I wish I had good news. That tiny vawt rotor is smaller surface area than a 3 foot hawt. I'm sure most everyone here already knew what was going to happen. STALL,STALL, and terrible STALL!
I just thought it would stall alittle later though. I was wrong.
It does alot of 'trickle charge' (.5 - 5 watts) upto 100rpm, but in the big winds it's like hitting a brick wall around 100-120rpm. It usually stalls at only 6 watts(.5amp) even in a 20mph wind.
I could disconnect one of the phase wires and it would go up to about 12 watts before stall. But then you miss the 'trickle charges' keeping that way.
Or, I could disconnect all and let it free spin faster and then hook up ammeter quick and it would briefly show 30 watts or so. (Which is cheating by the way)
There were even upto 30mph gusts today.
I hate to say this, but I am beginning to believe there is not much power in these basic drag pvc vawt rotors like I just made. I was just experimenting. At least I tell the TRUTH. I will keep messing around with it though. It is discouraging though. I will try to contain my hopeful 'speculations' more, from now on.
Since they are now outlawing small windmills in many,many counties everywhere,(more than ever now) I was just hoping to make something less noticable, even if it does only do a fraction of the power a HAWT does.(I wanted to put up several)
But designing and making something new and matching a generator to it is extremely difficult and (will be) alot of work to actually make one that usefully works.
Finsawyer: I think stators like you're talking about (or similar) have been done before, (overlapping coils, electronic switching between sets of 3-phase coils,etc.) but,,, it is simply over my abilities to make at this time. I had a heck of a time with the basic one i just made . (and I am very glad that it works!) I had alot of cross-overs and alot of air in the coils. Plus, the exact spacing of my coils is FAR from perfect. I will keep it in mind If I ever get the skill to believe I could make something like that. Besides, for me, cut-in is not the problem anymore. I can get 30rpm cut-in now. Yes, its the WHOLE thing is the problem now! -Thanks.