My first turbine is a Vawt

[Micheal]

I just can't tell you just how amazed I am at how much you can learn from building verses thinking about it. First thing I learned is "How Not to bend" 1/2 by 1/2 tubular steel. Grab a big weed burner find something handy at the right size around and Heat it up and bend away. http://www.otherpower.com/images/scimages/7843/precision_bender.JPG

After that all that was left to do was everything. So I welded up the frame.

http://www.otherpower.com/images/scimages/7843/blade_frame.JPG

 then skinned it with 26 ga. galvanized.

http://www.otherpower.com/images/scimages/7843/blade1.JPG

Now I have the 2 blades or wings. I now have The perfect genny for a Project gone wrong heh. Its a DC permanent motor from a treadmill. specs are el yuck. 4600rpm at 100v. But hey it was free and hand turning it I can hit 6 volts.

For the record I will be happy if this critter will charge a 6 volt battery for my led Lighting. Basically I just want to see it spin.

[thefinis]

Hands on building teaches some things it is hard to learn from pushing a pen but it is best to have both to give direction to the build and help decide how to fix problems.

Looks like wings built on Ed's design. Should spin fine if you get the measurements and spacings right but you may need some kind of rpm increaser for that motor. Vawts which use drag as part or all of their power are slow rpm turbines.

Have fun

Finis

[Micheal]

I have a 6-1 the 6 end is on the motors flywheel ,belt drive that came with the treadmill. I am thinking it will still be too slow. But its all good. This Turbine was built just for learning before I build a 8-12 footer with a proper generator. But who knows I might find a better generator for it free like this one.

As far as the specs go the blades are 5'1" 1/2 inches tall. the cup diam is 6 3/4" overall width is 14 inches. I am pretty sure I got the cup size a tiny bit big but, I eyeballed the whole thing, except the sheet metal.

one thing I know for sure is, I am not ever going to build another one like i did this one. WAY, way to much of a pain in the rear to skin it.

Ironically I used to work in a sheet metal custom fabrication shop. But we never made anything like this. So I am at a loss at the moment on a easy way to build a wing/blade.

[thefinis]

Doing fine the turbine should be 35" in diameter outside edge to outside edge.

With 6-1 gearing 35 diameter in 10 mph I come up with around 460 rpms loaded at motor (76 rpms at turbine). That motor(?unknown) at those revs may not load the turbine down so revs may be a little higher. Not great but you're just trying to make 6v.

With a 5' height you will need a top bearing I think.

I had some problems with bending sheet metal and keeping it from crinkling when covering a curve on some of my wings.

Have fun

Finis

[windstuffnow]

  The easiest way to skin the wings is to attatch the leading edge to the frame, then turn the entire assembly over and roll the frame over the sheet... The below is an 8 ft wing being covered...

[Micheal]

Thanks for the info and help. I got stuck on the parts for the shaft. I am waiting for places to open Monday so I can get some pillow bearings for my shaft. So instead I grabbed a 100ah deep cycle 12v battery and some nice 12 led lamps 39 leds each. But for now its on hold.

[Tom in NH]

Hi Michael and Ed. Is that your new 8 by 8 with your molded ribs, Ed? Lookin' nice. I've decided my two-blade vawt at 10 ft. diam. is susceptible to stall in high winds. We had a hurrican pass through a couple weeks ago with 86mph gusts. The vawt survived, but it behaved irratically, speeding up, slowing down, even stopping sometimes, all while the wind was blowing trees down and shaking my house. It didn't seem to have that problem before when it was a shorter diameter. I'm going to cut it back and see if it runs better. If not, I'm going to build two more wings for it.

Michael, I can tell you 5:1 gearing works ok if you have good leverage from a large diameter. That's what I have on mine. I'll be interested to see how your 6:1 goes on your project. Good luck!

-tom

[Micheal]

Well I did a few things very wrong. However I did at least come closer to finishing the

hideous beast of doom. I was looking for a mad max look. Well I got it. Maybe I will start a trend in rat wind turbines.

List of things done wrong.

Weight = A lot. about 60- 90 lbs.

Looks = borg " wait even the borg has better taste than this LOL "

cost = about 200 bucks  "school'n Money"

Things done right.

Learned a lot, and realized maybe I should take up knitting. j/k

I think my biggest mistake was starting larger than needed. and using the wrong materials.

and in my own defense, I built it in my drive way. I don't have a shop.

Well here goes nothing .... The pic lol

One thing I will be adding before she is put up is some wires to add strength.

all in all I enjoyed It a lot.

[stephent]

Good looking wings/blades actually.

But that "supporting structure" is going to be in the way when it turns....hehe