dumb question by a newbe

[flory7]

I am still in the prosses of thinking out my design and wanted to know how most of you make you wind generators spinn 360 degrees? I was just going to put a stop at my eastern most point of travel, limiting my self to say 355 degrees of travel. That way my wires will not get wraped around the poll. Is their a "flux-capasitor" or somthing that I can use to get 360?

Thanks,

p.s. This is a great web site with a great think tank.

[Flux]

Most people drop the wires down the centre of the tower and accept that they may have to unwind it every few months or years.

If you have a pole then that does make things more difficult. Yes you can get sliprings but they are not cheap and require more elegant bearings than the normal pipe on pipe yaw bearing. Limiting the rotation by a mechanical stop is a bad idea and will almost certainly cause major trouble at some time. If you have some control other than furling then possibly it may be ok but otherwise don't do it.

Flux

[wpowokal]

A flux capacitor, wish I had one of those, just can't seem to buy them any more, beam me up Scotty!!!.

Ok to the real world, drop cables either inside the towewr pipe or external only get their nickers in a knot when you have turbulant conditions. Otherwise the average wind direction change tends to cancel.

What constitutes turbulant conditions you ask, OK trees/buildings/ any obstical in relative close proximity relative to height. Around 100m in my experiewnce, my origional turbine would seriously wrap the drop cable up in less than a week, until an accident with the chain saw felled an ofending tree.  

So no stops please, clean air and enjoy.

allan down under

[flory7]

Thanks Flux,

   My rig will be sitting on a 1 1/2" pipe. So I could just thread my wires down threw the pipe and cross my fingers. Is the mecanical stop bad because of the force that it would recive?

[flory7]

Thanks Allan,

   My lot is 200' X 200' with mature pines (50') on three sides. I intent to have my tower 50' tall. I would make it taller but homemade wind mill are illeagle. Thank you local government.

   So you would agree that just running the wires down the center of the poll is the best (and cost afective) way?

[finnsawyer]

C'mon now.  Just wind the wires around the pole a few times and have a plug at the bottom.

[flory7]

Sounds like that is the way I will go

Thanks to all

[ZooT]

My wires running down the center of the pole are a heavy 3 conductor extension cord......and there's a plug on the bottom end....

When the wires get twisty.....I unplug the plug during a lull in the wind, and let it go, and it untwists itself.....and then I just plug it back in and go back indoors where it's warm....

[ZooT]

Use a heavy 3 conductor extension cord down the center of the pole and keep the plug on the bottom....and when the cord gets twisted.....just unplug the plug and let it untwist itself and then plug it back in...

[flory7]

Thanks Zoo T,

   I will chalk it up to one more thing in my garage that will give its life for wind power.

Thank,

Adam

[thirteen]

they do make rotating brass connectors used on welding leads and windup power cords but there is that thing $$$. Just an idea

[freepowerme]

have a look at building a vertical turbine instead of horizontal shaft props 360 operation, zero maintenance... who wants to climb a mast in 40 mph wind and turn a moving prop? any takers? oh, you engineered a brake system... hmm, how bout gutting a riding lawn mower for the transaxle, raising it in the air and setting the generator horizontially and using belt chain drive after the power has already made the turn (you lose power everytime a gear changes direction too)... theres two ideas for ya

[freepowerme]

http://www.pacwind.net/#delta1 have a look at the pro version. more blades is better...