VAWT Under Construction. Light wind test.

shortbus

Joined Sep 30, 2009
10,049
I am also aware that there is a formula that will give me the amounts of what material I would need to turn in said magnetic field to generate a specific amount of energy.
You need to figure out what kind of electricity you want/need. And how much torque you turbine can make with the common wind speeds in your location, there used to be websites that had that kind of data, don't know if there still is.

A small wind turbine could/should be able the turn a stepper motor. That will give you AC but not at the level of frequency or voltage of mains will. Steppers work because they in their real world place are slow moving motors. A battery powered DC motor will only putout it's rated voltage and current at or near it's normal RPM, that it is made to run at. Too slow and you get next to nothing.

Looks like, from a quick search there aren't any DIY wind power forums anymore. There used to be, looks like most have turned into solar forums. That's sad, but solar is easier I guess.
 

Thread Starter

Solarpassive

Joined May 4, 2018
25
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C8J55XR/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=AP3C2P56VU43F&psc=1
This is a serious consideration.
And also, winding some thick copper coils and putting some strong magnets on the unit itself is not beyond possiblities.
Also, after doing some research, it really seems like the best voltage regulator is actually a nice deep cycle battery. A manual charge, not charge switch would not be out of the question. The wind is blowing or it is not. Mostly, sort of...
 
Last edited:

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
18,120
Not to keep being a turd, but how much swept area do you have? If it’s only a couple square feet, I wouldn’t expect more than a watt or two. That’s just a hunch and I haven’t done the math. But you need a pretty big mill to make 300W.
 

nsaspook

Joined Aug 27, 2009
16,344
Not to keep being a turd, but how much swept area do you have? If it’s only a couple square feet, I wouldn’t expect more than a watt or two. That’s just a hunch and I haven’t done the math. But you need a pretty big mill to make 300W.
300W is 0.4hp. He will never even get close to that sort of power from a low speed, inefficient (15 percent max) Savonius rotor that size.
 

oz93666

Joined Sep 7, 2010
742
All wind power enthusiasts very soon realize it's a wast of time now that solar panels are so cheap , wind just can't compete...

Something like that oil drum generator pictured above will generate a fraction of the output of the smallest PV panel and cost much more in time and money to build ....is an eyesore .... takes up space , is noisy , and will be broken within a few years ...

Solar panels are virtually indestructible if installed correctly ... will still be produce 80% of rated power after 25 years , and about 60% after 50 years ... impossible to beat that with wind!!
 

atferrari

Joined Jan 6, 2004
5,015
All wind power enthusiasts very soon realize it's a wast of time now that solar panels are so cheap , wind just can't compete...

Something like that oil drum generator pictured above will generate a fraction of the output of the smallest PV panel and cost much more in time and money to build ....is an eyesore .... takes up space , is noisy , and will be broken within a few years ...

Solar panels are virtually indestructible if installed correctly ... will still be produce 80% of rated power after 25 years , and about 60% after 50 years ... impossible to beat that with wind!!
Is the data for solar panels real?
 

BR-549

Joined Sep 22, 2013
4,928
I have installed hundreds of remote monitoring and control sites, that use 20 watt solar panels and 12V gel cells. These units had satellite and LOS radio links, along with measuring and actuating(valve for instance) power.

They provide years of reliable service in multiple environments. They even survive and put out power.....with bullet holes. Have had unit run for years with bullet holes, being knocked to the ground and covered with deep snow and/or debris.

There should be a household unit with every abode. We wouldn't need a new grid. Storm damage can be corrected in a few hours. We should be able to panel a roof like a tarp, cheaply like plastic......by now. Most have no need to track. But we have to play with the non-sensible first. Solar is local....not grid.

Capitalist and politicians don't like the idea of individual power or disconnection. There is no pay off for them.

They could stamp out home units for peanuts. Imagine millions of homes leaving the grid.

Don't mean to hijack thread.
 

