Magnetic Levitation VAWT

[Plaastek]

Nice build man. inventive with the levitation.

But I must say I think your side bearings will wear out pretty quick. I would try build something bigger and slower moving. Also I think the cost of the big ND magnets for levitation is a waste.

look at the bearings this guy used. Just plastic stuff, super cheap and handles very high weight. watch?v=9UPe6A_UVPc

The only time I would go with magnetic levitation is if you can make the whole thing magnetic so theres no physical contact at all :)

[johnnnyreb51]

It looks great. I would however reinforce the mounting pole.

[Gunner3210]

How much power(watts) can you get with that when it's going that fast in the video?

[skunksnag]

Free energy make me go shwang

[Angelen]

how much energy will be generated from a 5 mph wind speed for 1 hour?

[embeddedprogrammer]

@Angelen not sure. I will be making a bigger one of these soon and monitoring output.

[dontheawesome]

fuckin magnets how do they work?

[embeddedprogrammer]

@dontheawesome magnetically

[littlelogcabins]

Friend, how much would you charge me to build one of these?

[embeddedprogrammer]

@littlelogcabins $2500 for one this size. More for one 8 foot tall which will produce more power.

[DustanMcKee]

Thanks for posting this, it is pretty awesome. I was wondering if you could go into more detail about how the small roller blade bearings are used to handle the side forces. Would love to see another video with close ups of the mechanics.

Thanks

[embeddedprogrammer]

@DustanMcKee They are roller blade bearings with pvc pipe fittings around them, just to handle the horizontal forces. The entire weight of the system is supported by two neodymium magnets on the top of the pole and glued in the pvc top cap.

[snappy327]

HA i have the same weather station

[OfCourseImNormal]

I noticed you share the idea of mimicking a radiometer with white & black to gain a hair more rpm.

[embeddedprogrammer]

@OfCourseImNormal No, that is tape over a flaw in the waterproof coating

[dtvgmedia]

I wondering if eddy currents develop in the stators shaft because of the rotors magnet rotating around it. If you google these words "magnetic, coper, tube" you see plenty of demonstrations of lenz's law. It most certainly applies to magnets traveling the length of a tube, but does it apply when the field staying in one direction but rotates

[carmatic]

are you using the magnets to generate the electricity as well as holding the turbine up?

[embeddedprogrammer]

@carmatic Yes, but not the same magnets. The turbine is held up by two magnets. 12 Magnets are used to generate electricity.

[carmatic]

@embeddedprogrammer

but is it not possible to use the same sets of magnets to both lift the turbine and generate electricity? instead of dedicated lift and generator magnets, you would have a seamless ring of magnets all facing the same way beneath the stator... then the rotor would have half the number of magnets, all of them facing to repel the magnets in the ring

the idea is that , where there is no magnet in the rotor, it is effectively the opposite pole ...

[rexman92]

@embeddedprogrammer ever though of putting somthing like a flip book effect on the outer side so then not only its a wonder of sceince but aswell slight enter tain men lol

[SASNIGHTCRAWLER]

@embeddedprogrammer Interesting...you must have a Central spindle arrangement(roller-blade bearings) to stop it blowing away? and its down force is cushioned on the mag-field? have you thought of thin magnetic strips on an increased number of blades with a surrounding frame array(arms and bands) with more powerful magnets for the side forces? Have you also thought about a mercury and magnetic base bearing for the down forces, creating a more stable platform?

[ygermino]

nice design , interesting, i am not technical person, but does this thing really give power? i live in a village in the philippines and is searching for some non-conventional way to have my own source of electricity

[embeddedprogrammer]

@ygermino I have not measured the wattage of this unit over time. We are constructing a larger version of this one and will analyze the output in detail of the larger unit.

[mostlymichaelcanada]

That is a very elegant design that you've come up with. Simple, functional, low maintenance; way to go!

[embeddedprogrammer]

@mostlymichaelcanada Thanks so much!!

[mostlymichaelcanada]

Very nice!

[DrAndreiPopescu]

good job !

also... I get not being interested in this shit, but ... who dislikes this ? :D honestly !

[oldspammer]

Hutchison Effect also has transmuted matter, & creates a gravity bubble.

