Ideas for a wind generator

[Tank]

I was thinking along the lines of a Bicycle wheel with fan blades attached using the large sprocket to drive a small sprocket attached to an alternator to charge the batteries in my Disco, which sometimes sits for 2 weeks without being started.
Something along the lines of Scrapheap Challenge (ABC2 Mon./Sat. 6:30pm), see who can build a workable wind Generator out of whatever is lying around, Regards Frank.

[Blknight.aus]

you want to look into fisher and pikel direct drive washing machine motors....

also naff the alterntator off and use the drive motors out of reel to reel tape decks and very high end vcrs and cassette players they only put out an amp or 2 but should work with the kind of setup your looking at..

Ive heard rumour control of using turntable motors and drives as well but not sure how good that would be.

[Tank]

I'll have to take a look at the local tip, but the missus will kill me if I bring home anymore junk, I was trying to justify what I have laying around, so I can say "see dearest how useful that bit of crap was that has been laying there for years", Regards Frank.

[JDNSW]

There was an article in "Silicon Chip" a couple of years about describing how to make a wind generator using a Fisher & Paykel washing machine motor.

John

[Tank]

Will Google it and see what I can find, do you get ABC 2 John, good fun this Scrapheap Challenge, Regards Frank.

[Blknight.aus]

you get me a pick of your junk pile and I'll help ya come out of ways of doing it...

alternators generally work best with water wheels (squirrel cage fans are particulalry good for that) and if youve got an old tape deck or dvd/cd player you can take the drive motor out of that and remount it on a desk fan and in about a 7 knot wind it will start generating, couple them together with a planetry gearset from jaycar then set up a spring balance to and a wind vane to tilt the thing out of the wind as the wind speed picks ups to prevent it from over spinning and your laughing, regulation of the voltage is as simple as a 1a bridge diode and a cheap variable voltage regulator kit. or you could pull the regulator pack off of an alternator

[dobbo]

Dave get your eyes off my spare F&P smartdrive motor.

They can produce upto 300W

Thats another project on the to do list.

[101 Ron]

Many years ago when I use to fly a volkswagen powered Gyrocopter the norm was not to use a altenator as it was too heavy.
As the power requirement was only to run the ignition only a few amps was required.
A Davis Craig themofan motor will put out up to 4amps and is small.
The bearings have no trouble in handling the loads , but the motor must be spun hard......about 6000rpm.
The drive was usually a large O ring or sewing machine O type belt on a home homemade alloy pulley fitted to the end of the thermofan motor.
A 10 dollar bridge rectifier from dicksmiths was used to ac/dc and stop battery fed back.
I think the out put is dc,but the rectifier module was a handy way of bolting up a diode.
If you want to get fancy a rectifier from a Jap motor bike will ac to dc and have built in current control and the motor bike wreckers sell them chip as chips

[EchiDna]

don't forget two important sources of 12volt generators - early series landies used generators, not alternators (bit of sacrilege to pilfer one for this though) and windscreen wiper motors in reverse... both work well but don't generate huge wattage. I built both in high school using and old windmill to drive... efficient? no... cheap? yes!

[LandyAndy]

Saw a grey nomad with a homemade wind generator.Largish truck fan running a pulley to an 80amp alternator.All was easily disassembled/packed/unpacked at each camp.His point was if its windy,its usually overcast and his solar panels arent much good.
Andrew

[Dougal]

don't forget two important sources of 12volt generators - early series landies used generators, not alternators (bit of sacrilege to pilfer one for this though) and windscreen wiper motors in reverse... both work well but don't generate huge wattage. I built both in high school using and old windmill to drive... efficient? no... cheap? yes!

How many fields do automotive generators have?
The reason the F&P motors work so well is the multitude of fields in them so you don't hit a big lump of resistance at a certain point when turning the shaft.

I'm thinking an industrial stepper motor should be good for the same reason, they're available in a massive range of sizes.

[JDNSW]

How many fields do automotive generators have?
The reason the F&P motors work so well is the multitude of fields in them so you don't hit a big lump of resistance at a certain point when turning the shaft.

I'm thinking an industrial stepper motor should be good for the same reason, they're available in a massive range of sizes.

Actually, the main advantage of the F&P motor (and other industrial stepper motors, since this is exactly what they are) is that the multiplicity of poles means that a good output can be produced without the need for gearing, thus simplifying the whole setup and increasing efficiency. The smaller peak resistance for the same output is a help, but in my view this is less of an advantage than the ability to do without gears.

Another point is that modern stepper motors are permanent magnet, and these make more efficient generators as you do not have to use part of your output to supply the field.

John

[Redback]

I dunno if you found anything on google, but i found this on the F&P motor;
TheBackShed.com - F&P Windmill Part 1 (http://www.thebackshed.com/windmill/fp2a.asp)

Baz.

[Dougal]

For those interested, the reason the fisher&paykel washing machines have soo many fields on the motor was part of the self balancing feature.

I knew a lot of people who worked in their Mosgiel factory, but production has been (being?) moved offshore now and their remaining design/engineering staff may get moved to their fridge/freezer division in Auckland.
Rumours abound.

It's great that there's a new use for obselete washing machines, shame for them they persisted with an old design, but it's good for the alternative energy crowd.

[paulthepilot_5]

A brushless outrunner electric motor for a R/C model aircraft would make a good Gen. They are available in a huge range of sizes, not quite sure how you would set up the regulator on them though.



Paul

[Boris]

A simplification of all the above might be to mount the motor vertically with the pully upward. Then attach a disc - bike wheel or anything else you like and attach vertical blades with 1/2 of each blade above and 1/2 below the wheel axis around the perimeter at an angle of attack of about 4 to 5 degrees. As long as you use at least 3 blades then it should be self starting.

Pro's

Simple to build.
Self limiting [because the blades will stall]

Cons.

Not very efficient.
Need to watch how the waterproofing is done so water doesnt get down the shaft.

[LandyAndy]

Anybody else found any wbsites covering DIY windmills like Redback found???
Andrew

[EchiDna]

more F&P stuff or others?

http://www.sustainability.ofm.uwa.edu.au/__data/page/83884/FP.pdf

YourGreenDream - Hobby alternative energy production education and resources. Fisher and Paykel Smart Drive generators for windmills, windpower and hydro generators. (http://www.yourgreendream.com/diy_fisher_paykel.php)

http://www.ecoinnovation.co.nz/c-58-smart-drives.aspx

http://www.residential-wind-power.com/

[slug_burner]

20' diameter wind turbine (http://www.otherpower.com/20page1.html)

These guys are off the grid and are after lots of power so not really suited to portable car battery charging but they go through the whole process.

[gunsports]

Here is another site worth looking at

How I built an electricity producing wind turbine (http://www.mdpub.com/Wind_Turbine/index.html)

This site describes a DIY project for a small wind turbine suited for battery charging. It is comprehensive, with detailed instructions. I am planning a slightly modified version of this turbine for battery charging when I'm out camping. Hope it helps.