Help with making a Cheap Stator

[kihon]

Hi All,

Im trying to build a low cost generator to charge a 12v battery. At the moment, I have magnets and metal discs, and also copper for the windings. However Im now looking into what Im going to use to hold the coils in place.

The gen will use 2 6" mild steel plates, with 12 mags each. (roughly 1"x3/8"x3/8"). planning on making a 3 phase (9 coil) stator, using ~23awg wire. (Hand spun, I get about 2v from a single coil)

The main problem I have is the cost of resin for the stator may be a bit excessive. Does anyone know how much it would cost to get enough resin to make a stator for such a gen? Are there any good alternatives? Im considering using an old plastic chopping board, or alternatively I could use a wooden board, though Im concerned about warping.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

Kihon.

[bobshau]

Here in the USA we pay about $36 per gallon of resin at PepBoys. You can purchase it in 1 quart quanities. Make a volume calculation to determine how much you need.

It is risky to depart from tried and proved techniques. You risk loss of more than the stator if it should mechanically fail during operation and damage magnets,coils, etc. Therefore, I encourage you to pursue the resin/talc configuration recommended by Hugh's book.

Non-the-less, if you are determined to attempt something else, consider the following: (I haven't tried this and therefore don't recommend it.)  

Make the stator out of scrap exterior plywood with holes cut out for each of the coils. Cast the coils in place using the resin/talc mix with a layer of fiberglass cloth covering the coil faces. This fiberglass provides some protection from particulate abrasion. The resin will bond nicely to the plywood and help keep coil windings from vibrating and damaging electrical insulation during operation. Paint the plywood with resin, auto primer, and exterior paint. Make sure you cover the exterior edges to help avoid delamination.

In the end, I think you'll find the tried and proved approach to be more reliable and easier to make.

[wooferhound]

I wouldn't use 23 ga wire as you will get too much resistance. You could double or triple it and get better results. I consider my stator to be really low cost, here is the link

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2004/3/31/133240/025

[richhagen]

I was going to suggest marine plywood as I had seen some of hikers done with wood with only holes for the coils, cut to fit the coils, that way only small amount of a bonding agent is required to hold the coils in place, and in his I think he left the centers of the coils open, such that the coils are basically pasted into place.  Rich

[madkane]

very good work on that project but in it you was asking if any ones done a coil  with north south on oposite leg of same coil

 the other day i did it for a  small jolly and found it put out more volts and when  i put my osilly scope on it  found what happens is while both mags cross coil if they not as wide as mags you end up with a very flat top  to the signal

and a very fast climb to top