I did not know this until I read about it on the Internet, but Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney was instructed by his US bosses (likely Rockefeller family) to confiscate Hutchison's scientific equipment under the guise of the official secrets act. So the RCMP goon squads grabbed all of Hutchison's stuff years ago forcing Hutchison to start all over again since then.

Google (Brian Mulroney John Hutchison RCMP 1979)

[oldspammer]

I suggest that you Google search (John Searl Story filetype:torrent) then download and watch it.

Google video search (David Sereda with Boyd Bushman Anti Gravity Disclosure 1)

Bushman says that Hutchison and Searl have had too many witnesses to be fraud.

Searl's device has numerous practical application problems due to the weird science involved. It generates millions of volts. It creates a gravity bubble. It transmutes matter. It bends light. It drops temperature down to near absolute 0.

[Wiechu123]

Feel free to see my turbine VAWT

Wiechu123

[clarkewi]

Does it put out enough juice to power a house?

[clarkewi]

Brilliant. The floating must make the unit far more efficient? How much juice does it put out?

[embeddedprogrammer]

@clarkewi I am not sure because I stole the alternator for another turbine project. I will put this one back up and measure it soon.

[skeilak]

Vastly more impressive work, than the 55gal. barrel turbines.

Although, if I was lucky enough to have a view like that from my deck, I wouldn't want to spoil it, by looking at that thing.

Probably better to mount it on a pole, in the backyard. Which could also serve as a mount for your shortwave radio antenna, since I'll bet you have one of them, too.

[embeddedprogrammer]

@skeilak That is what I am doing.

[topsy420]

Fun to look at while high

[davlubary]

why the stick under the device is moving??? if it was real the device should have flown away.... don't forget that its ''levitating'' how can it be still????

[embeddedprogrammer]

@davlubary It still has side force conventional bearings (roller blade bearings)

[jedufa]

nice work! How do you call that white material plastic you use?

[embeddedprogrammer]

@jedufa HDPE

[brentieXmledor]

Hello, I'm sorry for asking some simple questions because I'm not really familiar with this maglev VAWT.. Can you tell me what makes the upper side of the turbine levitates? Did you put some magnets on the stator part? Or is it levitated because there is magnetic field produces by the induced coils on the stator? And then, where did you put your magnetic bearings? Thanks alot :D!

[jeffsandychelsea]

wow the view from your balcony is in like every computer's desktop options xD

[londonkill]

what i'd like to know is how much energy does it generate? In laymen's terms..for example..how many lights or fridge, and also is there a storage unit? how many units would you have to have in a semi windy place in order to power your average apartment of about 2 bedrooms?

[Almighty11]

Interesting. How much power would you get from it on avarage weather?

and lemme ask.. how do you distribute the power?

Seems quite a nice project

[KOmaSHOOTER]

WOW cool stuff!!!

[maxhero1985]

since u didnt explain how u made that model i just wonder how u done it

.. basicly u made fine 3 blades and made nice bearing there ..but u didnt add gear box in it ? or alternator ? cuz i cant exacly put my eyes on them .... glad if u can explain those things

[embeddedprogrammer]

@maxhero1985 There is a rotating disk of magnets with a stator under it. At one point you can see the round magnets spinning around.

[nnnnnn7678]

@embeddedprogrammer Can that little Levitation VAWT with magnets power the whole house.?

[embeddedprogrammer]

@nnnnnn7678 no

[youtubasoarus]

Holy hell that thing is flying! Must put out pretty good power.

[superbri007]

awesome. I'm just getting into wind power as a hobby. At this point in time my knowledge base is my bottleneck. I've gutted a ceiling fan down to the alternator and took out the induction ring to make room for an array of neodymium mags, and have limited knowledge on finding the resistance of each of the 6 wires so I know how to wire from them.

this guy got me started

youtube.com/watch#!v=wOo7YbuwW­_w

[d3lilley]

Ahhh I see. Well that is very clever. I don't have roller bearings, but I do have two pillow blocks. If I used pilow blocks to help support the radial force, do you think it would cause too much friction? Are the roller bearings working very well?

[embeddedprogrammer]

@d3lilley They are working well. Pillow blocks work well too but I have heard of people repacking them with 3-in-1 oil rather than grease to relieve start-up problems. I am not sure how well that works. I am using pillow block like bearings on my six barrel savonius (please see that video).

