How to Build a Micro Wind Generator
Wind turbines represent a clean source of renewable energy (RE). Depending on your location, building your own home wind generator and turbine can be a viable option for obtaining partial or entire energy independence. However, if you are toying with the concept of building your own wind turbine, then constructing a mini wind generator version can help to build on the skill set and techniques used for building a large-scale wind turbine. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- DC motor
- Multimeter
- Diode
- Charge controller
- Deep-cycle battery
- Power inverter
- PVC pipes
- Hacksaw
- Palm sander
- Windmax blades
- Power drill
Instructions
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1
Test your motor by hooking it up to a multimeter that is adjusted to the 2-12 volt setting. Spin the motor using a power drill to simulate maximum wind load encountering the turbine's blades. Realistically, if you can spin the motor by hand to generate voltage, then the motor can be used for your project. Use a DC hobby motor that has the ability to produce maximum voltage at low RPMs, between 300 and 600, or look for a computer fan motor that uses brushes. Other options include a motor from a used treadmill that has the label "permanent magnet motor." Alternatively, you can also order a specialized wind turbine motor from retailers such as KidWind.org or Windstuffnow.com.
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2
Construct your blades. The Homemade Wind Generator website recommends purchasing Windmax blades; however, there are multiple blade design plans located on the Internet as well. Fabricate blades from PVC pipe by cutting the pipe into quarters length-ways. Shape each blade with a palm sander to resemble an airplane wing so that it is tapered at a slope and angled in the front and comes to a sharp blade in the back.
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3
Attach your blades to the generator either using epoxy or a bolt and nut set. The process will vary depending on the design of your generator. Some DC motors may have a spinner that is already attached to their turbine shaft that you can drill holes into and screw on nuts and bolts to secure the blades into place. Other motors may require the fabrication of a wooden hub where the blades are attached through drilled holes. The hub can then be glued with epoxy to the generator shaft or gearing.
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4
Wire the generator to a blocking diode, which will prevent the battery from turning the generator when the wind is not spinning the turbine. The size wire will depend on the amperage of your system. Typically, larger wind turbine and solar panel systems utilize 12-gauge AWG wire; however, a smaller mini wind generator can use more appropriate sized wire. Consult a chart such as the one found at Windsun to find the correctly sized cable for your generator. Strip the wire and wrap it around the attachments for the diode and to the terminal on the DC generator.
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5
Attach the blocking diode to a charge controller, which will help to prevent the battery from becoming overcharged. Use the same type of wire as the previous step to connect to the charge controller.
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6
Connect the charge controller to the deep-cycle battery. Typically, charge controllers have their own connection rings for hooking them up to batteries. Wire the battery to a power inverter, which should also have its own connection rings. Turn on the power inverter and plug it into an appliance.
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Tips & Warnings
Alternatively, if you simply want to prove that the generator is generating electricity, you can skip Steps 4 through 6 and attach the turbine to a multimeter set to 2-12 volts.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit wind turbine recycle image by redrex from Fotolia.com
