HYmini: Hybrid wind and PV-powered storage

Reviewed by Robert Pritchett

Minwiz Sustainable Energy Dev. Ltd

270 Zhong Shiao E Rd. Sec 5. 2F

Suite 2

Hsin Yi district

Tapei 110, Taiwan, R.O.C.

+886(2) 8786 7675

contact@hymini.com

http://www.hymini.com/html/HYmini.html#detail_1

Released: October, 2007

$50 USD http://www.hymini.com/eshop/index.html

or $70 USD with miniSOLAR panel and armband.

Comes with: HYmini, AC adapter, USB transfer cable, cellphone adapters and fanfold instruction manual.

60-day limited warranty.

Storage temperatures are between -20C and 45C.

Strengths: LED Light, portable power generator and recharger. Holds charge for up to 2 weeks. Functional, yet fun.

Weaknesses: Windpower does not fully charge the unit. Slow charging and limited number of charge cycles (500).

Video Review

Portable Renewable Energy

Introduction

Developed by Arthur Huang, the HYmini is a handheld, universal charger/adapter device that harnesses renewable wind power/solar power and conventional wall plug power to recharge almost all 5 Volt digital gadgets.

Power sources: wallwart, USB outlet, miniSOLAR panel (up to 4 panels may be used) or wind-powered generator recharges an internal 1200mAH lithium-ion to recharge cellphones, MP3 players, iPods, PDA, digital cameras, etc.

MINIWIZ follows the design criteria for the “Golden Ratio” - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio

The HYmini is designed to capture wind power between 14.5 kph (9 mph) and 48 kph (30 mph). Maximum capacity is set at 65 kph (40mph) beyond which the extra energy cannot be converted.

Based on Miniwiz's uninterrupted 30 kph (19 mph) wind tunnel test, 20 minutes charge time provides  40 minutes on MP3 players,  40 minutes on PDA,  30 minutes on iPods,  4 minutes on a 3G mobile, or  20 pictures on camera.  

Dimensions: 134 mm (5.4 inches) height x 87.5 mm (3.4 inches) width x 33.5 mm (1.3 inches) thick 

Weight: 100 grams or 3.2 ounces

Input: 5 Volts DC, 1 Amp

Output: 5 Volts DC, 300 to 850 milliamps

Battery recharge cycle: 500 complete charge cycles at 1000mAh. 4-hour recharge using the wallwart. The unit has a safety circuit to prevent overcharging.

The miniSOLAR panels are made with cardboard, so don’t get them wet. MINIWIZ calls the units “Solar batteries” and not solar panels. The HYmini can only accept up to .7W MAX via the DC input jack and is why only four panels may be connected in series.

Dimensions: 160mm (6.3 inches) height x 80mm (3.1 inches) width x 9mm (.3 inches) thick

Output current: 140 milliamps MAX

Output voltage: 5 Volts DC MAX

Avoid fire and high heat conditions.

Wind generation is limited to 1Watt maximum capacity.

The USB adapters that are thoughtfully provided fit the iPod and the mobile phones from Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson and LG.

A silicon rubber strap covers the power jack, LED power indicator (red is charging, green is charged) and USB 2.0 jack. The slide switch is a 3-way, with the two LED lights (flashlight mode) to the right, OFF being in the center and “battery charging devices” to the left.

The Bike Holder is a nice idea, but the screw holding the black piece to the holder was out too far and scratched the holder where it slides in. I didn’t get the Armband.

A car window mount is being designed.

The HYmini is considered to be weatherproof, but not water resistant, so don’t try to recharge on your bike or while running when it is raining.

The propeller of the wind turbine is flexible and stops easily so children (or adults) will not cut themselves on the blades. There is another mini LED indicator light that comes on inside the windcone, when the propeller is turning fast enough to be charging.

Conclusion

If you literally want to wear “Green” on your sleeve or swap out the pinwheel on your bike or just hold one of these in your hand when the wind is going faster than 9 miles per hour, you might enjoy having one of these units.

If you want to show off solar technology, then run a few solar panels in series to get a charge out of the HYmini device.

If you want to learn to appreciate just how much power is needed to run your portable devices, using one of the recharging methods (besides the wallwart) provides a quick lesson on how long it takes to do the job.

Recommendation

The USB adapters alone make this worth the purchase price. This is a fun conceptual instrument for demonstrating alternative energy solutions. By the way, the HYmini is precharged at the factory and a paper strip comes printed with when it was done. I like that kind of attention to detail and I expect to see more innovative “Green” devices from MINIWIZ.