Homemade Wind Turbine Generator VAWT Vertical

[machinationu]

Nice unit. just put a anti kid screen or some dumb ass will sue. maybe a electric fencer would work!

[losttreasurehunt]

And AMPS?



[losttreasurehunt]

Great looking model ,How much power does it produce?

[Ondelendo]

Nice Video Perfect turbine for HOA areas and in cities that won't allow mast mounted turbines That You Share , So Very Nice Thanks You

[imegatrone]

I Really Like The Video From Your Homemade Vertical Wind Turbine mounted behind my wall and isn't visible from the street.

[bundawartini]

Your Video Is Very Useful Sharing Homemade Vertical Wind Turbine mounted behind my wall and isn't visible from the street.

[SidneyBoud]

I look at these and wonder if the stators could be made to vary and close when the wind gets dangerously high? Would that be an advantage or a detriment ( would it be to complex ). We have hurricanes down here.

[josephsisson]

I am new to harnessing the wind for energy and am encouraged by your design and quality of your work. You said in one of your "how to make it" videos that you are a machinist. I'll bet there are many machinists out there who where happy to have apprenticed under you. Your videos are clear and detailed and leave nothing to chance. Thanks for posting your design and method. The world is a better place as a result! Is an updated design on the way soon?

[danielsbatcave]

i live near palm springs and get massive winds 3-4 times a week how would you intigrate this into your home electrical system does it run back the meter? do you store it or sell it back to the grid? and whats the cost? any ideas out there any help would be much appreciated.

[jovenesenconfianza]

How much power does it generate?

[hozanadrian]

ok!

[Cam6990]

I plan on building one myself would this work if you live in the state of arkansas with mountains around, what about florida with the humidity

[MegaDeathwarrant]

why not get a 1kw motor from ebay? many people sell them for a great price.

[doug2877]

very cool,,,LATER FROM THE WEST COAST...

[Shadowpillar]

I like the design, how much power does this little guy output?

[NavyJonTheManimal]

You should develop a Halbach Array for a frictionless bearing to increase efficiency.

[tpajohnb1]

have u tried a battery oac from a prius...IE: 72 volt and i beleive they are lithium..?? johnb in tpa

[saltepedia]

If you could make a totem stack of these and generate more power with the same footprint.

[dcracing1]

Mike,

Do you have a DIY plans or Turnkey model for my RV?

Thanks.

dcracing at gmail dot com

Davis

[hispanicuscorpus]

You have drawing, how are the inner blade facing the outer blade?

[EinYamakasi]

Nice design, I've been thinking about building one. A pointless note: Your voice reminds me of Dennis Farina, very cool.

[robviolin1]

nice video, but you did not say anything about the electrical output?

[platinum243125]

Just wondering, are VAWT wind generators more efficient and less expensive than horizontal turbines? 

[imikewillrockyou]

@platinum243125 Generally HAWTs are slightly more efficient than VWATs if you measure by surface area covered. But that is moot. The numbers you want to see is the cost of production vs. energy return. I believe that large VWATs can be built on a commercial scale using common construction materials, unlike large HAWT turbines which are very expensive. In other words an large VWAT design could built, on site, by construction workers using common materials for fraction of the cost per watt..

[JaxxBat]

@platinum243125 , Seems like it , Less upkeep too. Some of these vawts only with 7ft tall blades are making 400w per rotation with a good coil set up..Just a matter of time before i pick a design and build one too..

[platinum243125]

@JaxxBat Do you know what companies make VAWTs in america or at least not in china?

[JaxxBat]

@platinum243125 , There seems to be lots of companies building and installing them. web search it...

[TheVinnie67]

this is great! much better than the others I have seen...I too live in the southwest, cant wait to try building one or two as cooling costs here in AZ are BRUTAL in the summer time.... but I'll need to research how to feed power back to the grid. THANK you for the info and the plans tho!

