 Notice. New forum software under development. It's going to miss a few functions and look a bit ugly for a while, but I'm working on it full time now as the old forum was too unstable. Couple days, all good. If you notice any issues, please contact me. |
Forum Index : Windmills : Hallo
| Author | Message | ||||
| frank133 Newbie  Joined: 11/09/2008 Location: Great BritainPosts: 32 |
Hi everyone,I live in Liverpool uk,and I realise this site is world wide,I have been interested in wind power for quite some time. So having finished with all my other crazy projects,I decided to have a go at a wind turbine.I have been trying to make the blades out of pvc pipe,I havent masterd that part yet?.I then sourced a car Dynamo,off a Morris 100.not realising in America a alternator is a dynamo.A week later and the blades I have made and remade still dont want to turn I will not ask any silly questions [just yet]I will check out all the old forum posts first.my other intrests have all been engine related,well folks that about it for now,cheers |
||||
| windlight Guru  Joined: 03/03/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 331 |
Dynamos/alternators are not viable as wind turbines, as they are designed to generate at a speed well above that of wind turbines and require field current. Some have replaced the rotor with one containing perminate magnets, some rewind the stator but all in all not the best choice. In your reserch also google on Fieldlines http://www.fieldlines.com/section/__all__ Allan "I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it" - (Act II, Scene IV). |
||||
Dodgeman Newbie Joined: 19/07/2008 Location: United StatesPosts: 33 |
Howdy Frank, I am a fairly new poster here as well, but I have been diddling with wind power for about a year now, My name is Steve, and I live in southern New Mexico (USA) and many of my previous interests revolved around vehicles, mostly rock buggies these last few years, but anything with an engine was fun. Let me be the first to welcome you to this very informative site and to the world of windpower. For now, I am only experimenting with the PVC bladed mills, I have made 5 of them so far, the first 3 did not produce the voltage I was looking to make, but all flew very well, the 4th one had an accident but I did see charging voltages, and number 5 is a revision of number 4, with gearing and a better balanced blade. I am unsure if our terminology is different, but as far as I know, American vehicles have not used Dynamo/ Generators for about 40 years or more, they are all alternators with rectifiers which produce AC voltage first, but is then converted to DC thru the recitfiers. Another problem with US alternators as they are found in the vehicles is, They all have a field coil which needs power from another source to energize it, in order to create the magnetic field. I have learned that, permanent magnet DC motors, with the highest DC votlage rating and the lowest RPM rating, is what you may want to be looking for rather than a vehicle alternator, Though you can rewind an alternator and install magnets on the rotor, (or purchase a windbluepower stator coil and rotor kit for general motors type alternators) Anyway, you may, or may not have already known all that, but thats the short version of what I have learned in my experiments to this point. Again, welcome to the site and good luck with your wind project, but be careful, wind power is addictive, once you produce your first volt, you will want 2, and 4 and more. 
Dodgeman |
||||
Gill Senior Member  Joined: 11/11/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 669 |
G'day Frank, Good to have you on board. Of course this is the best forum in the world on DIY wind gens but fieldlines is OKish too. Try the UK based forum at http://www.gotwind.org/ it is good and will have ideas on locally available generators. They have been looking around for some time now so are the experts on the UK scene. Look forward to your progress report with the odd pic or if you have a query someone here will have an answer. In the mean time checking out the old posts is good for spare time and good luck with the project. was working fine... til the smoke got out. Cheers Gill _Cairns, FNQ |
||||
piercy007 Newbie Joined: 27/06/2008 Location: United KingdomPosts: 28 |
Hi Frank133 - glad to see a fellow scouser on this board at last!
I am in Litherland and been "trying" for a while to generate some green power for my garage. I am using an old treadmill motor with some PVC blades. Latest issue being the blades snapping and bending - so they are due to be replaced this weekend. Also had problems with power output, use of stepper motors etc. The members on this board are very friendly and will make you feel at home. 
I am also starting to look at a VAWT style mill as it may be a lot more appropriate in such a built up area. If you want some inspiration locally have a look by Aintree - there are a set of warehouses (right behind the A@L) that have an entire array of wind turbines on the roofs. It is a great site to see all that free energy being prodcued  My middle name is luck mind you my first is bad! |
||||
| frank133 Newbie Joined: 11/09/2008 Location: Great BritainPosts: 32 |
Thanks guys,all your advise is welcome, This is altogether a new interest for me,my wife thinks its a obsession, I have made some weird stuff over the years. I have thought of buying parts from wind blue power. The dynamo I have is about 40 years old,but I have also got a few alternators as well, What would happen if I put one on top of the other and joined them together.[just a thought] No I think one step as a time, I think I enjoy the making of things as much as the finished product, I am retired now so I dont have to rush things, thanks once again for the info. ps piercy007 will have a look at that wind turbines at Aintree thanks mate. |
||||
| Marcus20VT Regular Member  Joined: 02/09/2008 Location: WalesPosts: 49 |
Hi Frank - I'm new too and I live in North Wales. In fact, I can see Liverpool from my back garden, so give us a wave!! I'm just starting dabbling too. Just recently purchased an electric scooter motor and am gonna make some blades and see what happens! I realise its not going to be great - but I'm only going to use it to charge batteries to light my shed and garden! Anyhoo - welcome! |
||||
| frank133 Newbie Joined: 11/09/2008 Location: Great BritainPosts: 32 |
Hi Marcus,this wind power is certainly interesting,and some of turbines that people have made are fantastic. I don't think I will ever make a turbine to match them. I tested my generator and got 95vs out with no load, I thought that was good,but a phone call to one of my sons,put me in a doubtful frame of mind. This generating power is not going to be as easy as I thought, I will keep going till I work everything out,the magnetic field and winding motors, are somthing I need to learn. This project is going to last for a long time, I have mounted my four blades to the dynamo and have made the tail, I know it is not going to work,but it is my first atempt I hope the wind gets up tomorrow, I still have to mount the turbine to a pole,I have the bearings, so with a little welding I might have it running tomorrow. I wish I knew half as much as some of the guys on this site, cheers frank |
||||
Gizmo Admin Group  Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5117 |
awh shucks 
Hi frank133, be sure to checkout Hugh's web site too, close to home for you guys in the UK, its on the Links page. Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
||||
| Dodgeman Newbie Joined: 19/07/2008 Location: United StatesPosts: 33 |
Do you have a camera? lets see what you have so far. Its always neat to see how people make things. |
||||
| frank133 Newbie Joined: 11/09/2008 Location: Great BritainPosts: 32 |
Thanks I will check that web site out, Dodgeman,I have a few photos I will sort them out. might be worth a laugh, 
|
||||
 Print this page |
 |
The Back Shed's forum code is written, and hosted, in Australia. | © JAQ Software 2025 |
