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Forum Index : Windmills : Vawt...going in a big way
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mac46 Guru  Joined: 07/02/2008 Location: United StatesPosts: 412 |
Everyone, Sorry...I've been undisposed the last week or so. Just checking in to say I'm still here and kicking, but no futher progress on the mill. I can see that I have alot of reading to catch up on. Kind regards...Mac46 I'm just a farmer |
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Rastus Guru Joined: 29/10/2010 Location: AustraliaPosts: 301 |
Hi Mac46, If that's a polite way of saying you've "been crook" we're glad to know your over the worst of it!Put your feet up,have a good read and a little "tonic" to fortify you yourself.It'll do wonders,Cheers Rastus see Rastus graduate advise generously |
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| mac46 Guru Joined: 07/02/2008 Location: United StatesPosts: 412 |
Rastus, Thanks for the kind comments and suggestions, I'd like to think of it as a vacation, resting up after is a good suggestion, plenty of ice tea and lots of reading to catch up on. With kind regards...Mac46 I'm just a farmer |
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| mac46 Guru Joined: 07/02/2008 Location: United StatesPosts: 412 |
Everyone, Well, its been over a mounth with little or no progress with the mill. I'd like to say that I've finely had time to get back to the project and made some changes, but this is not the case. Still no progress. with kind reguards...Mac46 I'm just a farmer |
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Raptor50 Newbie  Joined: 17/08/2011 Location: SwedenPosts: 8 |
I accutally agree with Gizmo on page 17 when he says that these mills are more effective when a Savonius rotor is helped them self start.. I don't think it hurt's to try.. Btw, I really enjoy reading and looking at what you have done so far. I hope you get to the point where you see some power from this mill.. I wish the day had more hours.. |
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| mac46 Guru Joined: 07/02/2008 Location: United StatesPosts: 412 |
Hello Raptor50, Welcome to the back shed forum. Thank you for posting, you'r suggestions are good ones. Glen and other members have been a real big help and a source of important information/ suggestions to help me get along with it. As it stands right now its been nearly 2 mounths since I've been able to work on this project. I have about 3 mounths to go before winter arrives here in my area. I want to have a working "mill" before then, so I'd better get off my duff and get back to it. No futher progress to report to date. One good thing is that the weather has cleared but its been a bloddy hot summer. Thanks again for posting. Kind regards...Mac46 I'm just a farmer |
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| mac46 Guru Joined: 07/02/2008 Location: United StatesPosts: 412 |
Hello everyone, I know you don't want to here excuses as to why I have'nt made any progress as of yet, so I won't give one. Just logging in for the moment to say I'm still active on the project. Kind reguards...Mac46 I'm just a farmer |
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| mac46 Guru Joined: 07/02/2008 Location: United StatesPosts: 412 |
Everyone, Here I go again, First,...the disc break is'nt enough to safely stop the mill when "it" is flying, burnt the break linings to a crisp. Secondly, the center "rotor" needs a larger shaft and a more robust dezine. next, the overhead frame work needs more attention as well. but the good news is that the wings are in good shape. surfice to say, I hope no one builds a mill to my specks, it'll be a failure. Currently rethinking. Best reguards...Mac46 I'm just a farmer |
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| Rastus Guru Joined: 29/10/2010 Location: AustraliaPosts: 301 |
Hi Mac46, You've captured a fair bit of power!This is a hair brain suggestion,instead of putting a break on the mill,what about a centrifugal clutch with exstended drive shaft and another alternator that takes advantage of higher torque.Glad to hear the wings handled the load.Cheers Rastus see Rastus graduate advise generously |
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| mac46 Guru Joined: 07/02/2008 Location: United StatesPosts: 412 |
Hi Rastus, I suppose the next srep is to strengthen the upper vertical and overhead frame, something I susspected would need futher strengthing. I witnesed some serious swaying of the main frame and center shaft. This was caused by gusts of wind where one or two of the three wings would produce more lift or thrust and flex the supper structure. This was serious enough that I shut down the mill right away for fear of causeing major damage. I would think that haveing more load on the mill could/would help in minimizeing this effect, however I have'nt had the thing running long enough at any one time to even find the correct wing angle yet, let alone step inside and have a look at the output or rpm. This mill is scarry to be close to when its running up to speed. Regards...Mac46 I'm just a farmer |
