SuzukiSavage.com - Print Page

SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl
General Category >> The Cafe >> VAWT re-design
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1290558406

Message started by Yonuh Adisi on 11/23/10 at 16:26:45

Title: VAWT re-design
Post by Yonuh Adisi on 11/23/10 at 16:26:45

For those of you who know that I have been attempting to build my own Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) and heck, even for those who didn't know, I am now re-designing it again. So far it is looking pretty good I just need to get more material to finish up the blades.

This time however I will not be using a DC Permanent Magnet motor but will be attempting to to build my own axial flux alternator which from all the research I have done so far will provide much better performance.

Once I get the turbine itself built, I will post a video of it (hopefully turning in the wind).

I know this ain't bike related at all, but I just thought I would share anyway.

Title: Re: VAWT re-design
Post by thumperclone on 11/23/10 at 17:37:55

old "mother earth news" design had 3 55 gal drums on top of each other and automotive charging components...
btw what style of braking are you planning??

Title: Re: VAWT re-design
Post by RidgeRunner13 on 11/23/10 at 21:20:51

Are you talking about something similar to Helix Wind? They make a really nice VAWT. 8-)

Title: Re: VAWT re-design
Post by Yonuh Adisi on 11/23/10 at 21:21:12

I am planning on creating a dummy load. When the battery bank is fully charged it will shunt the energy to the dummy load hopefully slowing the turbine until it is needed again to charge the battery bank to full capacity. From what I understand this is the usual method most homemade wind turbines use. But I am more than willing to entertain any other suggestions.

Title: Re: VAWT re-design
Post by Yonuh Adisi on 11/23/10 at 21:29:48

053E3330320522393932256664570 wrote:

Are you talking about something similar to Helix Wind? They make a really nice VAWT. 8-)

It will be what is commonly known as a Darius Turbine. But I am not completely sure yet exactly what blade design I will be using. I will either go with a Lenz2 design or a design very close to a half barrel design.

Lenz2
http://www.windgenkits.com/vcom/images/VAWT2.jpg

These are actually closest to what I may go with even though the Lenz2 design are more efficient. But I already have most of the material for these type of blades.
http://www.almcomposites.com/prospect-images/vawt-rotor.gif

Title: Re: VAWT re-design
Post by Yonuh Adisi FSO on 12/27/10 at 14:25:17

Well, just finished with the turbine itself, I just need to paint it to make it look decent. Now I just need the materials to build the Axial Flux Alternator.

Title: Re: VAWT re-design
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 12/27/10 at 19:41:48

Good luck with all of your plans. Im glad youre still knocking away at this.
You sure you dont want to test it b4 investing more labor & materials? Can ya paint it later?

Title: Re: VAWT re-design
Post by Yonuh Adisi FSO on 12/27/10 at 19:53:00

435C5A5D40477646764E5C501B290 wrote:

Good luck with all of your plans. Im glad youre still knocking away at this.
You sure you dont want to test it b4 investing more labor & materials? Can ya paint it later?

I already have the paint on hand and have already set the turbine up on what I call a test stand to make sure it spins freely in the breeze which it does.

Don't worry, I ain't doing this blind.

Title: Re: VAWT re-design
Post by kel30734 on 12/28/10 at 10:06:59

Yonuh "axial flux alternator" I thought you said "Flux Capasitor"... Marty Mcfly and the Doc been to see ya latley........ ;)

Looks good looking forward to the Viedo...
you sure you are not hooking it up to a DeLorain?

Kel

Title: Re: VAWT re-design
Post by Yonuh Adisi FSO on 12/28/10 at 13:07:16

3C323B6467606463570 wrote:

Naw, that's my next project. ;)

Title: Re: VAWT re-design
Post by thumperclone on 12/28/10 at 15:40:36

dont see how you are goina controll overspeed...
the machine can destroy itself in severe gusts....

not the devils advocate here..
just consider the dynamics of thrust!!!

Title: Re: VAWT re-design
Post by verslagen1 on 12/28/10 at 15:56:45

Hmmm... get a cars front suspension spring as a mount and let the wind blow it over. The tilt will bleed off speed.

Title: Re: VAWT re-design
Post by Yonuh Adisi FSO on 01/02/11 at 22:22:32

Just ordered my neodymium magnets. Now I need some steel discs and some magnet wire. I figure on using brake rotors from a bike for the discs. I will also need some resin to cast the stator in.

Title: Re: VAWT re-design
Post by Boule’tard on 01/03/11 at 06:26:14

This thread needs pics so bad it's not even funny. Are you going to throttle it with a furrowing device like verslagen suggested, or by shorting the current (use the magnets?) Edit: ah I see, the dummy load will burn off the extra energy..

