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Wind power
clockwork - 1/12/08 at 01:59 PM

How hard would it be to make your own turbine?

http://www.mariahpower.com/

At the moment the technology is at the early adopter price point. Could we do better?

I very much like this design but it is still prohibitively expensive... any ideas?

Is any-one else interested in this stuff, or is it just me?

violentblue - 1/12/08 at 07:35 PM


something like this?

[Edited on 1/12/08 by violentblue]

clockwork - 1/12/08 at 07:49 PM

That's big enough!
I was thinking more for peoples back gardens.
I appreciate they don't push out lots of power, therefore take a long time to recoup the initial cost. This, I think is the biggest stumbling block.
I was thinking that lots of people have clothes lines at home, so would a small wind generator be too offputting?

Could you self build one for £250 including controller?
I bet you could.

Found some links by the way:

To beat:
http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=9707839&fh_view_size=6&fh_location=%2f%2fcatalog01%2fen_GB&fh_sear ch=turbine&fh_eds=%C3%9F&fh_refview=search&ts=1228160565052&isSearch=true

(P.S. did you build that one?)

locogeoff - 1/12/08 at 11:15 PM

I spent four years at Uni studying Energy Engneering only to be told at the end that naebdy was interested in energy matters, 15 years later after working as a software engineer in the payment systems sector, the old energy interest is sparking again, as it seems that people are only interested in energy matters when they are facing real problems with the supply of oil, sadly the arse is falling out of the software industry so I may have/want to get back into my original field of interest.

In short, you're not the only one, I know of one memeber of this site that is pretty proactive on matters such as these.

Mr Whippy - 2/12/08 at 08:03 AM

quote:
Originally posted by clockwork
How hard would it be to make your own turbine?

http://www.mariahpower.com/

At the moment the technology is at the early adopter price point. Could we do better?

I very much like this design but it is still prohibitively expensive... any ideas?

Is any-one else interested in this stuff, or is it just me?



thats quite a sales pitch - quote :

Improved Local and National Security
In the big picture, many matters of national security revolve around our energy security, namely fossil fuels that are frequently imported from foreign nations. By reducing your need for fossil fuel power, you are reducing the nation's need, and thus taking one small step towards easing tensions around many matters of national security.

ohhh feel that empowerment

nice design though and very simple



[Edited on 2/12/08 by Mr Whippy]

smart51 - 2/12/08 at 08:29 AM

Aerofoil section steel tube uprights. Find some of that and you can use the leftovers to make your front wishbones.

MikeRJ - 2/12/08 at 08:44 AM

Vertical axis turbines are not as efficient as the standard horizontal types AFAIK.

iank - 2/12/08 at 10:03 AM

quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
Vertical axis turbines are not as efficient as the standard horizontal types AFAIK.


But they do have a lot of other advantages (can pack them closer and they IIRC may be more reliable).

Another kind
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savonius_wind_turbine

Mr Whippy - 2/12/08 at 10:06 AM

quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
Vertical axis turbines are not as efficient as the standard horizontal types AFAIK.


I think your right there but they certainly have a smaller ground footprint, work in any wind direction without extra mechainics and seem far stronger in high winds so personally I'd prefer them for domestic use. That one seems to produce 2kw @ 12mph which is more than enough for most houses general needs like lighting and microwaves etc. not very cheap though at about $4k so might take a while to pay for itself

looks easy to DIY build one using some laser cut parts and extrusions and some tig welding. Good little number for someone on here to knock up the windmill parts

wonder if there would be any significant disadvantage in making it from steel and using curved sheet blades rather than extruded aerofoils. I’d have thought a heaver mass windmill would help iron out pulses from gusts and give a more even speed.

Does anyone do the wiring diagrams for the electrical gubbins to get the power suitable for mains supply from something like a truck alternator etc, I quite like soldering up stuff and can make circuit boards

[Edited on 2/12/08 by Mr Whippy]

02GF74 - 2/12/08 at 12:04 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy

Does anyone do the wiring diagrams for the electrical gubbins to get the power suitable for mains supply from something like a truck alternator etc, I quite like soldering up stuff and can make circuit boards



I haved seen modifictaion, fairly simple as it happens, to alternator that enables it to throw out more than 12 V - there is some regulator inside that is reomved.

The idea was to run a welder (arc probably) off it to do in the field repairs - was on some off-road site.

Need to dig around to see if I can find it.

found it - u2u me and I can e-mail to ya.... but looks like it only throws out 120 V (from US site?)

may be of some use.

Mr Whippy - 2/12/08 at 12:23 PM

u2u sent