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| Rastus Guru Joined: 29/10/2010 Location: AustraliaPosts: 301 |
Hi Mac46, Thanks for the update.I didn't picture what was going on,so my comment was half baked.It sounds like you kept damage to a minimum.I heard somewhere that invention is 1% inspiration 99% perspiration,it looks like your in the perspiration stage.Cheers Rastus see Rastus graduate advise generously |
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| itsandbits1 Regular Member  Joined: 13/08/2010 Location: CanadaPosts: 81 |
Hi Mac I've been following your build and if watching a smaller lift unit run can give you any insight into what yours will do, your welcome to take a look at mine and message me for any comments that might help you. Just utub Remkick, My failures might help |
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| mac46 Guru Joined: 07/02/2008 Location: United StatesPosts: 412 |
Rastus,itsandbits1, and everyone, Hello, and thank you for the comments and kind offers. After thinking things over and over, I've decided that it would be wise to test run under less windy conditions than what I had blowing that day, (25 to 30 mph plus higher gusts). I have not attempted another test run, I'm wanting to run things through my mind a few times and to start thinking of the proper way to strengthen the overhead beams. I certainly don't want a "repeat", of the first test run. Kind reguards...Mac46 I'm just a farmer |
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| mac46 Guru Joined: 07/02/2008 Location: United StatesPosts: 412 |
Hello again everyone: Just wanted to bring you up to date... I've made a good purchase at a local farm auction and brought home some electrical wire, stopped at the city on the way home and purchased some conduit. I'll be digging the trench from the house to the mill as time permits. I hope to have the mill and batteries hooked up by the end of this week. I have'nt done anything with more with the mill structure/ frame work yet. Kind reguards...Mac46 I'm just a farmer |
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| mac46 Guru Joined: 07/02/2008 Location: United StatesPosts: 412 |
Hello everyone, I've finished digging the trench, 70 running feet, and will be installing the wire soon. I plan on running two #00 alum. for the positive, and two #00 alum. for the negitive, both will be carring 12 volt DC. In addition, (and in a separate conduit), I will be running a 240 volt/ 50 amp. service (AC), for running the battery charger when needed and/or so I can have a welder outlet out there handy. Any thoughts or coments are welcome. Kind reguards, Mac46 I'm just a farmer |
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MacGyver Guru Joined: 12/05/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 1329 |
Mac46 I hope you dug a large enough trench to enable your covering it, making a walkable, heated tunnel from the house to the mill. That'd make tracing any future wiring promlems or adding more wire a breeze as well. You could use a fan-blown resistive heater and the windmill could heat the tunnel for free using the heater as a dump load. A warm tunnel large enough to walk through would sure make servicing things a whole lot more fun when there's several feet of snow on the ground outside. Just a thought. . . . . . 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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| mac46 Guru Joined: 07/02/2008 Location: United StatesPosts: 412 |
Hello Mac, I will also run some direct bury com. wire in the trench...however as far as makeing the trench big enough for a walking/maintance access, that is completey out of the question, but thanks for the input. Kind reguards, Mac46 I'm just a farmer |
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| smithy Regular Member Joined: 30/01/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 52 |
I'm pretty sure he was joking about the walk through tunnel. Would be helpful though. hehehehe "The answer my friend is blowing in the wind, the answer is blowing in the wind" Bob Dylan |
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| mac46 Guru Joined: 07/02/2008 Location: United StatesPosts: 412 |
Hello smithy,Mac,everyone, ...Well, I never know when someone is jokeing or serious...so sorry about that Mac...you'r right though, it would be great to have a tunnel access. Can you see someone digging that out by hand. I've got the wire in the conduit and the conduit in the trench, but neither end of either run is hooked up. My vawt also corkscrewed simular to you'rs, "the one time that I accually tested it". I've been so busy with life that I have'nt gotten back to the project. I assume that I need more structural support, however it may be that it is related to the angle of the wings, or something completly different. Kind reguards, Mac46 I'm just a farmer |
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Madness Guru Joined: 08/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2498 |
this video might help with tunnel ideas :) Tunnel There are only 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't. |
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