Ben, aren't these drag-type VAWTs meant to be severely limited in maximum efficiency by how fast they can move?  Isn't a lift type (even just aerofoils fitted onto existing blades such as yours) said to me potentially and actually much more effective?

From the figures I saw on a commercial site, your mill, if converted to lift, should be able to put out ~50W in a decentish wind at my entirely unskilled guess.  For that same swept area what would you hope to get from a HAWT?

(Anyone got a link for wind speed and theoretical power allowing for Betz that I can use?)

Rgds

Remove most of the shaft, to just not more than about 15 % eight, make another disk and firmly attach the upper ends of the VAWT.

To see what type of RPM multiplier you need, try to read the RPM and the wind velocity, divide the RPM by 2 to give the working RPM ( close enough), then see what is the generator Volts/RPM to calculate the multiplier gear.

Example: no load RPM = 110 RPM ; loaded RPM = 110 /2 = 55
Generator 15v /400 RPM =

Multiplier = 400 /55 = 7.27 :1 multiplier, make around 7 to 7.9 ratio.

Your wind mill looks ( estimating) like it is 3 inch X 12 inch or 36 square inches, then you have additional losses due to the loading of the opposite half side giving braking effects, plus the shaft destroying the wind passage to the opposite half.

I made one, several decades before, I am retired now, using 2 - 55 gallon containers cut in half and placed one on top of each other with plywood for the bottom the middle and the top.

The bottom plywood was utilized to produce the gear ratio for the generator ( I do not recall the generator pulley diameter).

The wind mill produced around 50 - 80 watts ( I do not recall exactly).

  Here's one I've been playing around with using the ametek 38 volt motor...

  It's a small 2ft dia x 2ft tall turbine, kind of a quick build for testing purposes.  The ametek is driven by a cog belt 4 to 1 .  It does about 18 watts in a 15 mph wind right now although I think the motor needs just a little less re-drive.   Here is a closer shot of the mounting...

  This actually comes up to speed pretty fast but you can tell it's being held back by the motor considerably.  Opening the circuit it runs up considerably.  

  There is a long bearing tube inside the mount tube that is held in place by 2 bolts clamping it inside the tube for now.  I purchased a couple aluminum cog gears and made some molds from them and cast them in plastic.  I plan to purchase a couple more small cogs to get a 3.5 and 3 to 1 redrive for experimenting.  Belts are cheap, the cogs are pretty pricey.

I cannot believe you actually listened to that TomW character.

By now it should be obvious he has his own agenda and it doesn't include VAWT machines.

Could be worse, you could be listening to RonB.

Cheers.

TomW

If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.