MacGyver
Guru
Joined: 12/05/2009
Location: United StatesPosts: 1329 |
| Posted: 03:30pm 08 Dec 2016 |
 Copy link to clipboard |
 Print this post |
|
Crew
My apologies. This thing was to be built over a year ago and I'm just now getting around to it. For those, who have more free time than I (and I'm retired!), here is a preview or update (your choice):
WORKABLE VAWT
The problem facing most, who try to DIY a 'windmill' centers around a whirling mass, which must be aimed, controlled, BALANCED, ect. Then, you have to get the electricity down off the tower without wires wrapping up all over the place -- big headache; I have designed a system, which circumvents ALL that and more.I designed, built and use a "horse-of-a-different-color" vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT).
My design can be as large as you have room; really! At any rate, what I usually use is a steel barrel with the open end down. I cut long "C"s down the sides with a high-speed grinder (you could also use a plasma cutter), such that they can be bent slightly outward. When bent out as such, this creates flaps, which catch in the wind and direct it inside to form a whirly vortex. Horizontal to the side of the barrel and across the open end (facing down) I weld a post with a "V" cut in its end. Into the "V" I put the front hub of a bicycle, held there by a worm-strap, which threads through a slot ground in each side parallel to the direction the axle lays and tightened, holding it in place. This gives me a threaded shaft on both sides of a VERY ROBUST bearing, for a cost of nothing (if you are a good scrounger) to only a few $.
One side of the little hub is attached to my home-made alternator and the other is attached to the blade*. I have designed a permanent-magnet-loaded 3-phase alternator, which is conceptually easy, but pretty intricate to build -- not hard by any means, just a bit complicated. If you want to take it to the next step, PM me and we'll go from there.
*BLADE
Instead of using a straight flow of wind to spin a blade (which must now be 'balanced', etc.) I choose to spin the wind into a vortex and immerse a flat blade in the flow. I've been accused of thinking outside of the box, but frankly, I never knew there was a box.
The "blade" is nothing more than a sheet of light plastic. It is fastened to a bar of angle-aluminum, which is bolted to the bicycle hub axle and extends up inside the barrel. It doesn't need static balancing and all it does is spin. "I" personally use two sheets and two angle-aluminum bars, making 4 blades, one each 90 degrees, but that's 'me'. You do what you please. At any rate, whenever ANY wind blows, no matter what direction, this thing spins. Easy-peasy!
My self-designed an half-built permanent-magnet-loaded alternator is based on an automobile's physical design, which fits on the bicycle-hub. Essentially, it is two iron sheets with "fingers" about their circumferences, each half latched down to a dozen N52 neodymium magnets arranged in a HDPE disk and indexed together, to prevent shifting and keeping the almost-touching and interlocking "fingers" from getting misaligned.
I don't have any electrical output figures and it's freezing here these days, but when I do, I'll post 'em.
. . . . . MacEdited by MacGyver 2016-12-10
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 |
MacGyver
Guru
Joined: 12/05/2009
Location: United StatesPosts: 1329 |
| Posted: 07:48pm 11 Dec 2016 |
Copy link to clipboard |
Print this post |
|
@ joebog1:
As soon as it warms up a bit, I'll snap some and post them.
. . . . . 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 |
Notice. New forum software under development. It's going to miss a few functions and look a bit ugly for a while, but I'm working on it full time now as the old forum was too unstable. Couple days, all good. If you notice any issues, please contact me.