the Otherpower.com Discussion Board || Jan 28 2008

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Jan 28 2008
By DanB, Section Wind Posted on Sun Jan 27th, 2008 at 03:59:50 PM MST
Tiny wind turbine and new pages on otherpower.

Not a lot of pictures today I'm afraid. But we did build the smallest wind turbine we've ever made! Pictured above is a 14 inch diameter turbine we made for New Belgium Brewing Company. It will likely wind up as wall art and may appear in a few magazine ads for them.
We have been busy building some 10 foot turbines, finishing Toms 20 foot machine, and just starting a new 17 foot machine. We are also all (most likely) heading to the Carribean coast of Nicaragua in about three weeks for 10 days or so to help out the folks at BlueEnergy with some wind turbine projects. It should be quite an adventure. Neither George or I have ever traveled abroad - I have not been on an airplane in over 25 years!
There are several new web pages on otherpower.com and we've been trying to update the site some over the last couple weeks (not nearly done with that project yet).

There is a new page about the 17 foot wind turbines here: http://otherpower.com/new17page1.shtml.

Rich wrote a new page about his power system here:http://otherpower.com/richsystem.shtml.
I wrote a guide about wind power basics over a year ago. We edited that and updated it and put it on our site here: http://otherpower.com/bottom_line.shtml
And there are some other new pages in the works. Mostly fun as usual and we're looking forward to upcoming adventure!

Jan 28 2008 | 15 comments (15 topical, 0 editorial)

Re: Jan 28 2008 (3.00 / 0) (#1)
by DamonHD (d@hd.org) on Sun Jan 27th, 2008 at 09:44:59 AM MST
(User Info) http://www.earth.org.uk/

Hi Dan,

Your 'Bottom Line' write-up is great.

The proofreader in me spotted a 'withing' in the text!

Rgds

Damon

Re: Jan 28 2008 (3.00 / 0) (#2)
by Old F on Sun Jan 27th, 2008 at 10:00:05 AM MST
(User Info) http://www.oldf.homestead.com

Thanks Dan for the up date

I think The bottom line should be required reading for all members

I feel a lot of people have unrealistic ideas of what can be done. An what it takes to get there
The Bottom line should help clear some things up

Many thanks till your better paid

Old F

Re: Jan 28 2008 (3.00 / 0) (#3)
by gotwind2 (ben[at]gotwind.org) on Sun Jan 27th, 2008 at 12:17:42 PM MST
(User Info) http://www.gotwind.org/index.htm

Hi Dan.

Nice looking 'mini turbine' - I would be impressed if it generated some power :)

I have seen 3 watts @ 20 m.p.h out of the 12" diameter one I made.
http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2007/7/8/8505/43179

I have also linked to your 'The bottom line' article on my forum.
http://gotwind.forumco.com/topic~TOPIC_ID~492.asp

Great write up, a must read for all.

Ben.

www.gotwind.org

[ Parent ]

Re: Jan 28 2008 (3.00 / 0) (#4)
by terry5732 on Sun Jan 27th, 2008 at 03:38:45 PM MST
(User Info)

Did they pay for the mini in brew?

Re: Jan 28 2008 (3.00 / 0) (#5)
by Volvo farmer on Sun Jan 27th, 2008 at 06:06:12 PM MST
(User Info)

Nice page on Rich's system.

I noticed the last sentence said the system was not big enough to run large power tools. I know you guys like your lathes and welders up there, but I run both a table saw and circular saw and even a homebrew air compressor with 1/2 HP washing machine motor (very occasionally though), with a much smaller system.

So maybe it depends on what your definition of large is. :-)

Volvo Farmer

May you always have success in your quest to irritate those who you despise. -Ben Goode

Re: Jan 28 2008 (3.00 / 0) (#7)
by Captain on Sun Jan 27th, 2008 at 07:58:43 PM MST
(User Info)

Volvo Farmer, you make a valid point. I do often run my circular saw and other tools. I think I will rewrite that page to reflect that. I found myself quickly adding something at the end to emphasize that this is not a LARGE system. Thanks for the input and hope your tower collection is coming along well.
Rich

[ Parent ]

Re: Jan 28 2008 (3.00 / 0) (#12)
by Boss (brians.outfit(at)gmail.com) on Mon Jan 28th, 2008 at 10:39:50 AM MST
(User Info) http://www.outfitnm.com

Excellent thanks
One possible update to Rich's page

I have a few more images from that day raising your tower if you want them Rich.
Brian Rodgers

[ Parent ]

Re: Jan 28 2008 (3.00 / 0) (#13)
by richhagen (richhagen (a t) Juno.com) on Mon Jan 28th, 2008 at 12:51:20 PM MST
(User Info)

Hi Captain, Those look like old Siemens SM55 or similar panels. I have several like those as well. How did the glass get broken on the two panels?

