Wind Turbine For Dummies

[diane5000]

Only four tools and materials found at the local hardware store are

required to build a wind turbine. Alternative energy does not


have to be expensive or complicating. Keeping our lives simple is where

it's at.


Are there any suggestions out there on how one can create their own


alternative energy? keeping it simple?


Diane5000
http://frombeyondthegrid.com/kiss-wind-turbine

[ace admirer]

hmmm. sounds like a trap,,,,,but i'll take the bait.....i hope one of the 4 tools your hardware store has is a dynamic balancer so your three bladed turbine will not tear itself apart at 300 or 500 rpm. while alternate energy may not "Have" to be complicated, it is when you are trying to make it in quantities needed for most modern lifestyles. and it is very expensive compared to most power grid cost...may not be in the future and we certainly owe it to our selves and our children to strive for alternate energy...we have to.

with that in mind:

look around for a 1970's issue of popular mechanics issue, mother earthnews, do a search for brake rotor windturbine, there are lots of sites with the latest tried methods. a sight i used to go to was forcefield, otherpower and utterpower. all have people who are experimenting with all sorts of alternate.....good luck,

[ace admirer]

By the way, i just opened up the bookmark posted.....i hope its a joke....well it is if it is intended to be or not. two bolts will never hold those blades on under load and rpms. the pvc pipe was an experiment tried a few years ago...its only for very small mills, but the blades fail after a few hours at speed and load even on the "toy" experiments, which is very dangerous for anyone near the mill...the pipe is just not thick enough at the root end to be bolted. the otherpower site has loads of info on the pvc pipe.

the writer says something about 10 volts being produced by turning the generator by hand....this is a clue that the writer knows nothing or very little about producing power....i can make a thousand volts by rubbing my sons head with a cd disk. its power in watts that needs to be produced thats volts x amps....anyway not trying to discourage you,,,,just warning that its not as easy as some people let on....if it were,,,,,,,everyone would have one.....

[diane5000]

The whole idea around this wind turbine is to keep it simple, ie. to see if you can create a reasonable amount of generation using easily available tools and materials. This is not a 'production' model. It is a first shot at a working turbine just to find out what works and what doesn't. So far the 4" pvc blades have been replaced in lieu of a set of 6" pvc blades while a set of wooden blades are under construction. As for the viability of pvc blades, somebody should tell this guy:

http://www.mdpub.com/Wind_Turbine/index.html

who has been using them successfully for a number of years at least. No "dynamic balancer" in his toolkit.
I think you misunderstood the 10 amps reading...that was a reading he got when the wind picked up while the turbine was set up on the picnic table with the meter attached.
It may seem like we are reinventing the wheel but sometimes you have to go back to square one and rethink the whole process in order to see if it can be done another way. My purpose in this posting was just to see if anybody else was doing the same thing.
Thank you for your response and your safety warning.

Diane

[Jim-mi]

My whole home is being powered at this very moment by my wind turbines.
They are far more sophisticated than pieces of pvc from a hardware store.

Please. . if your going to experiment with that hardware store *stuff* . . .make sure that your Home owners Ins. is adequate .. . .. . .for when those pvc *blades* fly off and endanger life and limb.....................

[geo in mi]

http://www.purdue.edu/UNS/rube/rube.index.html

So far he's got enough power to run a smoke detector(9volts)--just don't try too many experiments involving gasoline, methane, or hydrogen, or any higher voltage..... (Probably best to stay outdoors, too...)

You could use PVC cut in half to make buckets for a waterwheel. Would only have to divert a stream thru the back yard.

[diane5000]

Originally Posted by geo in mi

http://www.purdue.edu/UNS/rube/rube.index.html

So far he's got enough power to run a smoke detector(9volts)--just don't try too many experiments involving gasoline, methane, or hydrogen, or any higher voltage..... (Probably best to stay outdoors, too...)

You could use PVC cut in half to make buckets for a waterwheel. Would only have to divert a stream thru the back yard.

Thanks for the link. Loved the simple slant.

Thought we would try nuclear energy for the next project...I'll be sure to keep you posted . :baby04:

Diane
http://frombeyondthegrid.com/kiss-wind-turbine

[TedH71]

Try and sign up for Composite manufacturing classes. Most wind turbine companies now create the blades and the body from composites which makes it light and extremely durable and strong. Main problem is composites aren't cheap and you need to have freezers to keep the materials from decaying or becoming no good. I don't know how to explain it but currently am taking composite manufacturing classes here in Wichita, KS.

[ace admirer]

"As for the viability of pvc blades, somebody should tell this guy:

http://www.mdpub.com/Wind_Turbine/index.html"

did you read his page?....the blades failed on the first real usage...... his whole experiment is to make power along with a solar array to power his camper while he uses his telescope in the non light areas. not a viable long term power source...or in his case not even viable for one weekend.

anyone that thinks a wind turbine rotor can function without dynamic balancing should NOT have their tires balanced on the next set they purchase. try it...it will be a learning experience.

on the other hand i can see a three bladed rotor made of carbon fiber,,, all three blades cast in one unit to spread the stress accumulated at the root area. rotor hub cast in as a tensile spreader with perhaps multiple bolt points.