[d3lilley]

How did you stabilize the sideforces with roller bearings? I am very interested because I just made a lenz 2 VAWT and I just tried making it mag lev and I was unsuccessful. Wouldn't you need pillow blocks rather then roller bearings because roller bearings are not mounted? Can you please explain how you did this, it would help a lot with my current situation.

Thanks

[embeddedprogrammer]

@d3lilley I used roller blade bearings and covered them with a pvc pipe fitting and placed three of them around the axle to "trap" it in place.

[LetsFri]

Offcourse you know what BRUSHLESS MOTOR IS? We have 2 kind of Brushless Motors. Inrunner / OutRunner. If you Put these Motor together, then you have a Never Stoping Motor. It uses Very little Pulses of Energi to Push exacly where the Magnets are not pushing, and the Putrunner Constantly is making Electriciti.... Do you know about the 2 men from Australia?!?

[embeddedprogrammer]

@LetsFri I am not sure what you are referring to here. Can you tell us how to find this information?

[dragonamt]

@embeddedprogrammer LetsFri means the big over-unity (self perpetuating) scam artists that deluded many amongst the uninformed masses they actually found a way to make something out of nothing, OMG ITS GOD!!!

[fuelban]

you should check out { FuelBan Levitation Is IT OR Is It Not Levitation.wmv }

thom in scotland.

[djdrive]

how u build it i need some schemes please

[johnnyboypdq]

Try balancing the unit and use a larger diameter pole for a mount.

Your unit may not handle any wind speeds greater than 20mph.

Great start, Good luck!

[The1976spirit]

What about LIFTOFF with a linear motor? Levitation energy needed therefore the Darrieus could produce itself. A Neodynium on top of the vertical axis causes vibrations, I think. Why not to get rid off them with a linear motor on the ground?

Circled around the axis it could be stabilized by, by what---??

Think you have some ideas, don´t you?

[Laphroaig16]

Hi Jeff, thanks for your reply. With regards to the lateral movement and the PVC plumbing sleeves. Was this sleeve assembly manufactured by yourself? There doesn't appear to be much resistance. Are you using any type of lubricant in the sleeve? Would you be able to share any pics or vids on this sleeve assembly.

Thanks in Advance for your time

[embeddedprogrammer]

@Laphroaig16 Yes, this is my design. I am just using two magnets in the sleeve on top (2 inch round, 1/2 inch thick, Neodymium) One magnet is attached to the top of the pole and another magnet is epoxied into the roof of the plumbing cap. There are no lubricants of any kind being used.

[mouayad888]

vertical wind turbine has to have a magnatic levitation,and its really easy to do but u will need more magnets

[embeddedprogrammer]

This has magnetic levitation with 2 large neodymium magnets. I don't understand your comment. Can you expand it a little?

[Laphroaig16]

Hi Jeff, do the conventional bearings that minimise the lateral movement, slide on the main shaft, as I would imagine that there would be some vertical movement given the magnetic bearing?

Thanks for your time

[embeddedprogrammer]

@Laphroaig16 The roller blade bearings are cased in pvc plumbing sleeves which allow for vertical movement. Visual inspection shows that there is very little, if any, up and down movement when the turbine is rotating at speed. I hope to have a totally magnetic bearing system soon. I have all the parts but now have some challenging machining to do.

[1foxtrot70]

What is your start up speed?

[embeddedprogrammer]

Around 7mph. It needs work for very low speed starting.

[yascumbag]

i love this thing!

would it be possible to run another fan on the same axis running in the opposite direction making the opposing fans pass each other to generate more electricity?

[embeddedprogrammer]

Yes, I think that would work very well. My magnetic bearing would not work for the bottom one though, because it has a magnet on the top of the pole, and another magnet epoxied into the cup.

[ojabodo]

where is this?

[embeddedprogrammer]

Outside Syracuse NY

[lrb1e39]

Jeff, that is exactly what I was talking about with using magetic levitation to minimize, if not eliminate, any friction that would introduce inefficiency. You are the man!  Well done! Thanks so much, and I am glad I have subscribed to your channel. I hope to see more of this technology and the next steps .... enthralled here!

[wtf666000]

nice

[MrPoonasty]

Man that place it freaking beautiful!