I have two older Arco Panels from a batch I purchased, which had broken glass and a 20 Watt Sunwize panel that all arrived with broken glass. I have been storing them on the hopes that one day I will get around to taking them out of their frames and picking off all of the broken cubes of glass and then ordering a sheet of EVA and some tempered glass to put them back on, but I have never gotten around to it and don't know if I ever will, or even if it would work and hold up if I did.

Thus far, none of my panels have broken in service. I have managed to build up my stock to 35 panels mounted on the roofs of several buildings here to date. I tend to worry more about theft or vandalism, but I was just curious as to what happened to your two panels. Rich
'A Joule saved is a Joule made'
[ Parent ]

Re: Jan 28 2008 (3.00 / 0) (#14)
by Captain on Thu Jan 31st, 2008 at 08:03:03 AM MST
(User Info)

Hello Rich,
It is rather embarrassing, but I had set the panels up hastily and improperly. The situation actually needs to still be dealt with. I had set up the panels to lean back and hold themselves there with gravity without building a frame. One night during a large windstorm the panels blew over and those two panels happened to land on a couple of large rocks. Boy did I kick myself. When I replace the broken panels I will build a frame that certainly holds them in place during those windy nights.

[ Parent ]

Re: Jan 28 2008 (3.00 / 0) (#15)
by DamonHD (d@hd.org) on Thu Jan 31st, 2008 at 10:41:38 AM MST
(User Info) http://www.earth.org.uk/

Hi,

I know that not everyone here is a fan of thin-film, but my UniSolar panel has now blown over twice in strong winds (I simply have it propped up against a wall) and seems none the worse for the experience.

It has no glass to break.

Rgds

Damon

[ Parent ]

Re: Jan 28 2008 (3.00 / 0) (#16)
by richhagen (richhagen (a t) Juno.com) on Sat Feb 2nd, 2008 at 02:33:35 AM MST
(User Info)

Wow, that's a bummer, I would have been kicking myself too. I dropped one without it breaking (on accident), and Ghurd had posted about one blowing over in a gust of wind. I've so far, never managed to break one myself, but it's probably just a matter of time. That tempered glass is tough stuff, but a bit funny. Broken porcelain like from the top of spark plugs knocked against it will break it with almost no force, where you would just about break your hand before breaking it if you tried to punch it.
I've been using angle iron, just welding a square frame and drilling holes to match the panels. Some I have made from those common old bed frames. You could make a base out of angle iron as well and weight it down or anchor it, and I know you've got friends with welders. Rich
'A Joule saved is a Joule made'
[ Parent ]

Re: Jan 28 2008 (3.00 / 0) (#6)
by SparWeb (sparweb at ANTISPAM_hotmail_com) on Sun Jan 27th, 2008 at 07:01:34 PM MST
(User Info)

Dan,
While you're adding stuff to the site...

I wrote a how-it-works manual for the axial flux alternator last year, and since then quite a few people have expressed interest, either in reproducing it on their sites, or simply for their own education.

http://www3.telus.net/faheydumas/Wind_Turbine/AXIAL_FLUX_HowItWorks_V1a.pdf

Converting the document to HTML is possible, I know how to do so myself, but I've avoided doing so because it would be time consuming. However, considering the "gap" in the FAQ page that this might fill, if you want to use it, I'm willing to convert it.

Just say the word.

Steven Fahey

Re: Jan 28 2008 (3.00 / 0) (#8)
by TomW on Sun Jan 27th, 2008 at 08:42:30 PM MST
(User Info)

Dan;

Nice set of pages. Should be considered required reading. Lots of good information and pictures. If someone reads those and can't figure it more or less out maybe they shouldn't be building large elevated objects.

"Education consists mainly of what we have unlearned."--Mark Twain

Re: Jan 28 2008 (3.00 / 0) (#10)
by Volvo farmer on Sun Jan 27th, 2008 at 09:51:27 PM MST
(User Info)

Email sent

Sig picture removed until further notice.

Volvo Farmer

May you always have success in your quest to irritate those who you despise. -Ben Goode

Re: Jan 28 2008 (3.00 / 0) (#11)
by TomW on Sun Jan 27th, 2008 at 09:52:44 PM MST
(User Info)

Ya Ya favoritism at its finest.

True justice would be blind, however.

What, me worry?

Darned fine pages linked in the story. Cute little turbine.

TomW

"Education consists mainly of what we have unlearned."--Mark Twain

Jan 28 2008 | 15 comments (15 topical, 0 editorial)

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