Tunelless wind test.

[Jerry]

I cranked up the tunnelles wind tunnel for the first time 2 days ago.

At first I used a small fullwave bridge rectifier in the power supply for the 2 hp dc drive moters. It made it to 10 mph but went up in smoke shortly there after.

The next day I made a fullwave bridge from two 70 amp battery isolaters and one 95 amp battery isolater. It works very well even up to 170 volts DC.

With the higher amperage diodes I was able to reach 28 MPH at 20 ft. from the blades.

This unit is in a covered area floor, wall on one side and ceeling.

Even though the wind was around 10 mph outside no detectable wind entered the tunnel area.

I mounted an anamomiter (spl?) 20 inches infront of the genny to be tested.

In this physical are theres enough room to test 4ft to 5 ft blades.

Next will be to set up battery bank near by.

Test equipment will be.

3 anamomiters, infered tack, amp meters, volt meters.

Watching the wind direction part of the anamomiter, the wind from this thing seems fairly straight and stable.

It sounds like a Sesna airplane when its going top speed.

I use a 5KW variac to control speed.

I hope to test severaltypes of 4 ft blades soon.

Hey DanB can you recamend a design on a 4 ft wood carved blade with constant angle, no twist.

I know you like this type of blade and you say there would be littel addvantage to a blade with twist in the large sizes but I think this test is scalable.

If theres just a diferance for these small blades I would like to find out how much?

I know there may be some turbulance here but for now I'll be test without wave guids to straitin out the air flow. At least all blades will be seeing the same wind conditions. It fun to be in control of the wind speeds for these tests.

Heres a picture again.

                JK TAS Jerry

[coldspot]

Wow !!

And, to think, I was just thinking about you jerry and your testing on the smaller blades, this morning at work.

 Nice looking set-up so far!

 You was going to test:   (?)

  Jerrys Blades,      (Length?)

  LaKoda Blades       ( "" )

  TLG's   ?           ( "" )

  Air      ?          ( 60" )

 Others I love the Info on also=

  China Magnet Source's Fiberglass 3 blade sets

  81.5"

  102"

  110"

 chanceair's 6 blase set

  75"

 qaz661's  "3 blades with thin tips"

  59"

  6 rotor 59"

 " Zub-Wolfers"   Same size range

 "WindMax"'s

 8.5FT(2.6M) dia

And I'm sure so would everyone else

thanks

[henjulfox]

Jerry,

Looks nice. I've got a set of the China Magnet 81" blades and a set of the Hornet blades you're welcome to borrow for testing. I believe I've even got a set of carved wooden blades around 4' that might be interesting. I could dig them out this weekend and drop them by the store next week.

-Henry

[coldspot]

YES !!!

(henjulfox- Thank you on my, everybody elses and jerry behalf !!!)

Thats what Jerry

and we as a group need

For Jerry to have the blades on hand to test.

I'd like to see some others helping out here also.

[Jerry]

Thanks everyone. It will be fun to see the actual preformance diferances in the same size but diferant configurations.

I'll be using my dual rotor 8", the Hugh Piggot 4ft alt and blades and the Garbogen.

I'm in the prosess of building Hughs 4ft genny now. His plans call 85 turns of ?ga. wire (I foget the ga. right now). I'll be using 85 turns of wire half the circular mills but 2 in hand so I can test his alt both in star and Jerry Rigged plus his blades and then my blades and then my version of the ZubWoffers.  

I may be able to test larger blades latter but for now I'll start out with 4ft to 5 ft. allthough I have a set of 7 and 8 ft blades to test.

Hey Henry  YA bring the blades to the store I'll be there tommorow (Thursday) Honey/dos on Friday so I may be out.

Thanks guys.

                     JK TAS Jerry

[henjulfox]

Jerry,

Sorry - they're packed away. It will take me the weekend to dig them out. Have to be next week.

-Henry

[hiker]

thats real cooool  jerry..

would one of those motors be good for a gen?

[willib]

Bet my blades can beat the pants off of ANY other blades that you can put them up against.

At the moment they are 4 feet 2 inches Dia.

but could chop off two inches just to make it fair.

[SamoaPower]

Really?

That's a pretty gutsy clain for someone who has reported an output of only about 40 watts using those blades.

If I was a betting man, I'd take any part of what you would be willing to put up.

In fact, I'd make a side bet that they would come in DEAD LAST (if they didn't break first) at wind speeds of 15+ mph where the real power is.

I don't know what you're smoking to give you those pipe dreams, but it must be powerful stuff.

[willib]

brakege is a concern

i had them out last friday , the wind was houling , i must say i wasnt prepared for it.

the wind bent the pole i had the alt on ,but the blades held up , although the wind pulled the trailing edge forward on one blade which sent the whole mill into one heck of a wobble, but besides that ....

they held up fairly well ...

a little tweek here , a little tighten there , i still think they will beat any other blade in the four foot dia. range.