How to Make Wind Generator Blades
Commercially built home wind generators are expensive compared to the amount of electricity they generate, motivating some people to build their own windmills.
Blades are an important part of any wind generator, and the sweeping shape makes them challenging to fabricate from wood without several specialized tools. PVC pipe, on the other hand, can be cut into strong, flexible, inexpensive wind generator blades using a drill and a hacksaw, making it an excellent choice for homemade windmills.
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Instructions
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Cut the PVC pipe into 50 cm lengths using a hacksaw.
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Wrap newspaper around the pipe and use the edge of the paper as a straightedge to mark a straight line down the length of the pipe with a pencil. Mark the newspaper on both ends where it meets itself when wrapped around the pipe. This is the circumference.
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Cut away the excess newspaper past the circumference marks. Fold the remaining newspaper in half, long ways, and place one edge next to the straight line down the length of the pipe. Draw a second line on the pipe along the other edge of the newspaper. It should be 180 degrees from the first line.
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Fold the newspaper in half again. Place one edge next to one of the lines on the PVC pipe. Draw a third line on the PVC pipe, along the other edge of the newspaper. It should be 90 degrees from the other lines. Repeat this on the other side of the pipe, so that you have four lines dividing the pipe into quarters, long ways. Cut the pipe into quarters along the lines, using your hacksaw.
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Mark a 5- by 5-cm square on one corner of each quarter. You will cut these squares out, leaving a base which can be attached to the hub of your wind generator. Drill a hole through the interior corner of each marked square to prevent that corner cracking or splitting when you saw it out. Saw out the squares.
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On the opposite corners from the cut-out squares, measure 2 inches from the edge of the pipe and make a small mark. Use the newspaper as a straightedge to draw a diagonal line from this mark to the outside corner of the cut-out squares.
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Saw along the diagonal lines, removing thin, triangular sections of pipe. The pieces that are left are your blades, ready to be attached to the wind generator.
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Tips & Warnings
You can increase the efficiency of the blades slightly by beveling the outside edges so that, in cross section, each piece looks like it has thin, sharp edges on the concave side.
Always use good safety procedures when using power tools and saws.
References
- Photo Credit windmill image by Einar Bog from Fotolia.com