Thread Starter

Solarpassive

Joined May 4, 2018
25
Not sure where you are from, but if you think that a small photo voltaic cell will produce more energy than that drum savonius, you must have monster pv cells.
I had my vawt hooked up to a small generator/motor and it made between 8 and 18 volts. The configuration was all wrong, so, I took it apart.
That motor/generator at that Amazon link uses 300 watts when it is doing the turning - as in a razer scooter.
I never said I was trying to generate 300 watts with that small vawt.
My goal is to charge a deep cycle battery bank.
The individual appliances will eventually each have their own inverter.
I am not trying to put a load on the vawt. Overall, more than enough wind power goes past that thing on a windy day to saturate the batteries.
Everyone is going to tell me how to this, that and the other thing. Unless you are actually doing it or have done it, please ask a question instead of assuming that you understand how another person intends to implement their application.
If I wanted to make a kilowatt, I would build a unit about 600 pounds - not 28.
No such thing as hijacking a thread when we are talking about taking money out of the gubmints pocket. We have all been lied to for so long, we wouldn't know truth if it bit us in the face...
Two main things going for solar(panels) are availability and implementation.
They are everywhere, and a monkey can put them in.
Real solar will require development of parabolic dishes.
If the sun is shining, there are far better ways to gather the energy than with a PV cell.(Except for the two main points listed above)
 
Last edited:

Thread Starter

Solarpassive

Joined May 4, 2018
25
You need to figure out what kind of electricity you want/need. And how much torque you turbine can make with the common wind speeds in your location, there used to be websites that had that kind of data, don't know if there still is.

A small wind turbine could/should be able the turn a stepper motor. That will give you AC but not at the level of frequency or voltage of mains will. Steppers work because they in their real world place are slow moving motors. A battery powered DC motor will only putout it's rated voltage and current at or near it's normal RPM, that it is made to run at. Too slow and you get next to nothing.

Looks like, from a quick search there aren't any DIY wind power forums anymore. There used to be, looks like most have turned into solar forums. That's sad, but solar is easier I guess.
Right, AC, but it is easy enough to rectify that.
 

oz93666

Joined Sep 7, 2010
742
I have installed hundreds of remote monitoring and control sites, that use 20 watt solar panels and 12V gel cells. These units had satellite and LOS radio links, along with measuring and actuating(valve for instance) power.

They provide years of reliable service in multiple environments. They even survive and put out power.....with bullet holes. Have had unit run for years with bullet holes, being knocked to the ground and covered with deep snow and/or debris.

There should be a household unit with every abode. We wouldn't need a new grid. Storm damage can be corrected in a few hours. We should be able to panel a roof like a tarp, cheaply like plastic......by now. Most have no need to track. But we have to play with the non-sensible first. Solar is local....not grid.

Capitalist and politicians don't like the idea of individual power or disconnection. There is no pay off for them.

They could stamp out home units for peanuts. Imagine millions of homes leaving the grid.
Dead right .... panels could have been cheap decades ago , but back room deals kept prices high ... Now the price cartel is starting to collapse we find politicians in US and EU putting taxes on imported panels to prevent this revolution ....
Panel prices should halve again in a true open market .. they're just sand an a small amount of silver and other elements ...
They have just one down side they do need cleaning ... can be awkward if on a roof.

@ attferrari ...panels have been around for decades now and output with age has been well proven.
 

nsaspook

Joined Aug 27, 2009
16,344
Panel prices should halve again in a true open market .. they're just sand an a small amount of silver and other elements ...
Very simplistic. Several of my co-workers once were in the solar panel manufacturing business locally. It's cut-throat part of the semi industry with China dumping panels below actual manufacturing costs.

 

oz93666

Joined Sep 7, 2010
742
Not sure where you are from, but if you think that a small photo voltaic cell will produce more energy than that drum savonius, you must have monster pv cells.
That drum may produce more power when the wind is blowing full strength ... But most of the time , in most locations , there is no wind , and very rarely will there be full output ... so for energy output , in a contest between a 300W max power turbine and a 30W panel I would bet on the panel ... and that's before we consider price and reliability.
 

oz93666

Joined Sep 7, 2010
742
..... with China dumping panels below actual manufacturing costs....
Why would companies (in china ) sell below cost ??? Loosing Trillions of $ subsidizing every country in the world ??? Of course that's a lie pushed by western competitors who want tariffs on imports ....

A panel factory is very simple ... once the machinery is bought ... raw materials go in one end plus some man hours and out come the product ... raw materials cost are about 10% .. labor 5% ... And that's why prices are continuing to drop as we speak and forecast to continue dropping.
The biggest cost in panels is the silver , and the spot price has more than halved compared to 6 years ago.
 
Last edited:

Thread Starter

Solarpassive

Joined May 4, 2018
25
Check this guy out. He squeezes 100 watts of 220 v out of a battery with a simle circut.
This aint rocket science, but, going along with convention has cost us more than words can explain.
We were told years ago how to do things.(mostly the wrong way. The truth has been hidden from us)
The electrical convention is all wrong and im sure you guys are aware of this.
At any rate, a parabolic dish creating steam or turning a stirling engine is far more efficient than any panel.
These people were run out of business by competitors.
 
Top