Inventors have developed a spinning wind turbine that generates energy from gusts blown from any direction to make electricity.

The 'O-Wind Turbine' has won two graduates the James Dyson Award 2018 for overcoming the limitations of traditional turbines, which work in one direction.

Their innovative design was inspired by NASA's Mars Tumbleweed Rover – an inflatable ball designed to autonomously bounce across the surface of Mars.

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Nicolas Orellana, left and Yaseen Noorani. The two inventors have developed a spinning wind turbine which generates energy from multi-directional winds to make electricity in urban areas. The invention scooped them a prestigious international James Dyson Award

Nicolas Orellana, from Chile, and Yaseen Noorani, from Kenya were studying International Innovation together at Lancaster University when they came up with the design.

They wanted to explore generating energy from the unpredictable winds found in modern towns and cities.

They hoped to utilise this relatively untapped resource, generating energy even on the most blustery of days.

Mr Orellana, 36, and Mr Noorani, 24, created a unique 10 inch (25cm) sphere with vents which sits on a fixed axis and spins when wind hits it from any direction.

When the wind energy turns the device, gears drive a generator which converts the energy into electricity.

This can be used as a direct source of power or can be fed back to the grid.

The cutting-edge design means that cities could use this technology to produce electricity and reduce air pollution and carbon dioxide emissions.

The spinning turbine is a spherical shape with a single axis used for rotating. Its dimensions and shape mean that it is very suitable for energy production in cities, where buildings catapult winds into chaos

Mr Orellana and Mr Noorani won a £2,000 ($2,560) investment for their project in the prestigious Dyson competition and were awarded an additional £35,000 ($45,000) prize.

Sir James Dyson, who chose the winners, said: 'Designing something that solves a problem is an intentionally broad brief. It invites talented young inventors to do more than just identify real problems.

'It empowers them to use their ingenuity to develop inventive solutions. O-Wind Turbine does exactly that.

'It takes the enormous challenge of producing renewable energy and using geometry it can harness energy in places where we've scarcely been looking – cities. It's an ingenious concept.'

The 10 inch sphere has vents which sit on a fixed axis and spins the turbine when wind hits it from any direction. When the wind energy turns the device, its gears drive a generator which converts the energy into electricity. This can be used as a direct source of power

HOW DOES 'O-WIND TURBINE' WORK? The turbine is of a spherical shape with a single axis of rotation going through it. Its dimensions and shape mean that it is very suitable for small-scale energy production by individual apartment dwellers e.g. by being fixed outside balconies. The turbine makes use of Bernoulli’s principle for its mechanical motion. The structure is lined up with vents which have large entrances and smaller exits for air. In the presence of wind, there is a pressure difference between the two terminals causing the turbine to move. The vents are placed all across the sphere making it receptive to wind from all directions in both the vertical and horizontal planes. The turbine will rotate in the same sense about a fixed axis regardless of wind direction. This turbine rotation is used to power a generator that can produce electricity, which can be fed into the national grid, hence providing financial incentive to users and improving the region’s sustainable energy production. Credit: Dyson Advertisement

The pair hope O-Wind Turbines can be installed on large structures, such as the sides of buildings, or balconies, where wind speeds are at their highest.

The two inventors hope to make their invention cheaply, enabling people to install them on large buildings or balconies, where wind speeds can reach their highest.

'We hope that O-Wind Turbine will improve the usability and affordability of turbines for people across the world,' said Mr Orellana.

'Cities are windy places but we are currently not harnessing this resource. Our belief is that making it easier to generate green energy, people will be encouraged to play a bigger own role in conserving our planet.'

The pair are already in discussions with investors and hope to secure a deal in the coming months.

The pair hope O-Wind Turbines can be installed on large structures, such as the sides of buildings, or balconies, where wind speeds are at their highest. Pictured here, Nicolas Orellana, right and Yaseen Noorani