How come you are going with a vertical axis turbine, I thought they were way less efficient than horizontal shaft turbines. Space constraints?

Title: Re: VAWT re-design
Post by IN-S40 on 01/03/11 at 14:27:26

I cant answer for Yonuh but the nice thing about a VAWT design is doing away the need for a slip ring, the little device that allows the windmill to rotate and not twist up the power cable. The basic speed control idea on most small wind turbines is to dead short the alternator and that has enough force to bring it to almost a complete stop. I have dabbled in this stuff too and currently use a 60watt solar pannel that I made myself to power all the lights in my garage.

Darren

Title: Re: VAWT re-design
Post by Yonuh Adisi FSO on 01/03/11 at 14:37:59

606D6047425151464D230 wrote:

Yes, that is one reason as well as the space constraint. I live in town so a 75 foot tall tower with a HAWT is a bit outside the building code in town. However, a VAWT up on my garage roof with a ten foot tower is fine.

I also plan to build a solar panel to supplement my VAWT. After all, even in the desert, the wind don't blow all the time though it does seem like it. ;D

And yes, a dummy load and I am also going to rig a switch that will short the alternator for my braking system.

Title: Re: VAWT re-design
Post by Yonuh Adisi FSO on 01/05/11 at 13:38:26

Video of what I have so far on my VAWT.

It is made from two inch PVC pipe for the center shaft and spokes, the blades themselves are made from a section of 15 inch PVC that I found on the side of the road one day on my way home from work.

The center PVC shaft has a steel pipe running through it on bearings.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDIW8V1ceUA[/media]

Title: Re: VAWT re-design
Post by Yonuh Adisi FSO on 01/05/11 at 16:54:33

Got the magnets I ordered in today and made sure the family knows that the box they are in should not come anywhere near anything that has a circuit board just to be safe.

There is 20 1 inch by 1/4 inch round magnets that each have a pulling strength of 24+ pounds.

Now I need the magnet wire, steel disks, and the resin to cast my stator in.

Title: Re: VAWT re-design
Post by verslagen1 on 01/05/11 at 17:03:29

what magnet wire do you need.

There's a shop near by that carries odds and ends, cheap.

Title: Re: VAWT re-design
Post by Yonuh Adisi FSO on 01/05/11 at 17:06:09

342730312E2325272C73420 wrote:

what magnet wire do you need.

There's a shop near by that carries odds and ends, cheap.

I need 18awg magnet wire and approximately 1000 ft of it to wind my coils for the stator.

Title: Re: VAWT re-design
Post by Yonuh Adisi FSO on 01/07/11 at 20:12:26

Built my coil winder jig today so once I get the wire I can wind my coils.

Title: Re: VAWT re-design
Post by verslagen1 on 01/07/11 at 20:20:07

went by the store today.
doesn't have 18 awg
has 15 awg nearly 10 lbs or about 1000 feet
full spool is $40

Looked up 18 awg, it would be about 5 lbs per 1000 feet.

Think all the spools were about 10 lbs.

Would fit in a $10 usps box.

Title: Re: VAWT re-design
Post by prsavage on 01/08/11 at 12:46:15

Doc Brown...I mean Yonuh,
do you have a Delorean in the garage too? ;D

Good luck on the wind turbine. I enjoyed reading about the first one and will follow this one too.

Geoff

Title: Re: VAWT re-design
Post by Yonuh Adisi FSO on 01/08/11 at 13:08:19

Of course after I build the axial flux alternator, I will still need several other items the most expensive of which will be a battery bank consisting of several deep cycle batteries, bridge rectifiers, heat sinks, inverter, cables to hook the battery bank batts together, charge controller, terminal blocks, cut off switches, and enough cable and wiring to hook everything together properly. There are a few other things as well that I haven't put on this list but know I will need to acquire.

No I don't have a Delorean, wish I did though. ;)

Title: Re: VAWT re-design
Post by Yonuh Adisi FSO on 01/13/11 at 18:30:49

Just cannibalized an old non-working CRT monitor I had and found four good sized coils of mag wire, I think I can get at least six coils when I re-wind the wire for my coils.

Title: Re: VAWT re-design
Post by Yonuh Adisi FSO on 01/14/11 at 15:50:12

I've got four test coils made so far out of the wire I cannibalized out of the monitor. three strands at 80 turns each. I need to make five more coils and I do believe I have enough wire for that.

I'll post a video of the coil winding process when I turn my last test coil.

Title: Re: VAWT re-design
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 01/15/11 at 13:56:00

Dude, Be way cool messin with CRT's. Many volts reside in there, sometimes even months after they were plugged in.

Title: Re: VAWT re-design
Post by crackmonkey on 01/15/11 at 16:08:17

cool project. i just started school for wind solar and geothermal.