Author Topic: 2007 (Read 704 times)

fungus · « **on:** December 31, 2007, 02:02:13 PM »

Just thought it would be fun to share what we've done in 2007 as it comes to an end,

I've built and put up my ametek wind turbine; http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2007/7/31/161922/545

and messed about with a lot more,successful and not..

At school making a wind turbine for craft and design, some photos slowly piling up here;

http://www.anotherpower.com/gallery/School_wind_turbine

So what's everyone else done?

vawtman · « **Reply #1 on:** December 31, 2007, 10:02:13 AM »

Happy New Year Fungus amung us,

Nice work on your end.My end has been an adventure since the discovery of the wheel.

My goal is to quit smoking(again)since taxes are going up bigtime here.Then funnel that money into the turbine.Plus if i'm not smokin and pacin around I might actually accomplish something.

Mark

gotwind2 · « **Reply #2 on:** December 31, 2007, 10:29:57 AM »

I think this year I have done more with wind power (experiments mainly) than any other year thanks to everyone on this forum and the IRC.

I guess the highlite of 07 was being commissioned by Orange to build 3 mini wind chargers in just 4 weeks for the Glastonbury festival.

http://www.gotwind.org/Orange_Wind_Generator.htm

Again, I couldn't have achieved any where near what I have without fieldlines and its members input.

Still loads to learn.

Long may the server remain functional

Ben.

TheCasualTraveler · « **Reply #3 on:** December 31, 2007, 10:40:29 AM »

2007 Marked my first RE starting with my HB solar panels and just in time before the end of the year I finished my wind generator and have had a steady wind all day so far to test it. Right now I'm pretty satisfied. Thanks for everyone's help!

http://thecasualtraveler.com/wind.htm

windstuffnow · « **Reply #4 on:** December 31, 2007, 11:28:55 AM »

This year was extreemly busy... Most of this year was spent in R&D building several small turbines and a multitude of alternators. The last 4 months have been strictly R&D for developing an efficient crankshaft replacement (actually a long term ongoing project that I've been working on for many years) and it's ready to be prototyped. A few other projects have come into view from this new device and should be quite interesting in months to come. My goal for 2008 ... Inexpensive home heating, electric and transportation. More research, lots of prototypes and testing will follow.

.

richhagen · « **Reply #5 on:** December 31, 2007, 11:37:30 AM »

The highlight of the year had to be the trip with BTHumble to upgrade a solar and wind powered computer lab in a school on a remote island in Fiji. http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2007/6/5/85322/76409

Other highlights included:

Having two sets of blades I built used in a study and flying atop buildings at Carnagie Mellon University as part of a research project on maximizing power capture from turbines there.

Adding solarpanels to the 48V system on my roof to now over a 1000 Watts rated (although with the used panels and direct charging, I've never actually seen more than about 14 Amps or so.

Learning how to use a lathe - I am currently working on a small radial air core alternator to work with some of my small blades. That project won't be finished until '08 and it is just a starting point.

Incidentally this alternator has a lot in common with the alternator from fungus' posting here: http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2007/12/21/212956/25 only much smaller for small blades. I still have to machine the stator, but that will have to wait for '08.

Made quite a few of little CNC blades and sent them all over the world.

In 07, we lost Zubbly and I've also not read anything from a few other formerly regular posters in a while so I want to wish them well where ever they are. We have added quite a few new contributers to our ranks in 2007 as well though.

I am hoping everyone here has an exciting and productive '08

Make '08 Great - Rich Hagen

Volvo farmer · « **Reply #6 on:** December 31, 2007, 01:32:33 PM »

If you did it before, you can do it again. I've quit about five times in the last five years. Currently off the stuff, too, since about September, hopefully this time for good! Good luck!

Volvo farmer · « **Reply #7 on:** December 31, 2007, 01:38:51 PM »

Got my second tracker up.

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2007/9/4/35949/88512

Went to an electric fridge.

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2007/9/16/24530/3347

Got three more Volvos, Was up to 24 there for a while, now back down to 23, I think.

DamonHD · « **Reply #8 on:** December 31, 2007, 02:27:44 PM »

2007 is the year that I've started to understand energy conservation and microgeneration with my first huge cut in consumption and my first tiny RE system.

More cuts and more generation next year: I'm really hoping to cut another 1kWh/day off consumption and add a little over 1kWh/day average from solar PV.

This board has been a wonderful source of practical help.

