My Ametek Mill is Flying!

[valterra]

I am so happy that, after reading so many of those picture-filled wind generator posts, that I get to write one!

I wrote this up for my website, and converting the regular html into "message board" html was proving very tedious.  So I'll just include the link.

Thanks for everyone's help!  My next project will likely be a full-blown dual-rotor job.

Here's the link:

http://www.jeharper.com/windmill/

Comments and questions always welcome!

[TomW]

valterra;

Just great when you get something put together that works, hey!

Good to see the young ones showing interest, too. The ability to create power from junk may be an important skill in the near future.

Anyway, nice to see folks post stories on their devices rather than theory on how they "should" be built.

Cheers.

TomW

[willib]

Nice writeup.

if you mounted a webcam on the roof, you wouldnt have to go outside to watch it. lol

good work ..

[DanG]

As TomW commented, a fine project!

There is something I hate to mention since it is flying, insight for "revision B" perhaps, but threaded pipe is dangerous on mills; everything leverages against the weakest part of pipe (the welded seam beneath the cut threads) and often the pipe catastrophically fails after a period of time in service with metal fatigue separation at the throat of threaded inlet; The pipe just isn't up to 'live loads' as found on mills...

[ghurd]

Looks Great to me.  The more recycled, the better!

I am also Very Happy to hear someone else has problems getting 3 blades fastened evenly.  

I was beginning to think it was just me.  :-)

The blades don't look quite right. The tips look very steep, while the root looks very shallow, compared to the standard.

That will make it turn a LOT slower and with less power.

What is the arbor?  Hardware store?

G-

[Ding123]

I am really happy to see your post. It brightened up my day to see someone making the best of

what they have to work with.Now, I hope you don't have to put up with too much criticism from some

that dominate this board. But that's ok....I know that you are happy.The pictures say it all!

Working on your mill, in your living room, it can only get better.

[ghurd]

(Never mind the arbor, I figured it out)

[gotwind2]

Nice work valterra - I made a similar 'Ametek 30' wind generator, with P.V.C blades, not the best but adequate, saw 5 amps @12v (60Watts) at times, before it blew over :/

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

Good luck with the dual-rotor design.

Ben

[coldspot]

 valterra-

Very nice write up

Very good looking mill also.

I didn't see any "furl" in your set-up?

I hope you don't get the big winds I get!

Even with a spring loaded furling system my Amtetek 30 has broken blades, twice!

First time all three and only one last time.

Anyway, have fun!

[mikey ny]

 It's all about the kids Valtera. Every project we do involves the kids. Most kids love junk, and to see the smile on their face when it all come together in front of them as a finished project is real cool. When my kids helped me build our hot water solar heater it was fun. Now every hot shower has new meaning. Keep on tinkering, your skills will get better quicker than you think. The power of junk is very rewarding.

                                Mike

[valterra]

Thank you all for the comments. I knew that the threaded parts could be a weak point, but I wasn't TOO concerned. The overall size if this mill is pretty small.

Hopefully I'm not wrong, but with these blades, I think this structure has a long way to go before it starts stressing the pipe. Of course, I DID break my Minigen...

Ghurd - I'm POSITIVE that these blades suck. I used the Measure "4 inches

on one side and 2 inches on the other side" method I've seen elsewhere on

the page. Should the blades be at more of an angle? This mill IS turning slowly - maybe 200RPM max. and is only making about 5-6V in moderate winds so I need to fix something.

I am willing to adjust anything to make it work better - within the bounds of my abilities.

I also have a 4 foot long piece of thick PVC pipe. 4 inch pipe diameter,

thick wall. So I can either re-mount my current ones, or make something with the uncut pipe. I am open to your suggestions!

[wooferhound]

Looking at the 7th picture down on your website I see

You have screwed your blades down from almost the center of your PVC pipe blade

This is incorrect as much of the blade is trying to push the rotation the wrong way

They should be screwed down from Very Close to the edge as in this picture.

[ghurd]

"these blades suck".  Yea they do! Glad you said it.  ;-)

I am no expert on much, certainly not blades. It's easier for me to do them like this.

They may not be perfect, but they are consistant. There is only one angle to cut

Make 4-5 at a time, in case one gets screwed up. I weigh them (99 cent kitchen scale) because often one is much heavier or lighter than the others and I don't use the odd one.

I use the angles Zubbly and Wooferhound came up with. The more I change them, the worse everything gets.  Length doesn't matter, just the angles matter.

I lay a long piece of angle aluminum on the pipe for the center line. Gets it pretty straight!

I lay out the first one by angle, then measure around the pipe and copy it to the next blades.

I'm nervous about PVC much over 36" diameter.

The angles I use are here, in Woof's post,

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2003/11/11/172721/53

The tip of the blade is nearly flat. It shows some in Woof's photo below this reply.

[tecker]

Oh yeah that could give a big increase.

[valterra]

How do you get the little mounting tabs on yours?

If I cut the zubwoofers

down the middle, I'll end up with blades that are essentially just like the

ones I already have in my photos.

[tecker]

There's no doubt that adding the angle would increase the power by as much as a factor of two

[ghurd]

I don't cut all the way down the center line, I only cut on the black lines I showed.

[valterra]

I'm really not trying to be dense here.  :-)  I think I finally get what you're saying.  Follow the "Subwoofer" idea, except when you cut it out, don't cut completely down the center line.  In essence, you are throwing away the (plastic that would make) the second half of the blade.  Copy that design several times along the circumference of the pipe.

As for the tab part, instead of cutting straight down the middle, at some point (maybe the edge of the circle in the center in the original design) vary off to the side to make a tab.  The important part I got from your picture is that the mounting holes are still along that center line - so it really doesn't matter how big the tab is.  Just needs to be big enough to provide enough strength for the screws not to break the pipe.

[ghurd]

"ZubWoofer" is from a collaboration between Zubbly and Wooferhound.

There isn't much waste, after you get the hang of it.

This is a brutalized selection of another file.  You'll get the idea of how I do it.

http://www.otherpower.com/images/scimages/2050/ValPVC2.gif

[ghurd]

In this stepper motor windmill, the tab is 'almost' visible on the blade closest to the camera.  It looks brighter or lighter and not very big.

http://www.otherpower.com/images/scimages/2050/StprBody.jpg

[mukunthko]

Wow. that looks great. Do you know if there is a datasheet available for thia ametek motor. Tried their website but it looks like a huge uncategorised conglomerate.