12v DC wind generator question,discussion

[scruffy]

this has been one of those ideas that you look and think and try, then toss it up on the shelf deal, of trying to find a DC motor thats common, not the specialty stuff, but something that we can dig out of what ever machine/toy/whatever, throw together in to a windmill setup(or similar) and get it to work in a post disaster senerio for wind powered charging 12v batteries,

anyone had much luck with wind generators for 12 DC charging,
(already have solar, but its still a specialty thing)

[Doc1]

Scruffy,

I'm not doing wind power yet, but have heavy diesel generating capability and a small amount of solar. I want to concur with one thing you said though and that's that you are looking for a common dc motor!

IMHO too many people go for exotic components which either can't be repaired or for which replacement parts will not be found post-SHTF.

I've based the majority of my DC generating capability on common last generation Delco automotive alternators. This is heresy to a lot of alternative energy folks and I fully understand their arguments about efficiency. Nontheless, I'm a lot happier knowing that I can scrounge almost anything I need for my system(s) from any junkyard or even abandoned vehicles.

Exotic stuff can be fun. But if you really need it to work now...and maybe five or ten years down the road, stick with common, basic and tough.

Best regards
Doc

[Caplock50]

Just to see if I could do it, I built a very small wind generator...the 'sweep' is only about 42 inches across. I used the curved baseboard stuff you can buy at the store...or scrounge from a deserted building...for the blades. They're already pretty much shaped for the job of propeller. The 'mill' turns a wheel from a tricycle, which then spins one of those little bicycle generators. You know, the ones that you mount on a bike so its 'wheel' presses against the bike's wheel...which creates enough electricity to power a 'headlight' and a 'taillight'. It took a lot of playing around with it to get it to work...but I now know that in a SHTF situation, I *can* build a bigger one that'll work.

Since they don't put generators on vehicles any more, I'd suggest building one using an alternator. You'd have to learn what 'other' parts to scrounge to make it charge DC stuff, but still...

I got my ideas from a site called "Other Power"

Good luck!

and...

Enjoy!

[kq6af]

Wind power is a good idea. Use an alternator that has a built in regulator. They have a rectifier that changes the AC to DC and the regulator keeps it at about 14 volts DC to charge your 12 volt battery which is in fact more like 13.8 volts. If you have enough wind you can even run 120 Volts directly but you need to stabilize the RPMs
I don't have my data handy but as I remember the alternators off Chrysler products worked great for this application. do a little poking around the web and you'll find the information. Also check back issues of Country Side and small stock journal, Backwoods Home magazine and Mother Earth News.
These work great off an Aeromotor wind mill or even a water wheel.
You can also attach on to the underside of a vertical shaft lawn mower and make a handy little gas powered generator for charging batteries. ( remove the blade and add a pulley).
Another application is to build a bracket so you can run a belt and pulley from a bicycle on a stand and generate electrical power by peddle power. It takes a lot of work to fully charge an average size 12 volt car battery but it can be done.
Remember with an alternator you will need a little voltage in the battery to excite the field windings of the alternator.
Just a little food for thought.

[ovendoctor]

Hi all ,I guess Im the new kid on the block

I work at a shop as a millwright,we repair electrical controls for machinery

after their repaired we load test them

we take 240 3phase step it up to 480,run it threw the control panel to the AC motor coupled to a DC motor back to a DC control panel and put back on the grid at 240 3phase, motors range from 1 hp to 2000 hp :shock:

the pay is great and hopefully ill learn more about different applications to use for home projects[wind/solar/power storage]

[Caplock50]

Duh...Ovendoctor, what did you just say? :lol: Please, can you put it in everyday language? :lol:

I read somewhere once that if you spin any electric motor fast enough, it'll generate electricity...is that true?

Thanks, and...

Have a great day!

[ovendoctor]

Just to see if I could do it, I built a very small wind generator...the 'sweep' is only about 42 inches across. I used the curved baseboard stuff you can buy at the store...or scrounge from a deserted building...for the blades. They're already pretty much shaped for the job of propeller. The 'mill' turns a wheel from a tricycle, which then spins one of those little bicycle generators. You know, the ones that you mount on a bike so its 'wheel' presses against the bike's wheel...which creates enough electricity to power a 'headlight' and a 'taillight'. It took a lot of playing around with it to get it to work...but I now know that in a SHTF situation, I *can* build a bigger one that'll work.

Since they don't put generators on vehicles any more, I'd suggest building one using an alternator. You'd have to learn what 'other' parts to scrounge to make it charge DC stuff, but still...

I got my ideas from a site called "Other Power"

Good luck!

and...

Enjoy!

Mr Caplock
its the same thing ya have here only on a larger scale
we do this to test the repaired circut boards and drive units

[Caplock50]

Ovendoctor, thank you, Sir. The best I can do with the 'language of electricity' is 'thingamagig', 'whachamacallit', 'do-hicky' and thingamabob'. Use those terms and I'll understand. :lol: :lol: :oops: :lol: :wink:

[janetn]

Ovendoctor, thank you, Sir. The best I can do with the 'language of electricity' is 'thingamagig', 'whachamacallit', 'do-hicky' and thingamabob'. Use those terms and I'll understand. :lol: :lol: :oops: :lol: :wink:

Finally someone who speaks my lingo :D DH has had an ephinany - he has decided to "look into building a wind generator" and get a solar system set up. Ive been all over the net reading. I understand about 1% of what Im reading.

