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Forum Index : Windmills : Commercial 400-Watt Windcharger
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MacGyver Guru  Joined: 12/05/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 1329 |
A friend was going to buy this for his RV and asked my opinion: http://ww w.boatersworld.com/product/199870320.htm All my windmills pump air, so I'm basically clueless as to what to tell him. The little windcharger weighs 17 pounds and is cast aluminum, puts out 14.8 volts (400 watts @ 27 amps -- ideally) and costs $600.00 I'm a little concerned with the tail being in the shadow of the tower, but maybe that is a moot point. Also, it looks like there is no furling or over- speed device. The blades are carbon fiber, so they will likely not part even in an over-speed situation. Can anybody advise me or should I just put it on my to-do list and build one for my friend? Dinges!: Thank you for your help. I still can't post a picture to save my soul. It just posts "code"! Nothing difficult is ever easy! Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman, "Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!" Copeville, Texas |
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GWatPE Senior Member  Joined: 01/09/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2127 |
Blades that are black are not neccessarily carbon fibre. These Blades, on an Air-X windmill that you post a link to are black and are GRP, and not CF. These windmills are rated at 400W at very high windspeeds. On land, I haven't seen them produce rated power. In high winds the blades get noisy. Better with the big brother, Whisper200. Gordon. become more energy aware |
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oztules Guru Joined: 26/07/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1686 |
I have heard nothing good about them. There are two on the island I know of. The one in town has it's blades tied down... and they have been for the last 4 years (neighbours threatened to do some thing antisocial to the owner if he didn't shut it up.... The other on a fishing trawler. That one had the blades shot off it.... apparently from someone on shore because of the banshee noise it made when it came into port and was anchored there for while..... Not sure of the voracity of this last one, but I did see it when I was fixing the voltage control computer on the 50 kva generator on board.... and they looked shredded from something nasty. Word around the village was that however it happened, it may have saved the skipper from being keelhauled at a later date....urban legend??? It was never replaced. ..........oztules edit ..... maybe I mean Island scuttlebutt  Village idiot...or... just another hack out of his depth |
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Bryan1 Guru Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1464 |
hehehehehe Oz, Thats probably the reason why the air-X on the small 5 acre lot behind us never turns even in a gale. In the 5 years I've lived here i've never seen it turn and I did ask the new owner what was wrong with it. His reply was he tried to get it going but the previous owner had poured a full tub of loctite in it not long after he bought it. I asked him if he would like another wind genny and his reply was the noise of his generator would be quieter than any wind genny as he never heard a quiet one. He has yet to take up my invitation to come and listen to my 2hp conversion. Cheers Bryan |
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| oztules Guru Joined: 26/07/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1686 |
Yes Bryan, apparently the air-x is socially acceptable either rope tied, loctited, or battered to death with a blunt instrument.... and in a 5-15mph wind, the output is about the same as the unfettered ones anyway..... .........oztules Village idiot...or... just another hack out of his depth |
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| MacGyver Guru Joined: 12/05/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 1329 |
Well . . . I guess that answers that, eh? As far as the blades being made of carbon fiber, the ad on Cabella's Web page (one that I absolutely could not make work as a link!) actually stated they were constructed of CF. Thanks for the replies; guess it'll be just another entry on my "to-do" list. I'll have to cook one up for my friend one of these days. While I'm on that topic, I intended to manufacture a permanent-magnet alternator, copying the design of an automotive type, replacing the field coil with a ceramic ring PM. Anyone here done this before? M Nothing difficult is ever easy! Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman, "Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!" Copeville, Texas |
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| oztules Guru Joined: 26/07/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1686 |
I haven't done it... mostly because I listened to those that did try to adapt car alternators to wind duty. Technically, it works. In practical terms, it is less then ideal. An average performer for the work. If you do wish to test this, make sure you use a non-magnetic shaft (bronze or S/Steel).... or it will short the flux from the magnet.. and very little will be left to go between the claws. When it was an electro magnet, the shaft can help to channel the flux out of the core to the claws at each end... with permanent magnets installed instead, the shaft simply shorts the flux from the N to the S pole.... without it having to go through the claws and jump the gaps between the fingers. Ed from Windstuff now has also done a lot with these things, and you may gleam some ideas from his foibles. It is interesting to note, that whilst he had some success with these things, he uses axial flux units now... they are immeasurably better for wind use. Here is his site: windstuff Notice that with strong Neo's with good placement and magnetic paths, for a standard winding you need 600 rpm just to get cutin. For ceramics and claws, it will be even sadder. He has plenty of other projects to wade through too. ...........oztules Village idiot...or... just another hack out of his depth |
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| MacGyver Guru Joined: 12/05/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 1329 |
I was going to use solid round aluminum press-fit into the center of the ring magnet (which is 7" o.d.) and build a tang (tab) on each soft-iron face, which would each key into a slot in the aluminum to hold its place relevant to the opposing plate. The shaft of this thing would be no larger than 5/16" drill rod. I was going to build the thing up, then center it in a 4-jaw and cut the axle hole last. I really DON'T need to get it all done and have it wobble! Along a similar line of thought: I took apart a bicycle generator back in the day and manufactured a similar device (only way larger), which was very hard to turn and subsequently put out lots of amps. I may go that way with this before I'm finished with it. I was aware of the flux-robbing from another project years back, but thanks for the heads up. I'll check out Windstuff before I start this project. Wait a minute; another new project?! What am I thinking? Nothing difficult is ever easy! Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman, "Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!" Copeville, Texas |
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JimBo911 Senior Member Joined: 26/03/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 262 |
I have had an Air X flying at my place for about six years now. In all that time I have had very little problems with it just had to readjust the voltage regular once. It does take a good blow to get things going. As far a producing wattage well that's a different story. As soon as it reaches max out put it goes in to over speed and sits there for while making no power. If a storm rolls in and hits the mill hard it goes in to over speed as it does this it makes a sound that sounds like an F16 fighter jet just made a high speed pass over the house that will make people duck for cover (no joke) I put it up cause I just had to have something up there spinning. It is a tough little mill has survived many a storm but not much on production. It does make a lot of swishing noise on a regular basis. Jim |
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