How to Build a Wind Turbine with PVC Windmill Blades.flv

[Bsdeitch1]

Great job on your wind turbine. It's too bad that there are people out there that only criticize other people's work. While it is true you would only need one diode to block the voltage coming from the the battery to the motor a bridge rectifier will work just fine typical voltage drop for a diode is another 1volt. So you are losing about 2 volts with your setup so what. Those other people that leave comments like that are just jealous watchers of other people they are not doers.

Again GREAT J

[huynhminhtri]

It needs a whole shop with drill, sanding, cut machine....to do a simple job : To build a propeller.

I get another idea : Go to car junk yard get a propeller from junk car radiator or a bigger propeller from old aircraft (if you live in Tucson Arizona ) to build your wind generator with some simple hand tools , whatever the size you wants : couple hundred watts generator or couple thousand watts generator ..... what do you say , young man ?

[maximilianitoaguirre]

sorry man i did not get it right (my english not that good :P), any electric motor generates electricity?? cause i have an old fan at home...

great vid!

[gwheyduke]

Any DC electric motor becomes a generator when you spin it! If you want to tap a straight hole put the tap in your drill press chuck then turn it by hand, in order to get it started straignt.

[KEVIN38819]

Im using a 7.2v motor as my generator, what bridge rectifier would you recommend?

[Inflec]

@KEVIN38819 Don't know why this guy is using a bridge rectifier. It's overkill--three more diodes than you need. All you do need is ONE heavy duty diode in series with the "hot" wire coming from the motor. For a 7.2v motor being run as a genny, I'd want a diode with a 100PIV (Peak Inverse Voltage) minimum rating AND a current rating at least twice the maximum amperage you ever expect from this motor. The diode I'm thinking of usually has a threaded bolt for mounting to a heatsink. Read up, sir.

[KEVIN38819]

@Inflec Thanks for the feedback, I'm no electrical expert but I also wondered why a single Diode wouldn't be sufficient on the Positive wire as you said. But with a 100PIV diode, what sort of voltage/amps need to be generated before the Diode allows electricity to flow to my battery? I will be reading up right now.. :)

[Inflec]

@KEVIN38819 A standard diode (i.e. non-Schottky), will absorb, or "drop" approx 0.6v when it is conducting in its "forward" direction. This is the connection that you want so current can flow from the genny to the batt for charging, but not in reverse (motor would drain batt). So your genny would have to produce a voltage equal to your nominal battery voltage + 0.6 volt to even *begin* charging. The current rating must be greater than the highest amps you can expect from your genny. (cont'd)

[KEVIN38819]

@Inflec Yeah I know part of the produced power is lost in the diode in heat. I've ran the motor with a drill and measured the output with a multi-meter (also i found out that when u run a motor as a generator the + / - wires for input then reverse polarity for output) But she puts out a few volts even at low speed, I am also gearing it up by offsetting the motor and using a main gear/pinion gear setup to get more rpm. I found a diode on Ebay that fits your description, im going to give that a go

[Inflec]

@KEVIN38819 Unless the motor is a special type, you may have to reverse its normal rotation to use it as a generator. This is because the brushes are usually "offset" from their theoretical position with respect to the field poles (magnets) due to a phenomenon called armature reaction. This is to reduce brush sparking. In a motor, they would be offset *against* the direction of rotation. In a generator they are offset *in the direction of rotation*. A book on DC motors/gennys will explain this.

[Inflec]

@KEVIN38819 (cont'd from prev. post)... Otherwise the diode will likely be destroyed during heavy generator output. Good engineering practice would call for a current rating *at least* double the highest possible current (amps) that your genny might ever produce. Hope this helps.

[KEVIN38819]

@Inflec Absolutely, thanks for the advice.

[halferson]

free is your ass hole! this is too expensive!!

[dramey03]

i know this makes me look bad, but ive never used the tap and have wondered how it works, thanks for explaining that part and how to thread something

[KesslersCross]

@dramey03 Its not to hard. I always drilled a hole that is just a little smaller than the tap that your going to use. You can get a "tap and dye" set at lowes or a hardware store. Then, all you have to do is take the tap (its threaded like a screw) and slowly screw it down into the hole. Keep it straight, move it slow, and after you go down a little bit back it back out to get the shavings out of the way. Some even spray WD40 every little bit to make it easier. Hope that helps!

[giftsfromtheholyland]

hello there what a great job you doing teaching people how to do things

I was watching your video how to build your own windmill, and you said that I can use a motor as a windmill generator . so I do have a very large motor been used for a large store gate how can I use it please reply thank you very much

[mojoeshaw]

Please don't use PVC. It gets damaged by the sun's rays and becomes brittle especially in winter. That combination and a high rate of speed can be deadly not to mention costly. It's likely that homeowner's insurance companies will not insure your home or cancel your policy if you have one from the dangers of parts flying and striking others or their property. Use at your own risk. Watch the Missouri Wind and solar video about PVC wind turbines.

[MrMfloor]

Fruit Smoothy? What is this nanny boy hour?

[animateclay]

They don't explain how to stop the whole thing from spinning the wires off of the main pipe. Pretty cool video though!

[hawkorock]

I like it but what about cheaper tools

[IdealTranny]

great information!

[lickish1]

Good video. Would the motor/generator be damaged by water? We have very wet winters here in WA. Any suggestions for waterproofing?

Thanks

[Crewdog77]

 ://cdn.makezine.com/make/telev­ision/wind.pdf

[thepettitz]

what is you wedsite i need it

[MrsCourtneySW]

What Dimensions are you using for all your picecs and parts?