Homemade Wind Alternator Turbine Systems
Homemade wind alternator systems can be constructed from a variety of components, including used and scrap material as well as components newly manufactured for wind turbines. As an example, car alternators can be modified and used for electricity production, although they are still not the best suited for wind systems due to their need for higher revolutions per minute (RPMs). Knowing the basics of how to construct your own wind turbine system will help you to navigate through the system-specific intricacies that arise between different site and component variations. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Socket wrench set
- Screwdriver set
- Car alternator
- Wire snips
- Wiring
- Soldering iron
- Power drill
- Tap and dye set
- Hacksaw
- 10-inch-diameter PVC pipe
- Belt sander
- Clamps
- Fasteners
- TV or Ham radio tower
- Concrete (optional)
- Guy line cables and anchors (optional)
- Wire stripper
- #12 and #8 AWG cable
- Blocking diode
- Charge controller
- Dump load
- Eyelets
- Deep cycle batteries
- Power inverter
- Extension cord
- Power strip
Instructions
-
Crafting the Turbine
-
1
Expose the inside components of a car alternator with a socket wrench and screwdriver so that it can be modified for producing a higher electrical output at lower RPMs. Remove the coiled wires from inside the alternator and unwind the wires. You may need to use wire snips or a soldering iron to disconnect the wired coils from the rest of the alternator. Rewind the coils using thinner wires and splice them into the rest of the alternator wiring harness. If your alternator has an internal voltage regulator, remove it from the alternator's circuitry.
-
2
Drill threaded holes in the geared ring attached to the alternator's drive shaft with a tap and dye set. The holes should be placed evenly apart according to the number of blades used for your system (typically, either three or four blades). The geared ring will serve as the blade hub for your wind turbine system.
-
-
3
Quarter a 10-inch-diameter PVC pipe with a hacksaw. Each quarter should be cut to resemble an airplane wing and sanded so that the leading edge is slightly convex and the trailing edge is tapered to a sharp point. Drill holes into the base of each wing and bolt them into the blade hub with a socket wrench.
-
4
Mount your turbine to an old television or Ham radio tower with clamps or weld fasteners. Connect the wind turbine to the tower and raise it using winches and pulleys to support the turbine. Depending on the tower's design, you may need to use concrete feet and guy lines to support the tower.
-
5
Remove 2 inches of insulating coating for the #12 AWG (American Wire Gauge) cable with a wire stripper. Screw in the ends of the #12 cables to the alternator's output terminals with a screwdriver. Run the #12 cable to the location of your battery bank, which should be well-ventilated and weatherproof.
Charging System
-
6
Screw in or solder the #12 cable to a blocking diode, which will prevent the batteries from sending electricity to the turbine during times when the wind has died down. Solder a short section of #12 wire to the outputs of the diode and connect it to the inputs of the charge controller. The charge controller guards the longevity of the battery bank by regulating the amount of electricity sent to the batteries and diverting excess electricity to a dump load. The dump load is a heat sink that disperses all electricity sent to it as heat.
-
7
Attach #12 cable to the primary and secondary outputs of the charge controller. The primary outputs should connect to a pair of eyelets, which in turn connect to the terminals of one of your deep cycle batteries. Attach the secondary outputs from the charge controller to the dump load, which should be sized to exceed the output capacity of your alternator by at least 20 percent.
-
8
Set up your deep cycle battery bank by spacing out the batteries approximately 3 inches from each other. Prepare your battery cables by cutting #8 cable lengths to match the distance between adjacent batteries. Strip the ends of the #8 cable lengths and wrap each end around a pair of eyelets.
-
9
Connect the deep cycle batteries into a series circuit configuration by wiring the #8 cable lengths to opposing terminals for adjacent batteries. As an example, screw on the cable's eyelets to the positive terminal on one battery and to the negative terminal of its adjacent battery. Continue this pattern until all terminals are connected.
-
10
Wire the power inverter to the battery bank system. The power inverter's wiring specifications will vary depending on the model, size and manufacturer's design. The power inverter's purpose is the convert the direct current signal from the batteries into usable electricity in the form of alternating current. Connect appliances to the outlets from the power inverter or use an extension cord and power strip to draw the power from your battery bank to different locations in your house.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
All components for Section 2 should be placed in the same location as the battery bank.
References
Resources
- Aaron Cake: Soldering Electronics [
- Green Terra Firma: Do-It-Yourself Wind Turbine Project
- U.S. Department of Energy: How Wind Turbines Work
- Renewable Energy Research Lab: Wind Energy Toolbox
- New Mexico State: Photovoltaic Power Systems and the National Electrical Code
- Scoraig Wind: Home Built Windpower
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
