Total NOOB here, clueless but have some engineering and other skills.... just none involving electricity!
I have an idea that I am sure someone has tried, will it work? I guess I know that it will work, but will it be effective? I
have googled and found nothing on the first idea:
Build a stacked set of VAWTs, like these: (But inside square cages)
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRTEm8Z9-k1-hK0eM8c6zMEzqG9rLQaXgomhndrTtoKTTyK_e7oKg(thanks to whosever pic I used)
The difference is that I want to build several of these units inside square towers made of light ga. tubing, and have the towers all beside each other, literally welded together. Then, assuming each tower is approx 5'x5'w and ?' tall, the shafts will be also on 5' centers, I can double pulley the output shafts at the top, and link them all together with v-belts, placing the generator on the final unit. My thought is that I can generate quite a bit of torque in this way, while keeping it all on the ground. I have a lake in the front yard, whose dam is about 200m long, and a nice breeze is always coming down the valley.
The other idea that I had, and, surprisingly I found one googling, is a VAWT that is pretty good sized. I have an 8' diameter light steel
"wheel" that originally was a spool for natural gas line, sold to the scrap yard when the nat gas people came through town installing lines. It's dimensions are very close to being able to cut up 55 gal drums into quarters and stand them up inside. I wish now that I had bought all they had, but as it was I only got this one, and originally picked it up (for 18.00) to use as an 8' overshot water wheel. Didnt pause to think I would ever need more than one. Oh well. Here is the pic I found: (Thanks, Chinese guys)
http://cctvcamerachina.en.made-in-china.com/productimage/qehmDdjMpvVN-2f0j00BsaTSijtgUcq/China-700kw-Vertical-Axis-Wind-Generator-FC-700KW-.htmlI don't know which one to tackle first.... what do you who are in the know think?
mofishin