[digitheadman]

Very nice, I like it and would like to make one for my house in Upstate NY. Please send me the link to the plans you have posted so that I may look them over and send you any more questions I know I will have. Thanks

[duMond6]

Great video. I work for a charity in Africa that is trying to get off the grid. It's an orphanage, and I am looking into wind power for electricity and water pumps. Thanks for the information - very helpful!

[duMond6]

Great video. Have you ever tried hooking up a water pump?

[freegate007]

Nice piece of work.

[MyXboxSavesHD]

Could you make a video showing how you have the motor connected? I have everything to make this but I do not know how I would connect the motor to a battery and allow my air conditioner to be powered by it. I have been doing some research and found out that I need a Controller that connects to the motor and battery. I also would need an inverter so I can change the DC to AC for my air conditioner. Any advice would be grate.

[Mrinfoone]

can you send me the plans diagrams for it? dababietiger@netzero.com...thx­s

[irishguyrick]

Very impressed with you design, but I'm unable to locate your drawings, details etc for this

[imikewillrockyou]

@irishguyrick I provide dimensions in the comments below the instruction videos on my channel.

[1899lpv]

Funny because I acquired an old forced air furnace blower 2 days ago thinking to built something similar. I love this design because it brings down bird strikes next to nothing and wind direction is not a problem. I am a big zero when it comes to create any electrical devices. I think that I will need some studies

[latifazhar1]

hi, i would like to find out where the videos you referred to are? i can't seem to find the link/URL from where i can view those step-by-step video. please advise. thanks,

A

[sirbuick]

Possible a stupid question but an engineer I am not :D Is the turbine switching directions frequently in the video or is it the effect created by the camera's frame-rate that makes it appear to reverse directions although it is really just speeding up and slowing down?

[majik2hanz]

Excellent work! A question for all these alternative energy devices would be what was net effect on your electric utility bill? and will utility over time jack up your other fixed costs via fees and distribution access costs etc....

See, if everyone does this (any alternative energy format - in whatever environments where it makes sense) your nonfriendly uitility provider is going to figure out how to keep its profit margin : ) by hook or crook.

[katowicecentrum]

AntyNWO.PL

[MegaDeathwarrant]

would you know where i can get good magnet alternators over 1000w good for winds around 5 to 8mph

[brianjoreski]

thank you so much from ohio. this gave me a great idea....floor fan used in construction turned upright? im gonna try it. keep posting great videos like this.

[beeroosterm]

Please state how much power this thing produces and at what rpm. Thank you.

[stephenkurti]

The outer fixed vanes do they have any other function apart from being part of the frame structure, like reducing wind turbulance before it hits the blades?

[danz177]

All you need to do now is drop a solar panel on top of it and you're good. : ) I love it, it looks very cool.

[100CommonCents]

@MrMatt027 except for downward wind... man i hate downward wind!

[joeinbend]

It seems the purpose of the "stators" on the exterior of the housing are to help direct wind to the left side of the turbine, and simultaneously help block wind on the right side, is that correct? If so, and I think you elude to this in your build video series, wouldn't it be beneficial to double the number of stators, blocking more wind on the right side?

[imikewillrockyou]

@joeinbend I doubt doubling the stators would be of much benefit and might actually increase turbulence. I would stick with the eight.

[teagar3]

Your Vertical Wind Turbine is the best I've seen, I would like to build one for my home, could I get a copy of your Tubine Plans? Is this unit hooked up to your electrical grid? Or is it connected to a Battery, and only powering limited items at your home?

[three0234]

would i be fine using an alternator with a verticle wind turbine if i have a gear box or two in the setup? besides it'll be fine without a gear box if you have that vert wind turbine attached to an electric car

[Beethoven2949]

great design amazing very unique i think you put a lot of making and money into this i suggest you might want to put in a brake system so big winds dont destroy it but amazing still

[Anothercoilgun]

Amazing how a city can tell you what to do down to the curtains in the house. Sorry to hear about your hoa situation :)

Good work.

[DrASADFAROOQUI]

Nice piece of work .

I live in a country where power shortage is a national issue .

loadshedding of 6-16 hours a day in summer is a norm .

Interested to make wind power for my home use .

power required is about 10KW.