[1foxtrot70]

I like your setup, Tne turbine riding on a magnetic field vs a thrust brearings top and bottom has to be an improvement. The lateral bearings could also be replaced with a magnetic one also. Less friction means more power converted to electricity. Have you tried any type of magnetic bearing replacement for the horizontal mechanical bearings?

[nakedblasphemy]

so my understanding is if you reduce the downward friction you get higher speeds .. I am no scientist , but when the wind is more efficiently utilized by the blades versus pushing against the bearings what kind of energy increase in output is being seen ?

[embeddedprogrammer]

@nakedblasphemy I'm not sure about that. I would have to build two of these and compare them. I am now trying to make a 100% magnetic bearing largely for reliability over time.

[MrVAWT]

@nakedblasphemy, @embeddedprogrammer: there are several studies that predict an increase of +200% in efficiency when variable blade pitch is incorporated into the design.

[embeddedprogrammer]

@MrVAWT That may be true but can you add it without losing reliability? It is my understanding that you need gears, cogs, cams, etc. to build something like that.

[MrVAWT]

There are a number of ways to do it. The challenge is to keep the design as simple as possible. I guess it only makes sense on commercial types where the increase in efficiency outweighs the additional maintenace requirements. Then again, it would make a nice albeit complex DIY project.

[KrykoStorm]

Very cool, reduces friction.

[martinzwanenburg]

dude the same magnets placed in degrees, wil make it spin with out wind!!

[MrPoonasty]

thats what i was thinking, you could in essence make a turbine without wind at all! just use the magnets pushing each other and utilize it anywhere!

[1foxtrot70]

MrPoonasty - By using magnets to push each other around you have a Perendev Motor. The objective here is to convert wind energy to electrical with the least amount of loss.

[slacker361]

I would like more info on your magnetic bearing if you dont mind

[oscarivan1021]

you've done a great & fantastic job, but I have a pair of questions... are you storing the energy in batteries? actually I'm developing a WT in Colombia, what's the order of efficiency of your MagLev VAWT? have you simulate the behavior of the device on a Finite Element Analysis software?? thanks & regards...

[embeddedprogrammer]

Thanks. I am using batteries now but shortly will be switching over to grid tie for the winter. I have not done an efficiency or analysis of yet. I would like to get COMSOL but it costs about $20K. It would do allow me to model both the wind turbine and electric generator but just too expensive for small companies.

[sjh7132]

Check out OpenFoam. It's public domain but requires a Linux system. I have a bunch of videos up showing some of the output.

I like the turbine. It looks a lot like my first one. What kind of power did you get in the 10 MPH wind?

When you start to produce power and the alt puts a load on the turbine, I wonder if the drag of conventional bearings is all that significant. Have you found that they waste a lot of power?

[marsinmax]

nice

[samdekok72]

Hi Jeff from Australia,

can you tell me approximately the diameter of the unit? And of the center shaft? I am thinking of building something about this size but am worried the center shaft will bend, causing the alternator magnets to hit the coils.

Also, I noticed you have the radius at the front of your aerfoils pointing toward the center of the unit, whereas Ed Lenz has his pointing out - is there a reason for this (it sure seems to work great regardless).

Thanks for your time - keep going!

[embeddedprogrammer]

23" diameter

1" Inside Diameter Shaft Schedule 40 water pipe

Airfoils are one yard high

Lenz cants his wings at 9 degrees based on testing. Lenz's design is a compromise and has good low speed properties (acts like a drag turbine at low speeds). Mine are true symmetrical airfoils and they seem to work best at that angle (possibly because the disc damps the wing tip vortex) but this design is not as good as Lenz for low (<5mph) wind speeds.

[BattMann911]

What airfoil did you use for the wings?

[embeddedprogrammer]

I designed my airfoil using software called Profili. I decided to use a symmetrical design for this turbine.

[CaptainMoosie]

Hello,

From your videos I knew you were from upstate NY!. Very interesting design concept for your VAWT! Can you tell me how much electricity you are producing with this design? Any plots yet for Power output versud wind speed and RPM's etc? Also, will you be writing any Instructables for this turbine? Have you considered using Aircraft Grade Aluminum as it's pretty strong stuff and weights much less than any plasic you may use? Keep up the great work!!!

