The
motor is the core of Chispito. Without it, forget about the rest. You are
looking for a permanent magnet motor. Why permanent magnets? Because they work
well as generators, which is what we want here. Also, they don't normally
require high rpms to get some usable power out of them. To find out if your
motor might work, look on the label and find the rpms. Then, find the working
voltage. Divide rpms by voltage to get rpms per volt. For this sort of machine,
you are looking for 25-35 rpms per volt. The more rpms per volt, the faster
Chispito needs to turn to charge a battery, which means you will need more wind
before it will start charging. So, go for low rpms per volt.
The motor should also have a hub attached. If
it doesn't, you'll have to find something that works. Saw blades, pulleys, and
hubs from something else might work, but remember, this thing can get up to
1500 rpms, so get that hub on there tight!
The motor should be easy to turn by hand, and
it should produce a bit of voltage with a hand turn. Something in the range of
1-2 volts with a hand turn will be great. If in doubt, hook the motor to a
lathe or drill press to get a good representation of what it will output at set
speeds. If the machine can't get power out of it, neither will the wind.
These blades are designed to be cheap and easy
to make. That being said, blades can be very dangerous. Our suggestion is to
use the thickest material possible, and for heavens sake, paint it! PVC is
vulnerable to UV damage, so paint will help with that. The green sewer pipe
that is 3/8” thick makes great blades that are durable. We have had several
sets that have survived falling from 20 foot towers!
Other sizes of pipe will work, but performance
may change. If you use below 8 inches in diameter, it might be an idea to use 4
blades instead of 3 on your Chispito. Make the blades as wide as you can, and
maybe a few inches longer.
Longer blades will help start the generator at
lower wind speeds, but the output on the high end will be lower. Design for
what winds you have. If you only get small breezes, then make your blades wide
and long, and maybe add an extra one. If you get hurricane winds every day,
keep the blades short and thin, and you'll easily produce a bunch of power with
this machine.
The mount and tail
should be sturdy. Weld the mount to the yaw pipe, if at all possible. Also,
make sure your tail is on there good. If it vibrates, then add a bolt that goes
all the way through the mount.
Tails are more effective if they are big, so
don't skimp on the size. We like the metal casing of washers and dryers for our
tails. Those cases will make a lot of tails, so make them as big as you can.
Balance of the mount and tail are extremely
important. Without proper balance, the machine will vibrate and create stress
everywhere. It will also be noisy. So, add weights, drill holes, and do
whatever you can to get it as balanced as possible.
Most of the parts needed to assemble the make-at-home wind turbine can be salvaged making the total build pretty cheap. The author’s website at Velacreations.com guides you through the nitty-gritty of putting the contraption together. So go ahead, give this windmill a whirl. Reduce your electric bill and your carbon footprint in one go.
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