I live near a beach maybe good for windmills.

Kindly provide me with your DIY-wind turbine details .

[DrASADFAROOQUI]

Nice piece of work .

I live in a country where power shortage is a national issue .

loadshedding of 6-16 hours a day in summer is a norm .

Interested to make wind power for my home use .

power required is about 10KW.

I live near a beach maybe good for windmills.

Kindly provide me with your DIY-wind turbine details .

[Klubkid69]

Mike... couldn't find your design on your channel, where should I look? or do I need to subscribe to find it?

[mikelatter001]

just wondering why you made the airfoils face out? would it be more efficant if you had them facing in. all considering an airfoil creates lift, so its natural path would be up, or in this case into the center of the turbine in a curcular motion.

[nationsolarwindpower]

Hi there. nationalsunwindpower from Aust. Fascinated with your demo. If possible please send me more technical data and the principals of your system. New to wind power but am involved with Solar at present. And no, I am not affected by the floods in Qld.

Regards George

[imikewillrockyou]

@nationsolarwindpower I have step by step instructions on how I built this turbine here at my channel. I give all the dimensions and design details step by step. My design may be used freely by the public for any non-commercial purpose. Your own personal turbine or for charity.

[lhakvoort]

@imikewillrockyou

can you send those instructions to me please.

kind regards L Hakvoort

[kamilino1]

good!!!!very good!!!

[gogutzy]

Could you measure the output of the turbine and film that? In terms of wind speed and watts...

[imikewillrockyou]

@gogutzy That's a great idea. I was going to do that at one point but I think my anemometer & voltmeter lag each other. So you have to take a peak wind gust and compare to the peak voltage but they don't show up at the same time on both meters. But I think I might attempt it anyway.

[gogutzy]

@imikewillrockyou looking forward :D

[hotcowboy313]

How much has it helped with your electric bill? Is it a grid-tie type?

[djeedison1]

Great Job! Mike!!

Thanks for taking the time to do this!!

Your videos are great!

Don

[h01979]

Very nice. ;)

[HemonDey]

Great set of videos and thanks for sharing, I have watched all 46 and I might well create one in the near future. As for measuring efficiency, you might want to use a AC fan which has a consistent wind velocity (perhaps with a ducting as well) so you can get some calibration values with your anemometer and pick some decent numbers off the turbine. Also you probably need a tracking power converter like they do with solar panel systems to make full use of all the energy that is being generated.

[HemonDey]

ie. a boost/buck converter system that regulates the voltage output of the turbine and varies the current. A smart controller might also be able to take a anemometer signal input and turn the generator into a motor to start the turbine turning?? in light winds so that you won't need a drag component to your wing? ... just an idea.

[RooftopWind]

like the clip. check out my home energy stuff using Rooftop Wind Turbines and solar panels on my roof. I just won a Green Design Contest with my product on EarthDay. Friends and Subscribers Welcome.

Thanks, Sam

[chrisjoneschrisjones]

@chrisjoneschrisjones how does that make sense? "hell of a "  ??? what about the m?

[wtf0804]

What type of motor do you use?

[imikewillrockyou]

@wtf0804 It's a permanent magnet alternator or PMA. It's basically a regular car alternator rebuilt with permanent magnets. That's likely the best for this set-up. However, you can get regular DC motors that will work also, I got one on ebay for $20.

[goldgreen88]

Hi Mike I'm from the Philippines and looking for a viable design for an off grid wind turbine. Your project seems to be the right one.

[imikewillrockyou]

@goldgreen88 Best wishes with your project. Just make sure you can get all the materials for the project where you are. I've had several people in Europe tell me the LP products casing material isn't available there. I've suggested substituting balsa wood for the turbine blades. The balsa would need to be hand worked to get the curved leading edge and then several light coats resin and sanded between coats before paint.

[boysnightout1978]

Mike, I'm looking for a design for home use. I'm from the Philippines. I vote for this one. Do you have any guide on how to make this one? I'm really looking for a low cost design and of course easy to make.