[embeddedprogrammer]

Thanks. I am not making an instructable of this one (I made one of the barrel turbine) because this one isn't finished yet. I am trying to make completely magnetic bearings first before I finalize this model. I am trying some aluminum for this design and will post a video if that design works. No plots yet but soon I will have my home made wind turbine analyzer done and will post a video on how to make one (about 75% complete now).

[mieczek121]

@ Embeddedprogrammer wspaniala robota jestem ciekawy czy udało sie zbudowac łożysko ma gnetyczne , o ile tak powiadom mnie pozdrawiam

[mieczek121]

@ Witam Embeddedprogrammer pozdrawiam z polki. Ciekawy Jestem BARDZO SIĘ CZY udało Ci zrobić magnetyczne łożysko turbiny wiatrowej do pionowej o Ile Tak BARDZO prosze prześlij mi Na wyżej wymieniony na pewno chodziło Jak wykonać, gdyż Też chce zbudowac turbiny ale szukam Jak zrobic łożysko magnetyczne BARDZO prosze pozdrawiam

[embeddedprogrammer]

@mieczek121 Sorry, I don't have plans available yet. We will have a kit available by Spring 2011 for this.

Niestety, nie mam planów jeszcze dostępne. Będziemy mieć zestaw do wiosny 2011 do tego.

[tahwnikcufos]

Meyer Plastics is a supplier that I have used for years, they can get just about anything and will cut it to size. Another suggestion may be PVC; you can get it in sheets and at different densities. They cut me a 22" X 1/4" circle for my sump cover and I can stand on it.

[tahwnikcufos]

I have a question; Do you know how much your turbine weighs?

[embeddedprogrammer]

It weighs about 40-60 pounds I think. I can pick it up and lower it on the steel pipe myself. The wings are light weight EPS but get much heavier when they are hard coated for durability. The top and bottom circles are made of 1/2" cutting board.

[tahwnikcufos]

Thanks for the quick response.... one more thing; How far are the roller bearings from the nearest Magnet?

[embeddedprogrammer]

About half a foot. We don't seem to experience cogging. I use non-ferrous hardware near the alternator magnets and mount them in the HDPE cutting board rather than on a steel plate as many others do.

[tahwnikcufos]

Good idea, you saw where I was going with that too...;-)

I like using HDPE in jig and fixture projects, because it's very similar to nylon, just not as expensive. Do notice any warpage from direct sunlight?

[embeddedprogrammer]

Yes, and that is a problem with this turbine. Not all HDPE is equal. I am switching back to a different source for my HDPE which doesn't warp (I use the good stuff for my gears). The stuff that warps is FDA certified for use in food processing environments but is not good for wind turbines. The problem is I can't find the good stuff in 4'x8' sheets, only in 14" x 17" sheets which isn't big enough for my circles.

[mattbriggs88]

Nice Build, I'm planning on building a mag lev windmill soon myself.

[embeddedprogrammer]

Thanks for your comment and please respond with a video when you build your turbine.

[tahwnikcufos]

You're not gaining anything by using magnets nor relieving any friction from the roller bearings - especially if the bearing are mechanically connected in the correct manner.

[embeddedprogrammer]

Why not. How about zero maintenance with no degradation over time?

[tahwnikcufos]

Roller bearings are designed for minimal lateral tolerance - if the races are mechanically connected to the axle and load, the magnets may change the direction of thrust, but will not remove thrust from the bearings - they won't last any longer or spin more freely. Besides, spinning objects behave differently than stationary objects, to the effects of opposing forces

[embeddedprogrammer]

I did a bad job of explaining the bearings. The only non-magnetic bearings are the roller blade bearings supporting the lateral forces (they are inside the pvc pipe sections and the lateral forces, which are much less than the weight of a human body,are being applied in the direction the bearings are designed to handle). There are three pairs of roller blade bearings on the top and three on the bottom at 120 degree intervals around the fixed axle and are attached to the white disks.

[tahwnikcufos]

The bearings for roller blades are not designed for any specific direction of load in mind and they eliminate the need for thrust bearings. My whole point is that using the magnets will not improve mechanical advantage when used in addition to any kind of roller bearing.

[BattMann911]

I disagree. The magnets will support the weight of the turbine, thereby eliminating the friction of a roller or ball bearing that would have been used for the same purpose (supporting the vertical load).

