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Bobden
Newbie

Joined: 11/05/2009
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 5

Posted: 04:36pm 10 May 2009

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Hi I am new to this forum and wind pumps. I have built a high torque windpump to circulate the water in my fish pond it has twelve blades and is one meter diam. As it has a crank driving the pump rods, to balance it do I just balance the turbine on its own or with the pump rods connected.

Regards Bob
Plymouth England

philb

Regular Member

Joined: 05/07/2008
Location: United States
Posts: 96

Posted: 10:31pm 10 May 2009

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Hi Bob,
Your windpump sounds interesting. Can yo explain how it works? Can you post photos?

philb

Bobden
Newbie

Joined: 11/05/2009
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 5

Posted: 08:30am 11 May 2009

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Philp, Here is a photo of my wind pump. The main shaft is connected to the turbine which in turn has a crank on the other end. The crank is connected to aluminum pump rods which operate the pump. In the photo it is only fixed the the washing line post for testing.
There is a book on it called "How to Build a Wind Pump" by Jim Barr

Gizmo

Admin Group

Joined: 05/06/2004
Location: Australia
Posts: 5119

Posted: 09:20am 11 May 2009

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Nice looking windmill Bob.

I'm a real fan of water pumping windmills, and dont think we use them as much as we could. Solar pumps are "in" these days, though any irrigation serviceman will tell you they only last a few years. A wind driven pump will last many decades with a yearly checkup and oil topup.

Glenn

The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now.
JAQ

oztules

Guru

Joined: 26/07/2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 1686

Posted: 11:59am 11 May 2009

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Nice looking job there Bob.
It is the fan that needs the balancing firstly. The crank needs to be off the fan for static balancing this part.

Can't see how your crank is built, but my first guess is that if it is light, or a pin in a disk style of thing, it won't add too much to vibration. If it is substantial, then counter balancing the crank ideally needs to be in the same plane (if at all).

Get the fan right at least.

Nice to see a home brew wind pumper.... mine is a commercial one (50years+ old)..... and I still love it.

Whist this is a long distance opinion, I believe it is critical to get the high mass blades well balanced in their own right.... the rest is less mission critical.

Mine is only 5' or so, but a small fan imbalance leads to frightening wobble.... never mind the bearing sleeve wear....

Edit:
If I recall correctly Dwyer (member here) used to build these for a living at some time, and may have some insights into this.

Edit2:
A neighbor recently suffered a mishap with his pumper mill..... the tail dropped down (marine corrosion in the tail support link) and smashed into the blades (apparently), and so I will be helping him "unmash" the blades straighten the spokes, and re-balancing the fan soon..... maybe he will let me take some pictures of the carnage.

Or he may be embarrassed about the maintenance of his machine

.............oztules Edited by oztules 2009-05-12

Village idiot...or... just another hack out of his depth

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