What bearings to use for a "heavy" VAWT

[TheEquineFencer]

They are almost finished rebuilding my shop from the tornado damage. I'll be starting  on a "new project" when it's finished and wired. My game plan is to build a large VAWT. I'm going to take two 55 gallon barrels, weld them end to end and then cut them in 1/2 and use about a 17% overlap with a 4 foot steel circle at the top and bottom to capture the wind. Then add another stack above that set to the turbine. I'm trying to decide what bearings to use for the shaft. Part of me wants to go to the local Agri-Supply store here in the states and use axle stubs and bearings with a 2 inch DOM tubing for the shaft. Then I'd have to make an adapter of some sort to run the gearing off the end through the axle nut end. Basically, build a long axle to mount it on then make an adapter to run a shaft for running my load from the bottom end through the end the bearing grease cap would go on. The other option is to use flanged bearings. The second option I think will cost more. With the first Agri-Supply axle ends I have my choice of axle bearing sizes from the 1000 Pound rated ends up to around the 18,000 Pound rated ends. I realise these axle ends are normally used with the bearing load at a totally differant angle than the complete "side load" I'm going have them running at. What size axle ends would you folks run? Right now I'm going to use the mill to pump water for a ground water A/C system I'm bulding and later add a small generator to it.

[Wind Ripper]

I used a 1000lbs trailer hub from Princess Auto. Cost me something like $70.00. Expensive up front but strong with a grease fitting for years of reliability. Bearing rebuild kits are cheap too.

[electrondady1]

if i understand correctly your mill will be about 12x4,sweeping 36sq.ft.
your going to use a top pin and some sort of support structure to locate it and control the side load.
i prefer plastic barrels.
 those steel barrels have a lot of mass but are very strong and stiff.
i'd cut them up first, then join them together.
you could eliminate the bottoms of half the barrels and still have a half round stiffening structure
by welding the rims together.
you could use a flange bearing on the top and a trailer stub on the bottom.
locate a pulley on the trailer stub.
i don't think you need a central shaft , that steel will be stiff enough to transfer the torque.



 

[TheEquineFencer]

I'm going to use a central shaft, it'll give me a true center to work from. Yes it will be supported from the top. My plan is to use a couple of 4x4's at least 6 feet apart with a couple of 2x8's on each side of them to mount the mill to. I'll also have some braceing for the 4x4's to handle the side load when the hurricanes come through. (Eastren,NC, USA near the coastline) Also with  the shafting I'll make assembly easier and later if I want to add more barrels I'll be easier. I thought about the smaller 1000# axle ends but will probably go with a the 3000# or 3500# ends.

[taylorp035]

They do make thrust bearings that are made for applications like this --> they look like this:  http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/bearing-roller-thrust.gif


I used several of these for the steering kingpins on my super mileage car.  They looked just like the ones in the picture, and they seemed to hold up well to our high shock loads.  I would maybe enclose the bearing so no dirt gets in there, but else it should work really well and provide less friction than some heavy duty bearings from a trailer axle.

Good luck!

[Watt]

They do make thrust bearings that are made for applications like this --> they look like this:  http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/bearing-roller-thrust.gif


I used several of these for the steering kingpins on my super mileage car.  They looked just like the ones in the picture, and they seemed to hold up well to our high shock loads.  I would maybe enclose the bearing so no dirt gets in there, but else it should work really well and provide less friction than some heavy duty bearings from a trailer axle.

Good luck!

http://timken.com/en-us/products/bearings/productlist/roller/thrust/TaperedRollerThrust/Pages/default.aspx
Or these may do the trick. 

[TheEquineFencer]

I think they are called Torrington Bearings. They are used in the higher quality torque convertors on the stator. Chevy Vega's convertors did not have them they had a bronze bushing. That worked OK until you took it out from behind a 4 cylinder Vega motor and stuck it behind a 350 or larger GM Motor for the higher stall speed. You could tell when it was getting ready to fail, the stall speed would start to creep higher and higher each week at the drag strip. We started taking the stock convertors apart and mike the bushing and then installing one of these bearings with shims to get the stall speed we wanted and then weld the whole thing back up and hope for the best. They are low friction bearings for sure, used it automatic transmissions too.
  For the money though, I'll either use a new axle end or make some from a buddy's Automotive Recycling Yard.

[silentblue1987]

I wouldn't use a thrust bearing on this kind of project since they have little to no horizontal stability and as someone pointed out earlier they can't handle the strain. They do have tapered thrust bearings but they just aren't strong enough in many cases for extensive periods of outdoor punishment let alone a side wind of 20+ mph causing 80+ lbs of horizontal force on the central shaft. I would recommend tapered roller bearings with mounting blocks in this case.

http://www.vxb.com/page/bearings/PROD/inch-Mounted-Bearings/Kit7358

That link is what I have at the house, one for top and one for bottom, 8ft x 3ft Lenz2 turbine. Only issue I've had is finding a 9ft long "Linear Motion Shaft" in a 1in diameter.

BTW that's the affordable bearing from vxb, they have over 1000 bearings at that web site, pretty fair prices and decent shipping speed. No this isn't a bot lol

[TheEquineFencer]

That's what I was looking. I was wondering of those flanged bearings would hold up OK. I went to the site and really liked it. It's so easy to look up bearings on that site. I have a few other projects I'm needing some "special" bearings for and they have them. Thanks so much. Using the flanged bearings will make building my shafting so much easier. I think I'm going to order a couple of the 1inch or so sized bearings and make an adapter to step the main shaft size up a little to maybe 1-1/2 - 2 inch, that way if I need more torque I can just add another stack of barrels to it.

[Watt]

I think they are called Torrington Bearings. They are used in the higher quality torque convertors on the stator. Chevy Vega's convertors did not have them they had a bronze bushing. That worked OK until you took it out from behind a 4 cylinder Vega motor and stuck it behind a 350 or larger GM Motor for the higher stall speed. You could tell when it was getting ready to fail, the stall speed would start to creep higher and higher each week at the drag strip. We started taking the stock convertors apart and mike the bushing and then installing one of these bearings with shims to get the stall speed we wanted and then weld the whole thing back up and hope for the best. They are low friction bearings for sure, used it automatic transmissions too.
  For the money though, I'll either use a new axle end or make some from a buddy's Automotive Recycling Yard.

I know this is off topic but, in higher hp applications not only would the bushings wear, the turbine fins would fold over.  Flame brazed turbines were then implemented.  Ok, back on topic. 

Try a clutch throw-out-bearing.