[gwillocq]

do you have a drawing or info to make it ?

[heliscat]

HOA won't let you install a rooftop turbine? I ask how ridiculous it is that a community won't let you reduce your dependency on commercial power because of "how it looks." Okay, thats it for my rant. Cool turbine!!!

[1arrivals]

Mike- your turbine is beautiful. I have not watched all 46 videos, but have intermittently watched videos. It seems that no special tools are needed - is that correct? How many watts of power can it generate in a 15-20mph wind?

arrivals1

[imikewillrockyou]

@1arrivals It's putting 300 rpms on the wind blue "low wind" alternator in a 20 mph wind. Which is about 26 volts x 6 amps = 156 watts

[1arrivals]

@imikewillrockyou

sorry to be so dumb - is that 156 watts per hour?

any special tools needed?

thanks

1arrivals

[jamaoful]

@1arrivals watts are power so if you have 156 during an hour you´ll have 156Wh which is energy

[1arrivals]

Mike- your turbine is beautiful. I have not watched all 46 videos, but have intermittently watched videos. It seems that no special tools are needed - is that correct? How many watts of power can it generate in a 115-20mph wind?

arrivals1

[AdvancedMarijuana]

How many watts were you able to pull with this design?

[sunny88cruz]

hi mike :-) nice video. do you have other video site where you uploaded the complete video instead of videos sub-divided into 1 - 46 ?

[imikewillrockyou]

@sunny88cruz No sorry, this is it for now.

[etronnie]

Mike, hen will new design be available?

Do yo have a website with design info?

[imikewillrockyou]

@etronnie I'm working on building the new turbine already. And of course I'm making a video for each step in the building process to share with everyone.

[connor356]

Stupid touch screen is way too sensitive I always misspell things because of it

[connor356]

Oops

[connor356]

You should put a solar panel on top of it so when there is no whined but there's sun u still hey

[valveman12]

Nice VWAT

[jamaoful]

could you give us some information about the PMG you are using.

I intend to follow your steps in order to make a VAWT.

the only diferences, im thinking about are; because i want a bit more power i´d like to make it a bit higher (i think it´s better than making it with a bigger diameter) and maybe if the PMG that i find need too much RPM I would have to do it myself.

thanks for everything

[imikewillrockyou]

@jamaoful On this turbine I'm using the "Low Wind" PMA built by WindBlue Power. Just do a Google search for WindBlue Power and you'll find them. My tests show I'm putting 300 rpm on that PMA in a 20 mph wind, which is very good.

[jamaoful]

@imikewillrockyou certainly it is.

my aim is to maximise the power output during the lower winds which are the most common.

[imikewillrockyou]

@jamaoful I agree with you on the need to harness low wind. And to get anything real energy from low wind size really matters. My next turbine is going to be much larger and hopefully make very good use of drag to harness low wind. I would like to reach 12v in 2-3 mph breezes.

[jamaoful]

@imikewillrockyou surely it will work quite well. i recomend you to increase the size of the turbine in height because the maximum speed of the exterior of the turbine will be the speed of wind. i mean that with big diametres and low wind it´s imposible to get high rpm. in your case: for 12v you need 150rpm and maximum speed of the exterior part of the rotor is 2-3mph then max radius=5280/(40*pi*150)=0.28fe­et.

i think its mainly correct

[hotcowboy313]

I need to build several of these myself. We've had the air on everyday for over a week now. I don't want to see what our electric bill is going to be this month!! I need detailed info. on how to build every step of your project. After I get my built and our electric bill goes down... give me your address and I'll send you a case of beer !!

[hotcowboy313]

I like your design. Could you send me info on your vawt? Your generator and inverter? Thanks

[imikewillrockyou]

@hotcowboy313 Stay tuned I'm working on some videos that will show how I built this turbine.

[hotcowboy313]

Could you send me info. on your design, and your generator, and inverter?

[MrNiceGuyMEGA08]

Awesome! This is one of the coolest designs that I've seen; aesthetically and functionally (because it's so small and unobtrusive.) It's people like you that can make a big difference in the world! Thanks for being you!

