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Forum Index : Windmills : Baldor dc motor for gen.

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fourxfour2
Newbie

Joined: 17/08/2007
Location: United States
Posts: 7
Posted: 01:40pm 20 Aug 2007
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Would like to know if any one has tried or if it is any good to try this motor...it's a 180volt 1750 rpm dc baldor motor... thought about hooking it up to a air foil like the mag wind type but make it a horizontal intead....I know don't laugh I'm new a this and just thinking out side the box...
If its fun to build ..then its fun to play with!!!!!!!!
 
KiwiJohn
Guru

Joined: 01/12/2005
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 691
Posted: 06:04am 21 Aug 2007
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Hi

I dont know anything about your particular motor but there are a few basic things you can do see get an idication is your motor is an easy prospect for use as a wind generator.

Does the shaft turn easily by hand? If it has noticeable 'step-by-step' resistance it might be a permanent magnet machine and is likely useable.

If it turns easily but is harder to turn when you short the wires then that is a very good sign.


If you can post a picture of the name plate that might be useful too.

 
Bryan1

Guru

Joined: 22/02/2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 1449
Posted: 07:52am 21 Aug 2007
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We sell baldor DC motors at work and one day when the baldor rep was at work I asked how their DC motors would work as a wind genny. All I got was a blank stare then I explained what I wanted to do. All he suggested was that the voltage is determined by the rpm and as far as current he had no idea what it would put out. My suggestion is to do a lathe test with at certain RPM's and determine if its worth the effort of going the wind genny route. I've tried several different DC motors and never got any decent figures out so untill you test it no one can really say either way.

Best of Luck

Cheers Bryan
 
fourxfour2
Newbie

Joined: 17/08/2007
Location: United States
Posts: 7
Posted: 12:58pm 21 Aug 2007
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Thanks Kiwijohn and Byan
The motor is a permanent magnet motor and is very hard to turn when the wires are shorted together, last night we hooked up a 12v light to it and spun it by hand...very slow and we thought we were going to burn the light out and yes I will try it on a lathe and put diff. rpms to it to see what kind of voltage is there...just not sure how to check amps with no load!!!
Then their is still the question about the mag wind on this site http://www.mag-wind.com/ I know its diff. but just wondered if any one has DIY'd this ...Maybe In a Hawt configuration instead...ya never know intill you try....Thanks Again Dave
If its fun to build ..then its fun to play with!!!!!!!!
 
fourxfour2
Newbie

Joined: 17/08/2007
Location: United States
Posts: 7
Posted: 01:02pm 21 Aug 2007
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KIWIJOHN
I'll try to get pics on here so it might help people tell me if it's worth messing with.......
If its fun to build ..then its fun to play with!!!!!!!!
 
KiwiJohn
Guru

Joined: 01/12/2005
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 691
Posted: 06:03am 22 Aug 2007
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Your experiments with the shorted leads and the 12v light show that you have a motor that may indeed be very good for a windmill.

Be careful putting it on a lathe as I suspect this motor has the capacity to generate lethal volts at even low RPM. I would not test it open circuit at all.


I suggest a trip to the local car wrecker and get a few headlight units and a few other 12v lights of various sizes.
 
thefinis
Regular Member

Joined: 23/08/2006
Location: United States
Posts: 53
Posted: 12:32pm 22 Aug 2007
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I think that the mag wind turbine is just a version of a multiblade S rotor designed to top mount on a tower. It is bottom mounted hence the large supported bottom and the tapering top to help relieve the stresses from leverage. I do not think that it would work well as a hawt because it needs a base to support the large diameter bottom of the blades so would need to be turned sideways to the wind. Possible but you might as well use an S rotor mounted sideways. Not sure of how well it would work pointed into the wind (small end) even if you could redesign the support system so air would flow through. I am guessing it would work much like the Southern Cross mills or other high solidity multibladed mills.

There are other turbines like the mag wind and while very pretty they are basically a drag turbine with the inefficiencies that go with that design. I think there is a Swedish company that makes some that are painted to look like flames and mounts them on freestanding poles and smokestacks so it looks much like a big candle.

Good luck
Finis
Texas born and bred
 
philmountains

Newbie

Joined: 17/01/2006
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 24
Posted: 09:17pm 24 Aug 2007
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Hi all I also have a Baldor motor which I am slowly building into a wind gen,please visit gotwind.org website were I have posted some pics.
Whist here can any of you guys give me some help re- the construction of the Tail boom arm, Tail bearing, do I need to offset this, also what angels would you suggest ? I have been reading Windpower Workshop(Hugh's book) and trying to apply his ideas but these are plans for his type of gens, not motor mounts.
Good luck fourxfour ,and please keep up to date and I will try to do the same.
Phil Martin
 
fourxfour2
Newbie

Joined: 17/08/2007
Location: United States
Posts: 7
Posted: 10:36pm 24 Aug 2007
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Finis I agree the are just something to look at and not that great...
Phil if you haven't read this already its pretty good info.. http://www.thebackshed.com/windmill/Docs/Furling.asp
makes sense to me.
last night the shop I work in got rid of a 36in floor fan the motor was bad after looking at it I noticed that the fan hub might make a great mount for my baldor gennie....I'm looking for plans on how to cut pvc blades to get it running before I try to make wooden ones,will keep you posted
If its fun to build ..then its fun to play with!!!!!!!!
 
philmountains

Newbie

Joined: 17/01/2006
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 24
Posted: 12:09am 25 Aug 2007
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Thanks For info, I have been searching for this, and it was there under my nose so to speak.
Yes I search the skips at work as well!!!! all the time, some just luck for scrap to way in for cash, I look out for bits for my finca/ruined donkey shed, minus roof etc... in Spain(just got back from Spain a couple of weeks ago "DEPRESSED").
I am too in the process of making a hub, the Treadmill drive head with taper lock, will be great when i can turn it down and weld a flange to it,prob is all the lathe tools at work are crap, the good ones are locked up in others work cupboards !,EBAY here I come.
Re- Plastic blade try http://www.yourgreendream.com/ I printed there plans off.
I scrounged some hardwood Laboratory worktops from work a few years ago, which I plan to use for the blade for the Baidor,but will try out plastic on the smaller turbine I have been playing with,Thats if I can find some pipe for free!!!
did you have a look at gotwinds site ? and do you go to the otherpower.com site, full of great ideas.
HOW DO YOU POST PICS ON THIS SITE HELP PLEASE
Thanks again and thanks for you help Four
 
Gill

Senior Member

Joined: 11/11/2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 669
Posted: 04:37am 25 Aug 2007
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G'day philmountains,
Check out the Help menu; Message Formatting; Can I Post Images? will give you all the good info, or in brief, use the icon of the tree with the up arrow to include your .jpg image with your message. Remember to scale the size down so blokes like me with dial-up can see them before Christmas.

Looking forward to a few select project snaps.
was working fine... til the smoke got out.
Cheers Gill _Cairns, FNQ
 
fourxfour2
Newbie

Joined: 17/08/2007
Location: United States
Posts: 7
Posted: 12:50pm 25 Aug 2007
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Thanks Phil the yourgreendream site it is great ...great place to start, alittle triming sanding and testing.
thanks to Gill I will post some pic later this weekend also..of motor and fan hub I found while dumpster diving.
Next looking for PVC and a spindel then its time to srart welding and cutting.
keep me up to date on your project and I'll do the same.
If its fun to build ..then its fun to play with!!!!!!!!
 
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