E-Charkha Transforms Spinning Energy into Electricity in India

e-charkha1.jpgIn rural areas of developing nations such as India, every little help people can get could mean much needed respite from starvation. An enterprising engineer by the name of RS Hiremath thought of a way to provide energy enough for lighting at least, from something many Indians are accustomed to in the first place. The device you see on the pictured here is called the e-charkha, which is a modified version of the Indian spinning wheel, charkha. The e-charkha harnesses energy used to spin it and transforms it into electricity stored in a lead acid battery which works as the inverter.

The electric output is between six to nine watts, and two hours of continuous spinning could power an LED light for six to seven hours. Just being able to power light might not seem to be much, but for locations without electricity, it could mean people could work into the night which equates to higher income. Additionally, it could eliminate the use of kerosene lamps that could cause several health-related problems. Since the $200 cost for the device can barely be afforded by those who need it, India's Funds for Regeneration of Traditional Industries program is currently giving away some e-charkha units.

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