I'm a newbie with some questions.
1) Has anybody tried using hard drive magnets?
I've seen comments that they are "really good" magnets, but never any articles about anybody using them to make a wind generator.
- I was also wondering about the relationship between the magnet size and the winding size. In most of the pictures I've seen, the windings look about twice the size of the magnets. Is this true?
- Seen any good (read easy) designs for commutators to bring the power down the pole? I've seen a lot of pictures with wires running down the pole without a commutator. What are the thoughts on this? Planning on a 200 - 500 watt system.
- I just saw pictures of a tip-up furling system, but could not find any calculations (weight vs front of center) to determine what speed the wind mill will furl. Any links ?
I wonder if anybody can answer the above questions in 500 words or less.