Gravity powered lamp takes 2nd place at Greener Gadgets Design Competition

A gravity powered lamp has won second place in the Greener Gadgets Design Competition, part of the Greener Gadgets Conference in New York City. Designed by Clay Moulton of Springfield, VA, the Gravia lamp uses the energy of a slowly falling mass to power LEDs that produce lighting equivalent to a 40 watt incandescent bulb.

The concept involves a four foot acrylic column that houses a mass that spins a rotor while slowly falling. The electricity generated by the rotor is used to power ten high-output LEDs that fire into the acrylic lens to diffuse the light throughout the column. The light output achieves from 600 to 800 lumens and lasts for about four hours. The Gravia is activated simply by moving the mass sled from the bottom of the device back to the top, a process that Moulton likens to an "enjoyable routine, like winding a beautiful clock or making good coffee."

The Gravia will last more than a lifetime - about 200 years if it is used eight hours a day, 365 days a year Moulton estimates. The LEDs will go before the drive mechanism. The acrylic lens will undergo an aging process that will actually improve the appearance over time, giving the light a more natural yellowish appearance rather than the unnatural bluish appearance common to LEDs. This effect occurs because of exposure to ultra-violet light and should occur within 10 to 15 years when the Gravia is used in an interior room.

A patent is pending on the Gravia and you can learn more by contacting Jackie Reed of Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties Inc. at 540-443-9217.

[via ENN]