Ametek 30 VDC Mill

[coldspot]

"Too much turbulence"

YES

That I can't control, being in town, (Girlfriends place n all).

But, am lucky to have train yard/tracks behind house and winds do also tend to blow the same direction that they, (train tracks) run. From south to north.

But the last winds have blown from the North/West to South/East, not a normal wind for us here and it was flowing across houses to get to my minimill.

I'll learn as I go and when the snow melts and we can get back to cabin, I'll have a couple of PM minimills ready, so this and ALL THE HELP I get from the great people here.

Will make me more ready!!!

THANKS

[coldspot]

Well, after watching and actually standing in the snow with voltmeter hooked to tower bottom output wire, all i've seen is 4-8 Vdc.

 I'll have to play with the ceiling fan blades,  maybe turn them around, (fatter side in, unlike is now)

 



The Fat side of blade out, (stock ceiling fan blades).

I don't know what the windspeed was, (I'll build that soon!).

And I didn't stand there very long,  but with only 4-8 volts, I can see this isn't going to do much for getting battery bank OFF the the trickle/mantainence storage charger that it's still on.

My "FLexCharge" states it Min Volt in is 0Vdc

Max 140Vdc.

But nothing about when it starts to charge, logic tells me not untill past the battery bank voltage.

I must play with blades!

Just about getting anextra gen done but,:(

 

[coldspot]

Was more windy today/night.

I saw 13 VDC a couple times while I watched voltmeter for about one smokes worth of time.

[ghurd]

I decided "6mph" where my meter starts registering is around when I tip my head a little to keep a ball cap from "maybe" blowing off my head. Here at least, 10mph at ground level is a lot of wind. There isn't much power available below 5~6mph.

Without a decent windmeter most people probebly greatly overestimate wind speed. I sure did. Meaning it might not be as bad as you think.

[coldspot]

Thanks ghurd

"it might not be as bad as you think"

I hope you are right.

Am just getting "Control Box" Finished, A real full wave bridge, (Shadio-Rack Part # 276-1185,  25Amps- 50 Volts) mounted to a old cpu heatsink, (EvilInside slot-A) so about 3 times the size of a normal cpu sink.

 Also picked-up a 12 VDC 25Watt light bulb today, will be inside a fancy Outside porch light type box mounted to side of control box. This will be the Dump load for now. Might add a 12 VDC lighter type heater and/or a block heater. (So wishful to think need that much "Dump" Load. lol

[ghurd]

Cheap 12V 25W dump = #1156 tail light bulb.

For a progressive / stepping dump, look at #1141 too. Same common base, less watts. Maybe better for a mini system like ours.

Flat blades are 'almost' as good as 'good' blades. Or so I read it.

There may be a marked improvement if the blade angle is changed.

Maybe try 2(4?) washers between the blade and 'holder' at the high (windward) side, one(2?) washer at the farthest screw. Should make it faster, and I think that would help. Don't really know.

It'll take more to get it spinning, but it should spin like crazy.

[coldspot]

Thanks ghurd

I'm building some aluminum, "Add-on's", 9"x3" to add to the "high" side.

I'll be mounting them on the inner part on the blades, starting from mount-screw.

I might try bending them into a curve shape, (clam in vice with large pipe, whack with rubber mallet). For at least 3 pc's, (when I drilled them I stacked 10 with 3 each of 2"x8" ones and 2"x9" ones also.( sheets are 1/8th" thick).

Also for your advice on changing the angle, did you mean more or less?

Have a great Day/Night!!

[ghurd]

Less angle (flatter) is faster, more RPMs in the same wind, higher TSR. The ceiling fan blade 'holders' here look about 15 degrees? They should start turning very easy, but they won't get going very fast.  Thats way to steep for most things I've done. I'd guess usually for a flat non twisted blade 4 to 8 degrees worked best. Yes, 4 degrees looks like it would never start turning by itself. It will.

Maybe a couple washers under one side of the blade bracket / holder? Easy way to try a couple angles.

I have been toying with the idea of 3 straight blades at 4 degrees, and 3 very short(30% as long) blades between them at 8 degrees to get a tiny torque boost from stopped. Probably not a great idea, can't hurt.

May call around all the Radio Shacks for a $10 digital wind gauge, if they have one left. Part # 63-1119. They were clearanced out a while back, but some stores got more in.

[coldspot]

Again, THANKS ghurd,

(Shadio Rack Tip)+(All tips)!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought thanks what you ment, lesser pitch.

