Windmill energy into usable power?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

every time you use a gear, every time you change direction of force, every time you add a moving part, every time you change the energy state entropy take a bite.

It depends on how efficient you want/need it to be and the "impractical but cool" factor that you want.

Ive setup the water wheel system on the overflow of the water tank. the windmill just kept running, the tank filled, the over flow ran over a waterwheel and back to the storage dam the windmill was drawing from to fill the header tank.

the water wheel ran a couple of small DC motors from a reel to reel through a pair of voltage regulators to charge the 2x 12v batteries that ran the hut lights and electric fence. The overall calculated efficiency was less than 2% but it was free energy and was cobbled from left over bits and junk.

if all you want to do is occasionally run some led lights and a couple of 12v down lights for 4-5 hours on a weekend you potentially have 5 days to recharge the batteries.

This makes the question more about how much do you really want from it?

Sure we could easily build a multi rotor polyphasic alternator regulate and rectify it back to dc charging and drive it off a step governed epicyclic gearbox to maintain shaft RPM in varying wind conditions and then tie a stepper onto the vane to slip the blade wheel across the wind to fine tune the rpms for optimal power. But that costs and well it lacks a certain "cob and co hitched it" factor

First work out how much you need. then work out what it can produce then work out how much effeciency thats going to require.

---

What, no Flux Capacitor :p

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

every time you use a gear, every time you change direction of force, every time you add a moving part, every time you change the energy state entropy take a bite.

---

In electrical speak it's called windage and frictional losses.

Have you looked at the wind generators for yachts? Might be able to buy a kit.

Sent from my SM-G900I using AULRO mobile app

This all sounds very interesting. I read a book once where a bloke built his own windmill + generator( from an old volvo wheel hub) . But it got complicated (to me) when he started getting into the electrics side of it and what to do with the excess power when the wind was very strong. We have a Winter creek here and its been running pretty strong for a month and a half. Every time I take the hound for a sniff , I keep thinking one day I'll set up a waterwheel and can use it to cut up my small stuff for the wood burner. Good luck with your project.
cheers,
D

The F&P windmill site is here:

TheBackShed.com - Fisher & Paykel Windmill.

There is an awful lot of info, but it is really interesting. I have a couple of F&P washing machine motors stacked away for when I get time.

cheers, DL

isn't it amazing?

when I was young I grew up around sheep stations in western NSW.

every homestead had a wind generator or two slung across the yard proucing 32v , not sure why it was that voltage.

most places had a single cyl diesel generator as backup to the wind and I can still hear the putter putter of those engines in my mind.

most cockies had a kero fridge running just in case of no power. some used it primarily eg. the shearers cookhouse.

it's very interesting that we were already at that development , discarded it for 50 odd years and now returning to it.

good luck with your windmill conversion Sitec , it can actually be as simple or as complex as you want it to be.

Dennis

ps I have often thought about putting a recirculating windmill system in at home just for the fun of it.

This crowd might be worth investigating. They've been making windmills since 1888, so they must have a few clues, I guess.

Bryan Windmills Colac


And these:


http://www.windpower.com.au.sdwt.com....php?page=wind


These look interesting. My wish list is growing.


[ame="http://www.windpower.com.au/cms/uploads/Windverter%20WT400%20brochure.pdf"]http://www.windpower.com.au/cms/uploads/Windverter%20WT400%20brochure.pdf[/ame]

Thanks all - fascinating stuff, and maybe one day Dave won't have a ready answer to hand.:wasntme:

I hope I'm not highjacking this wonderful thread, but it is related.

I always understood that wind power was not terribly suitable for camping type arrangements ie did not generate much power in small/highly portable units, including those fitted to caravans, but it sounds like there have been a number of improvements.

A thought - I'm seriously thinking of adding a positive air pressure system to my caravan to aid in dust minimisation for when we finally get off the bitumen.
I could
(i) just connect the positive air electric fan motor to the car Anderson plug, or
(ii) maybe add a small power fan to the van to both run the positive air, and also operate whilst stopped and disconnected. In turn this could operate the positive air system like a reverse exhaust fan and provide additional internal van air movement when aircon is not warranted (but of course only when the wind is blowing), or otherwise additional air via connection to the van battery.

Then again, I'll probably get shot down by being told the fan could not generate enough power to run the positive air anyway?

Or that the additional fuel use via extra wind resistance for the generator fan would negate any benefits - but then again I'm pulling a big brick at 80 -90 kmph max, so?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gavinwibrow

A thought - I'm seriously thinking of adding a positive air pressure system to my caravan to aid in dust minimisation for when we finally get off the bitumen.

---

Funny you should mention this... I am planning to do this when I build the living body on the back of my truck. Its going to be a simple system involving two large paper air cleaner elements mounted in the two front top corners (hidden within internal cupboards). On the outside on the front face there will be a pair of 3" snorkel top inlets just behind the cab, supplying the air filters. As I drive, filtered air will be forced into the living compartment, pressurising the cabin. This air will exit through smaller vents linking the living compartment with the external access lockers at the rear. These in turn will have exit outlets that are smaller again, helping retain pressure in the lockers.... On bad dust roads, the filters can be removed and blown out daily, an hopefully the system will keep the dirt ingress to a minimum..

As for the windmill, I'm trying to work out if its worth making the one I have generate electricity. It is going to form a large illuminated garden feature at the new place (as it did at my last place). The mechanics of getting a spinning shaft to the base of the tower without the need for slip rings etc is the easy bit.. Its knowing/working out what is the best way of generating power from a vertical shaft that spins at a guesstimated 100 - 150 rpm when the wind blows that I'm not too sure about... :)