[ofobswi]

Mike, killer vawt. I'm in the process of building my first. What guage copper wire do you recommend? If ur near surprise az I'd love to check that out. If you don't mind me picking your brain....What kind of magnets are you using and can you tell me where to find your accessories cheap.

[damosapian]

nice vid thanks for sharing

[jamaoful]

do you have any power output aproximately?

the PMA have you buitl yourself?

great projct men!!!

[robbarreda]

Hi Mike...

Stumbled over your vid over at energyforthenewage. Was just wondering how things are coming on posting some plans or updates on your VAWT. Great footage of your turbine.

[imikewillrockyou]

@robbarreda I really need to get that finished but I've got too much on my plate at the moment.

[robbarreda]

@imikewillrockyou -- I know EXACTLY what you mean Mike. Hey when ever you get to it, I'm sure there are a bunch of us out here who are looking forward to seeing how you did this and what kind of output you've had with it. Take care. Rob

[robbarreda]

Hi Mike...

Stumbled over your vid over at energyforthenewage. Was just wondering how things are coming on posting some plans or updates on your VAWT. Great footage of your turbine.

[JUKIO01]

oh shit, thats a good idea. in my backyard, on the side of the house, its fuckn windy as hell, a great place to but a wind turbine

[JUKIO01]

@JUKIO01 and another thing, its funny how EASY it is to build this, people spend like 80,000 dollars for solar panels, i can go to home depot and get the supplies i need, i get one of those power generators out of the car from a junk yard, the one that charges the battery. and whala! EASY!! im a engineer, so this stuff is like walking in the park for me. people are just ignorant and think "oh no, we need to buy these really expensive solar panels..." what ever

[Harwkins39]

Looks pretty cool. Looks like it was free wheeling without any load though. Any gearing on this or was it a straight 1:1 to the shaft of the motor?

[bendered]

Have you been able to get any estimates on power output yet? I have been very interested in the VAWT's since I saw the one in Jay Leno's garage.

[TheWindGinProject]

Nice!

[kwakman99]

Would love to see a close up of the blade design, any chance you will make another video with a close up of the unit (walk around)? Or maybe a list of the materials used to make it. Great stuff either way.

[laidofftomass]

Very nice setup. Well built . Good work

[jimsuhr]

Do you plan on selling you VAWT?

[wvacanti]

Great Job

[nifur1]

W ?

[wiboater4]

Is yours the same as LynxSteam's vawt? They look a lot alike.

[takman]

this thing reminds of a HVAC blower motor that mercedes used in their cars for many years. Good work man. did you follow a specific construction, or just experimented?

[lguidi1]

hey great turbine i like the design i was hoping you would be able to share the design i think that would be great

thanks

[IowaOldie]

A couple of questions.

Is the turbine and frame made from wood?

Also, did you use the Windblue DC-540 PMA?

Nice design, I'm looking at something similiar but 8ft tall. I would be interested in more of the design detail.

Thanks

[llnapa]

Hey Mike,

Do you know how to connect to a grid with your turbine?

[jacobpaul13]

You know another idea is Why doesn't some one actually use a Wind Turbine Roof Ventilator for power????? Hook up magnets and a stater plate. Or since most of them have a center rod ,hook the rod up to a pulley then a alternator. If some one knows why you can't do this I would really like to know the reason. The Wind Turbine Roof Ventilator are also called Whirlybirds in some country's.

[regorba64]

Hello Mike,

I am a novice and just starting out trying to understand all this and build a wind turbine myself. Do you have plans to share of your turbine. I see you plan to show exactly how you built it, but I would love to get started.

[robertwgardner]

This looks to be a stable and efficient design. I run a high rise beachside condo tower, and the wind around and between these buildings is constant and fairly intense. I'd like to build a VAWT that would be safe for people to walk past and that would be of interest to our tourists.

[WulfBand]

Did you bow the inside blades ? Or are they flat ?

