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Brian's Coil Winder
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By Boss, Section Wind
Posted on Sun Apr 20, 2008 at 02:24:46 PM MST
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It occurred to me that nothing was standing in my way of building the axial flux alternator.
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April 20th 2008
Good Morning
Finally we got something done at the local community college. I spent a good part of my time moving piles of "stuff" out of my way. I was determined to do something. We've been collecting supplies for three wind turbines. We are lacking steel at this point. It occurred to me that nothing was standing in my way of building the axial flux alternator.
The school electricians finally had juice in the shop. It only took them four months. The new Hobart MIG welder arrived a few weeks ago, and the power was setup for that as well. I had called Louie, the third Stooge in our wind turbine escapade earlier and he came right away when he heard that I was going to build something at the recalcitrant college campus or my name wasn't Brian. I wouldn't really call what I had a plan, but I was determined just the same. I had been thinking about the project and I've bought the plastic resin, fiberglass cloth and filler a few weeks ago, and now that Synergy Fest is one week away I'm getting a little panicky to have something to show for my efforts.
I righted a few work tables and collected some equipment found while going through piles as I moved stuff to make room to work on axial flux alternators. Grinders, a drill press, and a really cool tool which I must get for my new workshop, a combination bench disk & belt sander. I found a lot of uses for that tool while fabricating the coil winder. So by noon I had several paths through the piles made and enough power tools setup and ready to begin building the tool we need for winding copper coils for the homemade alternators.
Here I am at home with my dog Cujo watching as I pretend I can count and wind at the same time.
Since we decided not to try and erect a temporary wind turbine tower at the park around all those people, I have been trying to find a way to generate electricity with one of our axial flux alternators. It occurred to me that the exercise bike with the automotive alternator would be the perfect machine, if only it had a efficient alternator. Hmmm, wheels turned in my head, probably more at the subconscious level. Somehow I came up with the idea, that even without the steel to build our wind turbines we do have most everything to build the alternators. I think it will be really great to have the exercise bike setup near the battery bank with an ammeter so people can see how much human energy it takes to power electrical devices. The axial flux alternator is perfect because it is effective and efficient. At least I hope it is. I want to and need to find out for myself.
This is a close up of the winder. We used what we had. In the piles of stuff at the college I found some kind of physics teaching device that had nice axles pulleys and bearings mounted on a Maple stand.
I think this is a decent example of using what we have to make what we need. It doesn't look like the winder in the Other Power book, smiles.
So this is how I became the driven guy I was yesterday. I was determined to accomplish one task at the college amid all the bureaucratic bs.
This weekend I hope we will have enough decent looking windings ready that we'll be able to pour the plastic resin and make the stator for the exercise bike. Of course now that we've made this breakthrough, I need to think about what the best shape for the stator so it that fits on the exercise bike.
Here are the first windings in the stator mold Louie made, he the guy who is also making the blades
I hope this is as inspirational sounding as I feel that it is.
We can do things, amazing and wondrous feats.
We need that often hard to find determination to get started. |
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