A US startup Enomad have launched a portable, travel-size power plant that converts any type of moving water into stored energy to charge every kind of USB-connected mobile device. After their successful crowdfunding campaign, the team hope to develop the Estream alongside its backers.
The goal was to make powerful portable green energy available to backpackers and hikers. Enomad also aimed to take clean, affordable electricity to parts of the world that had never experienced it before. The result is the Estream, a portable water-power generator that converts any type of moving water, such as that from a river or stream, into stored energy to charge most of today's USB-connected mobile devices, even while you are off the grid. Upon further development, the team also found a way to enhance the system, adapting it to salt water energy generation.
When the Estream is suspended in water, the flow rotates the turbines, generating between 2.5 watts and 5 watts of energy. It takes about 4.5 hours to fully charge the device’s 6,400mAh built-in battery. According to Enomad, the rechargeable battery can charge up to three smartphones, GoPros or even tablet PCs twice as fast as a regular outlet.
“Whether it comes in through the tap or it is collected from a stream, water is present in the daily lives of everyone on the planet. Enomad wishes to expand sustainable energy on a personal level by allowing people to discover and utilise the natural energy resources around them,” says the team.
