet. Winning the international James Dyson Award has validated our concept. The attention we’ve received so far has been humbling and given us the confidence to see the development of this concept as a future career. Already we are in discussions with investors and we hope to secure a deal in the coming months.”