The bottom line for me is can a wind generator be built for a reasonable price that will provide a decent amount of power? The answer on the net is as clear as mud. Anyone here who could enlighten me in the language me and Cap could understand?

[mortalcoil]

Been looking into the solar and wind options myself and the words "decent power" doesn't come without a $10,000 price tag, not installed and with enough power to run a couple lights, charge a 200w battery and maybe a small heater if you're lucky.

Dollar for dollar I'd put my money on a good 5kw diesel generator before the price of fuel runs more than 5 bucks a gallon. You can make the fuel yourself and if you have extra money you can build a redundancy unit, running only small items during the day with solar/wind and a generator at night.

But also it depends on what kind of power output you're looking for and for what application.

[janetn]

Thanks the diesel genny sounds like a plan. DH said that it would be easier and cheaper to build a bio diesel still than monkey with the wind turbine. He also thanks you too :D

[mortalcoil]

Thanks the diesel genny sounds like a plan. DH said that it would be easier and cheaper to build a bio diesel still than monkey with the wind turbine. He also thanks you too :D

You're welcome! Glad to be of assistance :D

[DreadPirate]

Just keep in mind that an alternater needs a small current to induce voltage to produce voltage. A Gen. can produce voltage with out a "starter" current. If one can find an old generator that would be best. Just make sure that you can get spar parts for it to keep it going for a long time.

[janetn]

Dread I have no idea what you just said :D Please explian. I really really dont want to have to ask my DH :wink: I have an image to maintain with him :wink:

Now that I have exposed my ignorance. I might as well ask a few stupid questions My DH tells me that we can run the diesel genny directly to the house without a battery bank, but that we would be wasting energy. He said the genny produces X amount of power and we would not be using all the power produced most of the time. So he said that with a battery bank we could run the genny a few hours a day and store the power in the batteries. He thinks we could provide most of our power needs with just a few hours a day running the genny. The problem with the battery system is that we would need 2 inverters and that the batteries would need to be replaced frequently [which we would have with solar or wind anyway]

I find it hard to believe that we could provide most of our power needs with only running the genny a few hours a day. Is that possible???? He said that hot H2o wouldnt be feasable because its a big power draw, but most everything else would be doable???? This sounds to good to be true. Oh he is looking at a 5,ooo watt? genny.

[DreadPirate]

Well Janetn your hubby is right. When you run the gen. you do things like freezer, refeg.,etc. Anything that would take 220 volts. At the same time you do your batt. charging and then when you shut down genny you run off of batt power for your lights, putter, t.v.,ect. Your batt bank should last a few years as long as you use deepcycle batts and keep the water topped off in them with distiled water(easely enough to make at home while canning :wink: ). As far as tying it into the house Its realy not that hard. One just need to get another diconect and run in the correct size wire. I plan on putting a secound breaker panel so that Ii can disable the main and have the gen on it. May take some extra time but then if the power ever came back up all i would have to do is trip a couple of breakers an wala back on the grid. Sounds like your hubby has a good plan.
As far as the hot water the tank can be heated while you have the genny running. He will just have to figure out the power consumtion so as not to overload the genny.

[Caplock50]

Another problem with wind generation...the wind doesn't blow hard enough nor consistantly enough in many parts of the country. So it'd be wrong for those areas. There are maps to be found on the net that give the 'good, bad, and the ugly' of these wind speeds and durations...but please don't ask me how to find them. I just know they're out there somewhere.

[dreadstalker]

just google wind maps

[SimonJ]

Historicly speaking, many of the rural counties back in the midwest dureing the 20-30s were useing wind generators for their electricity. There were no power lines in many places. While its true that the wind doesnt always blow, you can have some solar panels as an adjunct source. Or get a generator hooked up to a stationary bike and excersise while you watch tv.

[DreadPirate]

Historicly speaking, many of the rural counties back in the midwest dureing the 20-30s were useing wind generators for their electricity. There were no power lines in many places. While its true that the wind doesnt always blow, you can have some solar panels as an adjunct source. Or get a generator hooked up to a stationary bike and excersise while you watch tv.


That was exactly what I was thinking. There is always a way to make those crazy RPMs. Isnt that what kids are for? :wink:

[Caplock50]

Check around a bit more. Many farms had treadmills for dogs, goats, and horses that was hooked to a generator for electricity. Also note that all that very early stuff was for DC, not AC.

[momof23goats]

true enough Cappy, i do remember the wind mill, that was here, on this place, but before they sold it, they took it down and hooked up an electric pump, that didn't work. so i still have that well, and a new one. So I need to get a hand pump down the old well, it is a good well.
I am thinking of getting a solar powered pump. but they sure do cost a lot, but even that would have to be backed up with batteries, and wind, and a gennie.

[Caplock50]

Mom, then go for the goat-sized treadmill...since you've got lots of goats that need the exercise.