The driver's wind generator

Just a truck driver, Mr. Tran Thanh Thanh (36 years old, living in Village 3, Binh Thoi commune, Binh Dai district, Ben Tre province) invented a wind generator to serve family activities. This patriotic invention was awarded the Youth Innovation Award by the Central Union in 2011.

'Invention' to help poor people

Because of his poor family, Mr. Thanh had to quit school when he finished grade 9. Leaving school, he decided to go to Ho Chi Minh City to learn a job. At the age of 16, he chose to work as an iron door. After seven years of persevering in his vocational training, in 1999 he returned to Binh Dai to settle down and start a family.

The job of making iron doors in the countryside is not enough to live, he switched to running a three-car hire. Then in 2007 he had to change jobs because the Government banned tricycles and homemade vehicles. Mr. Thanh went to learn to drive and lived as a truck driver for the grocery stores in the district.

Mr. Tran Thanh Thanh (left) adjusts the fan on the roof of the house - (Photo: HT)

Although busy, he still regularly participates in local Youth Union activities. In 2011, when the commune announced that the Central Union launched a young creative competition, he quietly went home thinking about doing something to take the exam. Eventually he decided to make a wind generator (wind power) because his home country was very windy but lacked electricity.'If the invention is successful, it can help households in remote areas without electricity from the national grid to have lighting, for children to study' - Mr. Thanh shared.

Asked why he was only in the 9th grade, but he dared to do something so difficult, requiring such a good education, Mr. Thanh laughed: 'I remember once riding an electric bike on a battery all of a sudden. So I have to step forward to continue. After a while, when the battery is charged, the bike will not be able to cycle. Since then, I thought I could use wind to make electricity. '

'Windmill' in coastal areas

To create this wind power machine, Mr. Thanh took advantage of scraps such as scrap iron to make blades; tail driving wind, tuocbin, he bought from electric cars damaged so the cost is not much.

Because he is a cross-country citizen, Thanh's invention has many difficulties, taking a lot of time. He said that every few days he was grumbled by his wife . because he displayed a huge pile of 'scrap' in the house. Each time like that, he just laughed and went down to the water to beg his wife. Sister Bang Uyen, his wife, said: 'The couple went to work late at night and got tired, but when they got home, he rushed into a scrap of iron as a wind generator. I only worry about him working too hard, the next day does not run cars. '

Finally his wind generator was completed. The four-wing fan with a tail, each wing is 80cm long, the propeller width is about 30cm. This impeller is connected to a turbine, a battery, a dc converter into AC; then connected to the light bulb. The wind generator at his home is enough to power all lighting bulbs in the house. In the daytime, it can also be used for refrigerators."Sometimes electricity is not very stable and I am gradually improving it to be able to install it for other households in the area and places without electricity," he said.

According to him, just having the 'wind to blow the tree' regularly is enough to generate electricity. These coastal areas are windy all year round, so it is convenient for installing wind power systems, counting all the equipment and batteries, about 10 million VND. Mr. Thanh said : 'There are a lot of people in the commune ordering wind generators but I have yet to accept them. This needs to have a mechanic propeller mechanic evenly, even need a specialized agency to complete it. I just tried it so there are many shortcomings. '