Recently, the world has seen various non-conventional sources being successfully commercialized. However, their cost and efficiency is still a major hurdle in their global acceptance over fossil fuels.

The existing rotor blade method of harvesting the ubiquitous wind energy has quite a few drawbacks so we propose a new wind energy scavenging technique which uses Vortex Induced Vibration (VIV) based on “Von Karman effect”.

This effect is observed when a fluid flows over a bluff body (cylinder in this case) causing uneven distribution of pressure around it. The idea revolves around a precisely designed cylinder vibrating resonantly over a wide range of wind velocities. This range can further be widened with proper choice of material and some modifications. The vibrations can be converted into electrical form using a customized power takeoff system to give output comparable to conventional wind turbines.

Due to absence of any rotating part this generator produces electricity at much lower cost than its existing bladed counterparts due to which it’s a potential alternative energy source.

One may inquire why a wind harvesting device, as opposed to other forms of renewable energy harvesting devices, would be chosen to work with. After taking into account the various aspects of different renewable energy sources, our group could clearly see why wind was our best outlet to pursue for harvesting energy. By noticing the limitations of other renewable energy sources, one can see how wind offers the potential for a device with broader options – specifically, but not limited to, location and cost.

It is evident that the wind power global capacity is continuously increasing and is expected to follow the same trend in future. For continuation of this trend and to meet the global energy demands in future newer and better methods of harvesting wind energy are being suggested. Thus, there is a wide scope for devices that harness wind energy. The device proposed in this paper is one such attempt which will help us in tackling the global energy crisis.