[imikewillrockyou]

They are flat bottom wing surfaces. So they do have an airfoil that creates wing lift as the air flows in and back out of the turbine.

[imikewillrockyou]

@imikewillrockyou Yes they have an airfoil.

[0nlymenotu]

great looking turbine... keep up the good work...I just subscribed.......looking forward to the hopefully detailed pdf.

[SuperDaddy1964]

Hello Mike,

I´ve got one question, Why is your turbine spnning sometimes clockwise and sometimes re-clockwise ? Isn`t this a mistake ?

[imikewillrockyou]

It only spins clockwise. When it gets moving very fast the video camera can't keep up and creates the illusion that it spins backwards.

[BrotherRickG]

Very clean design. Looks like the Tortalita mountains in the background. Are you in Tucson by any chance?

[imikewillrockyou]

No those are Nevada mountains. But this desert is so massive it starts to look the same starting in CA to NV to AZ to......well you know it's easy to get lost out here.

[BrotherRickG]

Too bad, I would like to look closer. Is your turbine and cage fiberglass? Also, I notice the generator is vertical, did you replace the lower bearing or is it designed to be run in that position? Where did you get the generator? Sorry for so many questions, but your design is very clean and is close to what I have been contimplating for some time now, except a different method. What is your output to input ratio? I am anticipating 2 to 1 or better with my testing so far.

[imikewillrockyou]

It is running the "wind blue" low wind alternator. It spins it a little over 300 rpm in a 20 mph wind in my recent tests, which is very good. Starts turning at about 8 mph. I'm going to post a video on exactly how to build this turbine soon. The wings are a fiberglass material. I've found that keeping these light makes a huge difference in performance. But there is more to it than even that. The exact spacing and angle has and huge effect and so-forth. I'll post a PDF of parts and dimensions.

[tianshiah]

Hi Mike,

Are you closed to Las Vegas? How can I contact you and perhaps meet you in person? Since I am new to YouTube, I am not sure if I am allowed to post my e-mail address.

Regards,

Andy

[AustralianCowDog]

Interesting... is it patented?

[imikewillrockyou]

Not patented but still my design. Under U.S. Patent law a patent does not override whoever is "first to invent". And It's mine. But this is really just another Darrieus/Savonius combo turbine variant. But it has a few things that are uniquely my invention so I do claim that.

However, I'm releasing this little turbine to the public for non-commercial uses such as building your own turbine. I'll be posting some videos on how to build this soon so stay tuned.

Best, Mike

[4591rotcod]

Nice looking turbine! Is it a Lift and Drag system? Thanks for sharing your video. Are you sharing the plans, and if so, how can I get them? I live in a very windy area and would like to build a system like this

[imikewillrockyou]

Yes it's a lift/drag combo system. I will be posting more info shortly. This little turbine does work surprisingly well. Basically it's fiberglass flat bottom wing surfaces with the leading edge pointing inwards. The top of the wings are outside. Angeled anywhere between 35 and 45 degrees works. 45 degrees (max drag) works best in low wind and 35 degrees best for high wind. I hope that helps.

All the best with your project. I'll try to get more info up as soon as I can.

[centralscrutinizer76]

Nice turbine . Thanks for sharing the Information .I subscribed .

[DrewBlue86]

hi i have a question, what could you actually power with this? with the watts it puts out? i want to make a few of these for my home

[imikewillrockyou]

I use it to charge up some golf cart batteries. I run power tools off of it and use it for back up power for my home. It's possible to add a grid tie inverter and run your electric meter backward as you help power your neighborhood. Obviously this is a small but capable turbine. I just built a new improved turbine like this. I did video the whole process so I might upload that coming up. But it's kind of long, 46 video segments! So I might need to make a DVD out of it. Or do a lot of editing.

[LynxSteam]

I have been working on a very similar design. I am getting similar results. Mine starts charging at about 140 rpm or 9mph winds. Spins up and then the alternator drag at cut-in speed limits further speed increases. Most I have seen is 1 amp, but we are getting high winds of 20-30 mph this week.

I have tried gearing. There isn't enough power in the wind at small scale.

