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Forum Index : Windmills : interesting pictures
| Author | Message | ||||
rissole Newbie  Joined: 10/05/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 15 |
A friend who knows of my strange interest in windy things told me that he had seen some 44 gal drums spinning ih the wind on a propertyabout 15 K out of town. Next time I was out that way I followed his direction and soon located what he had been talking about, as soon as i saw it in the valley I took a pic and as I got closer I took more shots and then was able to zoom in in the rotors. At first I thought it was some clever system to get wind that was flowing up the slope of the valley, but as I got closer and was able to zoom in with the camera the truth became apparent...! 
Rusty |
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Gizmo Admin Group  Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5078 |
Yep looks like something let go. Is that rust on the bottom of the rotors? Maybe the bearing/shaft rusted out and fell apart. Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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| electrondady1 Senior Member  Joined: 12/02/2009 Location: CanadaPosts: 208 |
you can see on the fourth photo down. the top bearing support structure has come away from the tower. it's an odd place for a wind mill , at the bottom of a gully. may be it was used for pumping water ? or maybe air, into that pond? |
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shawn Senior Member Joined: 30/03/2010 Location: New ZealandPosts: 210 |
That is a shame I bet someone loved that machine and looks like they have spent plenty of time building it. My guess would be pushing water for stock DIY style. |
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Bryan1 Guru  Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1344 |
I have seen a few 3 stacked 44 gal drums as water pumpers over the years and more times than not they were a broken mess. When I get around to making mine I'll be using a 3" hyd pipe along with some parallel to taper grip bearings above and below the drums. The 3" pipe will go thru the centre with flanges welded on for each stage then a suitable heavy-duty tower. This will be powering my 5 cylinder radial air compressor I'm making to provide compressed air when ever the wind is blowing. The first priority will be keeping the tanks full for the workshop and to provide the required psi to raise water out of a bore close by to flow into a dam. Then from the dam the air will pump water around the farm. As always when I start a project for myself the better 1/2 wants something made so now i gotta finish the grain mill I'm making out of brass before I can get back onto the project. Cheers Bryan |
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MacGyver Guru Joined: 12/05/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 1329 |
Bryan I'm all-in with ya, mate. I've been all around the block on this windmill thing and for me, pumping air is as good as it gets. My next "windmill" will be a VAWT (I know, I know . . . ) that has a flat-sheet blade on the end of a shaft. The blade is emersed into a space that has vertical wind vanes all pointing slightly towards the center. As the wind blows from any direction, it creates a vortex inside the cavity and the blade (trapped Styrofoam sheet) is driven wildly in a circle. What could be easier? The shaft is then coupled to a compressor and that's that. I'll take some pictures and try to remember where this thread is, so I can come back and post them here. It may be a while, though. I'm now "retired" and have no free time! Hahahahaha! . . . . . Mac Nothing difficult is ever easy! Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman, "Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!" Copeville, Texas |
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| Robb Senior Member Joined: 01/08/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 221 |
That looks like a commercial Mono brand unit from the 80s. |
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