I pulled it down this afternoon, (to mod the blades and change the vane/tail).

I'll post what I see.

PS; I like the 6 blade thoughts.

Wait till I stick a "Trim Blade" up, people will see that I am crazy! LOL

[coldspot]

Trying for more POWER.

I pulled down the Ametek 30 yesterday, for blade mods n tail work!





This is of yet Un-tested.

Will go back up this morning, after I put on more tail area mounted closer to mill.

[ghurd]

Guesses, just guesses. The blind leading the blind?

The additions are on the leading edge, right?

Get the main blades to 4 degrees, and from the high part of the extensions to the low part of the main blade to 6 degrees.  I bet a little curve on the extensions would help.

If you like beating them with the hammer, try for 8 degrees at the hub end and 6 at the tip end of the extensions.

A few more mods and it'll look as goofy as some I tried!

[coldspot]

"Guesses, just guesses. The blind leading the blind?"

Yep, thats 4 sure!

"The additions are on the leading edge, right?"

Yes.

"Get the main blades to 4 degrees, and from the high part of the extensions to the low part of the main blade to 6 degrees."

Lost me, high? low?

Leading n trailing, inner n outer,( towards hub n tip) I can follow.

Do you think the narrower part should be In? towards the hub.

Your thoughts about the washers, to flatten the pitch, I'll try after just putting back up with extentions, set at same angle as before. Just for guesses sake.

 I'm looking at some springs.

Thinking about extra long bolts with springs on backside, on the trailing edge.

So the blades could self-furl, sort-of maybe. (Was a thought after first-up and looking at 4th blade for turning around, {Narrow out fat side in}, was looking at were to mark for the turn around, n figured the holes would need to be more like slots so bagged the idea for later date maybe, {when I have some extra parts not just one working part}) LOL.

But did get some parts closer to testing stages, ( 4 blade hub for 1/2" shaft, 2.5HP treadmill motor has 1/2" on outer end of shaft).

 Also some more on the sandwiched, ( using two parts to hold trim blades between) 4 blade mini aluminum blade fan hubs I found at ARMY surp store. My Servo motor will get these, the stock little fanblade/hub only had 1/4" shaft hole and I opened them up to 3/8".

Looks like it will still be able to lock well on lock-collar. I have to go past that store tomorrow morning so I will "try to" just look around some more but will pick-up an extra mini fan/hub, @  $1.29 each. ( had one on a stepper working great but loud blade sounds untill I dropped it at about 10 mph, was lucky to be on dirt road, only flattened out one of the blades and thats when I saw that they could be modded for trim blades but figured that two would be better for bolting thru top n bottom needing less reinforcements).

really need to finish controller Box, so I can be able to measure something to be able to make better guesses!  lol

PS: today I found a "KC Hilites" 3103, stamped rating, 12V  30A, only has one spade marked, ( unit has only two)

 as to be Bat(same one also has a V and a A by it?). On-line search showed nothing, nill, zero!

 Even at "KC Hilites" site or the other marked maker,"littel fuse usa".

 Guy that gave it to me said it was a breaker thermo type and would shut off lights when drawing to much juice and would reset after a cool down. I had to try to find some factory info but so far nothing!

 Also got a three spade unit, 20A 12V out of an old battery charger.

One spade marked BAT, center nothing and other end marked AUX. No Brand names at all?? I thought I was getting a bridge rec. lol

[coldspot]

My vane/tail-

Was only 70 sq"

I added to it yesterday, 126.5 sq"

Now has 196.5 sq"

I left it at the length it was, about 4'

Because when adding to it the extra was placed in front of what was there.

I am using a 1/2" dowl, (hardwood) with some very light aluminum perfferatted

panels. Salvaged from an old tv or monitor, rivits drilled out and forgotten under back porch welcome mat for many months to flatten this former box out, worked great!

The Ametek minimill was not tracking as well I thought it should and this mod should help.

Also straightened up the vane/tail boom pole to be more straight or level and not hanging down.

 The adventure continues !

[ghurd]

"Lost me"  I do that to people.

High meant leading edge.

Steeper angle from leading to trailing edge nearer the hub.

Should be wider toward the hub... I think.

[coldspot]

With good wind last night

I walked out to the test tower and hooked up multimeter

Ametek 30 was showing

10-15 VDC !!!!



Thats with the ceiling fan blades

(Three)

Still turned stock, fat out with skinny in

but does have 3" X 9" extentions on it,

(Mounted aluminum pc's to make inner area fatter)