My next step is to double the coil count and place the magnets on the perimeter of the 28" rotor. Lets compare notes.

[imikewillrockyou]

This small turbine does very well in 20-30 mph wind. However, the size alone does limit what it can do. I've considered building a larger alternator. However I'll likely just gear up a couple standard PMAs with a larger turbine in this design or something very similar. It just works. =)

[actselectric]

wow 3.5 lbs! what is the wattage rating on your pma. min is rated 1800 watts at 2000 rpm. direct drive is nice but for me to achieve an average of 2000 rpm i have to gear it up. somehow

[imikewillrockyou]

It's the wind blue low wind PMA. And yes you'll never get 2000 rpm from a turbine this size without very high wind. There just isn't that much energy in the wind even if you reach 100% efficiency. Once I have a turbine design I'm satisfied with I'll scale it up and make a geared up turbine. I suppose if you make a turbine large enough you can max the alternator regardless of efficiency to the wind. So maybe cost of production vs. energy produced is the most important calculation.

[imikewillrockyou]

The website is windbluepower (com). Their low wind PMA reaches 12 Volts at 130 RPM which is nice for a direct drive system like this. It's about 90 volts X 12 amps at 1000 RPM. So a little over 1000 watts at 1000 RPM.

[actselectric]

very nice looking turbine. interested see some numbers. I have a PMA and am in the process of building a VAWT. My biggest challenge is the blade/wings, their placement, their angle. ETC. what does this thing weight, and what did you use for bearings? also is it constructed of wood , plastic, sheetmetal, cardboard or fiberglass ?

[imikewillrockyou]

Using just the alternator bearing in direct drive and a brass bushing at top. Wood and fiberglass construction, wings at slightly less than 45 degrees in drag configuration. Likely not the best configuration for wing turbine but it works. Efficiency appears to be decent in moderate wind. However, it seems to have a built in drag limitation in higher wind. Likely a result of the drag configuration. It looks nice and works. I'll get more efficiency with a little work. btw 3.5 lb turbine.

[WSBToulouse]

Depending of the angle of the rotator and stator wings, the turbine can turn backwords at small wind speeds due to the gap between the two. This might be another contributing factor apart of the influence of the magnets. - The turbine looks great!

[imikewillrockyou]

Thanks! I just took a look at your star turbines those are very nice looking as well. Kudos.

[irnstl925]

Very impressive!!! Does it actually generate electricity now? If so, how much?

[imikewillrockyou]

It's charging batteries right now. It appears to need at least 10 mph wind to reach 12 volts on the alternator. So even though it will start turning at lower wind speeds it's really not charging the batteries in anything less than 10 mph.

[sjh7132]

I like the design. What shape wings did you use and what's their angle of attack? Did you get any power measurements?

[imikewillrockyou]

I'm still working on getting numbers. Because the wind in my backyard is very gusty my anemometer can't keep up with the changes so matching the wind speed to the tachometer to electrical output is very difficult. So I really don't want to post the fuzzy numbers I have yet. What I have tells me that efficiency is good but could be better. So I'm pleased but not satisfied as of yet.

[allnewjacked]

Try 1 more wind deflector. Have you ever thought about testing a design that had a center cone to reduce wind "blow through". Just some thoughts.

[imikewillrockyou]

Thanks that's a good idea. I might try something like a cone to control how the air exits. An extra stator is also worth a try. Currently I get wing lift as the air enters the turbine and another push as it exits. This design attempts to use both wing lift and drag to maximum benefit. However, there is certainly room for improvement.

[allnewjacked]

Great job. What are your plans to make it better?

[imikewillrockyou]

The diameter of the turbine and the angle of the turbine blades are two factors I'm looking at.

[michael970]

great job on the vawt I cant wait to see your updates keep up the good work

[imikewillrockyou]

Thanks michael1970,

I've been impressed with the VAWT concept for a while so I took a stab at it. They appear more complex but they really aren't. No commutator to deal with and no need to swing the turbine into the wind. This prototype has me motivated to take it to the next level.