Rgds

Damon

wpowokal · « **Reply #9 on:** December 31, 2007, 03:32:12 PM »

My most usefull achievement for last year was getting my solar panels onto tracking mounts.

0600 hours new years day and the sun has just poked it's head over the hills, output 50%, half an hour later 65%.

allan down under

ghurd · « **Reply #10 on:** January 01, 2008, 09:55:00 AM »

Nice "Meters".

G-

geoffd · « **Reply #11 on:** January 01, 2008, 03:18:50 PM »

I converted a Freezer to a Fridge and finally completed my Solar Tracker, diary entries on both to follow as soon as I get time.

Geoff

feral air · « **Reply #12 on:** January 01, 2008, 06:19:38 PM »

Most recently I bought lots of CFLs and went to led x-mas lites. Earlier in the summer I started work on my plastic barrel vawt - got the rotor done and the pole in the ground before it started raining. I did lots of forrest management kind of stuff (brush and dead tree removal, planting, etc) and put together a shopping list a mile long for various RE-related projects. Started drawing plans for a large vawt, aiming for 1.5Kw.

I guess I didn't really get much done last year but this year looks like it might be more productive. Maybe. If I can afford it.

elvin1949 · « **Reply #13 on:** January 02, 2008, 04:49:51 PM »

G

HAHAHA I had the same thought.

later

Elvin

ghurd · « **Reply #14 on:** January 02, 2008, 04:55:30 PM »

I like meters.

Big or small. Digital or analog. Volts or amps. F or C.

I like all meters.

G-

Waterlogged · « **Reply #15 on:** January 02, 2008, 07:22:49 PM »

I was pushed into getting my water wheel working by a bunch of critters that built a dam across the outlet of the marsh on my land. I live 140 miles away, and was gone for about a week.

<font size=1>[]</font>

So I had to cut a trench across the dam and put in a pipe. I planned on laying a pipe first, but they built it while I wasn't looking. It also isn't where I wanted it. They raised the water level about 2 feet, giving me about 23 feet total. But it will take a lot of pipe to capture all of the head from here. So I figured I would just use what is here. I was building a 2 foot water wheel for here, because I had a 2 foot cable spool. Now I have 4 feet of head here, but nowhere else to put a 2 foot water wheel. I threw it together with as many scrounged parts as I could, and got about 4 volts into a 12v 25w sealed beam. This was after the 12v 3w bulb got very bright and then burnt out. Finally I have some thing to show for all that work.

<font size=1>[]</font>

I have a lot to do before it is ready to start charging my camper batteries. After about 2 weeks of running, it froze and split the generator pulley. I found a chain and some sprockets, but that will have to wait until spring. It is just too cold to work now. And when it starts to warm up, I really want to start building a house. (But this is more fun.)

Rod.

Waterlogged · « **Reply #16 on:** January 02, 2008, 07:25:25 PM »

I guess my pictures will have to be viewed in my files until I figure out how to post them here.

Rod

TomW · « **Reply #17 on:** January 02, 2008, 08:16:38 PM »

Waterloggeds files are over here:

http://www.fieldlines.com/user/Waterlogged/files

Cheers.

TomW

howlet · « **Reply #18 on:** January 04, 2008, 08:09:02 PM »

I guess the most interesting thing that I accomplished this year happened because of Otherpower.

TomfromNH introduced me to the Solar Team from the University of Simon Bolivar, (Universidad de Simon Bolivar)of Venezuala, and I was commisioned to fabricate the solar modules for their solar powered car.

The array of modules had a total of a little over 600 JASolar, 5", 17.5% efficient monocrystal cells. Trying to fit the required amount of cells into the small amount of space available was probably the most difficult part of the project. The spacing between the cells (.060") coupled with intricate busribbon configurations that had to be laminated under the .010" thick cells made things interesting also.

The short time frame that we had to work within caused a lot of stress for everyone involved.

I have a photo of the finished car that I'll post in my files shortly.

Other than that Ive been slowly building panels for my array.

Thankyou Otherpower! Happy New Year Everyone, JB

pepa · « **Reply #19 on:** January 05, 2008, 03:43:58 PM »

one of my few successful projects, wood fan blades for a customer because the wind kept destroying the factory blades on his porch fans. (he lives on an open marsh.)

the blades turned out to be very good for turning a dc motor, lots of unfinished projects, had a lot of fun with all of them. pepa

News:

Author Topic: 2007 (Read 704 times)