[tahwnikcufos]

The roller bearings that he is using have a fixed inner and outer race; meaning - the friction is equal to the combined forces on either side of the bearing... 2+2=4, 3+1=4, 1+3=4. Secondly, magnets of that size in that arrangement have a force of over 100 lbs, possibly as high as 200 lbs or more... assuming he used the lightest materials possible and his VAWT is lighter than the force of the magnets - more friction is being applied from the opposing direction than gravity would do on its own.

[Ivank0522]

Sweet!!! also.. nice view

[ilgalane]

hella good job!

[pktuntunwala]

this is pretty nice. how much power can you generate with this, and can these power a house if multiple ones are used?

[embeddedprogrammer]

Thanks for your comment. I'm still gathering power data and am changing this design. Yes, multiples will be able to power a house with energy saver appliances ( but probably not a 220V dryer and 220V 50A hot tub).

[rommelfcc]

nice !!

but watching it wobble like that i would tether the mast for more strength

[embeddedprogrammer]

Good idea but I am instead using larger diameter pipe because the magnetic bearing I am using needs to be on the top of the system for simplicity of installation.

[dolinick]

Wow, that looks great! I am still with the 55 gallon drum VAWT.

With my new 180 volt PM motor/generator rated at 1HP and 1750 rpms it takes a strong wind to get her spinning but at approx 60 rpm x 4.33 more or less I get enough voltage to begin charging my battery bank.

BTW: i have 1 inch diameter bearings (two of them) with grease fittings. This was the most expensive part of my design until I purchased this dc motor on ebay for about $70.

[embeddedprogrammer]

Dolnick, I love your barrel VAWT. How did you connect the drums to that axle? Is the axle 1" pipe? Where did you get the pulley and how did you attach it to the axle?

[dolinick]

I simply cut three pieces of treated 5/8" decking and used them to attach the barrels together with deck screws. I found the axle in the metal scrap yard Ashley Salvage. It has a 1" inch outer diameter and actually comes from the legs on an adjustable shelving unit. I bought the two pulleys at San Antonio Belting & Pulley Co. here in San Antonio, TX.

[dolinick]

I meant two bearings and pulley

[embeddedprogrammer]

Ok, I am working on a 4-barrel Savonius and will put up a video when done.

[pktuntunwala]

great work. how much did this cost you to make?

[embeddedprogrammer]

Thanks, about a grand so far.

[lumbardh]

Do you know of any data on VAWT vs HAWT for generating power? Also, are there any good forums for designing DIY turbines? Your videos are amazing!

[embeddedprogrammer]

Check out otherpower and instructables websites for a lot of that kind of stuff.

[mylongsword]

That little pole supporting it looks like if 50+ gust will bend if not snap it.

[embeddedprogrammer]

yes, I have taken care of that (next video will show changes).

[emagnets]

looks good, ring mag is great, mine works like a charm.

where did you get your weather station?

regards

[embeddedprogrammer]

emagnets, thanks. The weather station is from BurkeDepot (name of seller) on ebay (costs about $150 ).

[emagnets]

thanks dude, keep up the good work.

[patnhat]

what specs on the magnets? rings but how strong??

[embeddedprogrammer]

100 pound pull neodymium (2 inch round with hole in the middle, 1/2 inch thick) two magnets give over 200 pound force cushion.

[patnhat]

a simple lazy susan? what would the difference be with the magnets on top or bottom any? or just easier in the design ?

looks beautiful great job

and thanks for sharing

[embeddedprogrammer]

Magnets are on the top on this one in the plastic housing. A magnet is glued into the plastic cap on the top. Another magnet is attached to the supporting post via a CNC'd mount so the wind turbine "hangs" from the pole on a cushion of air. No lazy susan on this one. The Lazy susan in my savonius designs required periodic lubrication and we are working towards a zero maintenance turbine. Other bearings are roller blade bearings on the sides of the steel pipe to counteract side forces.

[breezebro]

Did you notice an increase in output since going to megnetic levitation? Is there enough gain to make it worth it?

[embeddedprogrammer]

I didn't record enough statistics for the non-magnetic (conventional bearing) version, but it seems to run a lot faster now (anecdotal). Also, reduced maintenance will be a big plus.