Sailwind 4 project is turning windmills into power generators

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Centuries old windmills formerly used to mill grain are being repurposed in project Sailwind 4, an effort to turn these cultural artefacts into power generators.

The Sailwind 4 project at Konstanz University of Applied Sciences aims to use old windmills for sustainable power generation. igus supports the idea financially as well as with lubrication-free and maintenance-free components
The Sailwind 4 project at Konstanz University of Applied Sciences aims to use old windmills for sustainable power generation. igus supports the idea financially as well as with lubrication-free and maintenance-free components - igus

The project is being carried out by students at HTWG University of Applied Sciences in Konstanz, Germany, and is being supported with €10,000 plus lubrication-free linear guides and polymer bearings from igus.

"igus is known for its commitment to innovative projects by pupils and students," said Professor Dieter Schwechten, who initiated Sailwind 4 together with Professor Ditmar Ihlenburg, both of the Konstanz University of Applied Sciences. "We are very pleased to have secured the company as our first partner and hope to be able to win even more industry supporters for the project."

For the Sailwind 4 project, the student engineers built a replica of a Greek sail windmill, which is said to be the oldest known device for using wind energy. According to igus, thousands of mills are already in place and can be retrofitted as mini-power plants for green electricity.

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"igus has the goal of being CO2-neutral with buildings and production by 2025, but at the same time we are also thinking beyond the boundaries of the company,” Matthew Aldridge, managing director at igus UK said in a statement. “That's why igus is supporting the Sailwind 4 project with €10,000 and providing these students with free components for the construction of new windmills, where some sites may be suitable for installing new, similarly designed windmills.”

The students began building the first windmill in 2023 and retained the characteristics of the historical windmill, namely the cylindrical mill body, the tapered roof design, and wing rods located on the rotating main shaft. For Sailwind 4, the students will attach high-tech sails and connect the shaft to a power generator. With a wind force of 14 m/s, this wind turbine should then be able to generate 5kWp of electricity.

The small wind turbine could also be combined with photovoltaics and a battery storage system.

"Local, sustainable power generation with wind and sun in combination has great advantages for many regions, because both complement each other well in terms of climate," said Prof Schwechten.

Prof Schwechten added that the team has set itself a mechatronic task of fully automating the operation of the windmill.

Sailwind 4