How to Build a Small Wind Turbine With a Car Alternator
Increased awareness of the effects of non-sustainable energy on the environment has created a renewed demand for one of the oldest sources of energy harnessed by man -- wind. While purchasing a wind turbine may not be within your means, it is possible to build your own using a relatively simple cylindrical turbine design. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 12 mm (1/2 inch) thick balsa wood
- Acetylene torch
- 2 29-inch bicycle rims
- 3-foot length of 2-inch diameter aluminum tubing
- 6-foot length of 2-inch diameter aluminum tubing
- 6-inch diameter pulley
- V-belt
- Pivot joint
- Car alternator
- Casing
Instructions
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1
Cut six pieces of balsa wood measuring 2 feet wide by 3 feet long.
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2
Use your acetylene torch to weld the hub of one of the bicycle rims to one end of your 3-foot length of aluminum tubing, and the hub of the other bicycle rim to the other end.
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3
Glue one piece of balsa each at the twelve-, two-, four-, six-, eight- and ten-o'-clock positions of the bicycle rims. These will form the blades that will catch the wind. The top of each blade should be glued to the top rim; the bottom of each blade should be glued to the bottom rim. Each blade should be at a 90-degree angle relative to the section of the rims to which it is connected. The blade should meet the rims halfway across the width of the blade.
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4
Use your acetylene torch to weld the bottom hub of the bottom bicycle rim to one end of the 6-foot aluminum tube.
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5
Cut a 2-inch diameter hole with your acetylene torch in the center of the 6-inch diameter pulley.
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6
Run the 6-foot tube through the hole at the center of the pulley until you reach the position along the length of the tube where you want to place the pulley. Use your acetylene torch to weld both faces of the pulley to secure it into place. Remember the pulley on the tube will need to align with the pulley on the alternator.
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7
Attach one end of the V-belt to the pulley. The V-belt should tightly connect with the pulley on the alternator.
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8
Use your acetylene torch to weld a pivot joint to the end of the 6-foot tube opposite the end connected to the bicycle rim.
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9
Attach the pivot joint to a foundation that will remain secure under strong winds (bolts would work, as they can be easily removed). Remember, you will need to remove the pivot joint from the foundation each time a belt change is required.
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10
Place your car alternator so that its pulley is level with and parallel to the pulley on the 6-foot tube, as well as within a tight reach of the belt.
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Place the free end of the belt on the alternator's pulley. When the wind blows the blades, it will turn the blade assembly, which will turn the 6-inch pulley, which will drive the belt to turn the pulley on the alternator. This will cause the alternator's magnetic field to spin, producing an electric current.
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12
Place some sort of casing over and around your car alternator to keep it dry. A metallic box can be used as long as it has an opening for the belt to feed through.
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Tips & Warnings
In severe weather, you can disassemble the unit by removing the joint pivot from the foundation and resting the blade assembly on the ground.
