Build a Wind Turbine – Save Electricity
Quite a few persons are switching to alternative energy sources such as wind turbines and solar panels to lessen electricity costs and air pollution. Wind turbines can be very costly to purchase however, if you are really interested you can build a wind turbine, here’s what you will require.
Required Tools
Saw
Sander
Drill
Required Materials
Cement and sandbags
Plastic PVC pipes
Nuts and bolts
Sails/blades
A generator
Batteries and a Power Control System (PCS)
2×4 board
Straps
Heavy sheet aluminum
5 inch flat disc
Electrical wires
Instructions
Let us start with the sails/blades of the wind turbine; take the PVC pipes and cut them to make your sails/blades. The blades need to be shaped in a particular way to catch the wind therefore follow a guide for cutting the blades like the one found on www.yourgreendream.com. Use the saw to cut the blades and then use the sander to smooth the edges of the blade to make them more effective.
A hub is required to link the blades as such take the flat disc and drill holes into it. Then drill matching holes through the blades and use the nuts and bolts to connect the blades to the hub and put them aside.
Next is the nacelle which holds the mechanical pieces of the wind turbine. For a generator you can make your own if you possess the skills to do so however, an easier choice is simply to purchase a permanent magnet DC motor and use that as the generator. You need a motor which has a low RPM but which will supply a good amount of current so presuming that your wind turbine is about 5 feet tall, the motor should be about 30 volts and be rated at about 325 RPM.
As soon as you have a generator for your wind turbine you have to mount both the blades and the nacelle. For this use the 2×4 piece of board and the straps, and strap the motor to one side of the 2×4 board and use a piece of PVC pipe to serve as a nacelle and shelter the motor from the elements. Secure the heavy sheet aluminum to the other side of the 2×4 to serve as a tail for the wind turbine. If required cut it to make it fit accurately. Finally secure the blades to the motor and the moving part of the wind turbine is complete.
PVC or aluminum pipe is probably your best bet for a tower. Whichever one you decide to use, dig a hole and cement the tower into the ground. The base of the windmill is now built around the tower to secure the tower; the base is just a layer of concrete built around the pole. When it dries put sandbags around the pole to stabilize it additionally. You can furthermore tie guy lines to the tower for increased stability. Cut a hole in the side of the pole near the bottom for power lines to run through from the motor to the PCS.
The PCS is used to move energy from the generator to the batteries for storage. While the PCS can be built it is better to obtain one from an Alternative Energy Store. The electrical wires have to be linked from the motor, down through the tower and out to the PCS, then more wires are required to connect the PCS to the batteries. Make the necessary connections and the windmill is ready for use.
Tip
You can use 2 flat discs if you wish, one in front and one behind the sails/blades for increased security.