VAWT wind turbine project, where to start?

[bemco]

Well... I searched the internet for days and found so much info (good, bad or otherwise) it is overwhelming.  After reading some posts on this forum, it seems that there are many knowledgeable members here with good info - so I decided to post this brainstorm in the beginners section.  Any suggestions on where to start to make a VAWT vertical axis wind turbine?  I am leaning towards the VAWT because of its simplicity and quiet(er) operation. 

It must be homemade by me, I could easily buy one... but I cannot justify spending a lot on purchasing one, because it takes way too long to get return on investment, plus it would not be any fun if I didn't make it myself.  I would like to make it 20 kW, but grid tying that kind of power would be hard to do.  Maybe I should just make a small little 1-2kw to play with first? 

~ Do I start by buying a good Anemometer so that I can log data and design it for the correct wind speeds?
~ Is a VAWT that much less efficient than a standard wind turbine? Some people seem to think so?
~ I have many PM servo motors lying around that I would like to use (up to 22kw) and I can rewind them for the correct voltage.
~ I would like to have it grid tied, but only find small 1000watt GTI wind inverters available for reasonable costs.
~ Mounted to/above my barn roof or to the top of my silo is what I was thinking... 
~ Drag Design? / Lift Design?
~ Our Electric Bill shows we use 794kWh per month
~ Online Wind Estimator for Zip 53020 is 5.34 m/s or 11.9 mph annual average

Thanks for your input!

[birdhouse]

welcome! 

i read the first half of your post, and all sounded normal...  then came the second half with 22Kw!  and this:

Maybe I should just make a small little 1-2kw to play with first?

to my knowledge, no one on this site has ever made a 2Kwn sized  VAWT, but i could be wrong. 

yes, they are way less efficient, and actually can be harder to build in that size range.  blades need to be supported on two sides, not just one. 

i've actually been thinking of building a VAWT as well.  a geared type to give 100-300 watts whenever the wind is above a few MPH. 

keep reading.  check out windstuffnow.com??  it ed's WT page. 

adam

[GoVertical]

Hi, I have been working on a VAWT project for 5 to 6 years. I have done a lot testing and experimenting.   Using this calculator is a good place to start.
 http://usvawt.com/cgi/windpower.cgi?h=6;hunit=0.3048;d=4;dunit=0.3048;Calculate=Calculate

This video is worth the time to watch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc4GRaAyE9c

This is a forum for VAWTs.
http://www.vawts.net/

Think about making more than one and running  them in parallel.

My test VAWT is 6 foot by 4 foot.

Do you know anything about power electronics? You are going to need a MPPT or a buck converter with a variable duty cycle or most of the power you produce will be lost as heat at the stator and the turbine will stall. I hope this helps and I hope to see some photos of your project.


 

[jlt]

Do more reading  before committing to building . vertical axis. Most people
find that horizontal  turbines are  a lot better. unless you just like the looks of vertical's

[GoVertical]

Hi, there is new study from CalTech, it all depends on how you look at the numbers.
http://dabiri.caltech.edu/publications/Da_JRSE11.pdf

[Mary B]

I can't install a hawt due to zoning laws that are new. But I can put in yard art, I have a 1HP GE ECM motor I am going to play with this summer.

[jlt]

I see no difference between a vawt or a hawt for a yard ornament . The early American water pumpers are often used for lawn decorations .

[Mary B]

I would have a hard time passing off a 3 bladed hawt as a water pumper that normally has many more blades...

[ghurd]

"I would like to make it 20 kW, but grid tying that kind of power would be hard to do."?
GTI is not hard.
20KW VAWT, and something to support it, would be a lot harder to do.

I would have a hard time passing off a 3 bladed hawt as a water pumper that normally has many more blades...

You should be able to pull it off with an ECM... with a bunch of blades.... on a 1HP ECM.
They work well, and are forgiving... if suitabaly re-worked on the connections.

A VAWT is only 'simple' until you try to build one... that works.
A HAWT is only noisey and loud if not done correctly.
Just from my own personal experiences,
G-

[Mary B]

GE ECM I got for free has each coil brought out individually so really easy to play with things

[ghurd]

GE ECM I got for free has each coil brought out individually so really easy to play with things

Yard art toys starting with HF-type garden mills have some resonance issues in the metal blades.
Might be OK with a brushed DC motor, but brushless makes some crazy sounds, and very loud.
Might want to plan for dealing with that before getting too much money in fancy hardware.

I have some rubber a bit larger than the bore of the HF blade hub,
Intended to turn it down and drill it for the motor shaft.  Lost ambition before I had time to try it.
G-