Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

While searching the web for picaxe pump controllers I stumbled across a site dedicated to home made wind generators. They seem quite simple and effective, using old electric motors for the generator. It would seem that a Fisher and Paykel washing machine motor is ideal. Just need to find an old one now...

http://www.thebackshed.com/Windmill/default.asp

Nova

very good stuff.

i read about the down side of car alternators, but in a post peak oil society, one thing we're going to have HEAPS of is car parts worth about 2 cents! I'd play around on the car alternator idea. Surely you'd not loose THAT much power though a greased two-cog gearset?

My old electronics teacher had a good source for the F&P motors. I think they came from over east. You have to rewire the coils for it to work properly.

They are not small so the your mounting and furling setup would have to be sturdy. You can easily run a direct drive generator off this motor with the blade hub attached directly to the stator.

If you are more handy check out: http://www.scoraigwind.com/axialplans/index.htm

The book is excellent and cheap. It would cost a bit more than the F&P approach but will still take the same amount of work.

I have wanted to make one for years, but I haven't got the room or shire approval.

I'm on a farm, plenty or room and I don't need approval for water windmills, why would power be any different?

Nova

sorry Nova, but this is a picture of the wind turbine that I want in my yard... the F&P ones are just a bit small for my liking

I had a F&P washing machine that broke down, so I took it out the back and broke it up into pieces, extracting the motor. It was great fun to play with, but yes, there's a fair bit of rewiring to do if you want to turn it into a generator.. I've also read an article and seen pics of a couple that were attached to a water wheel for power generatoion.

LOL we'c fixed two of them so far, the control board that controls the motor blows up, costs about $280........wish we never fixed them now.

Funnyly enough, its one of the water solenoids that blows up the board!

Every chance I get to get a free one In my haste I end up breaking the motor trying to get it out. I bit the bullet and just bought one in the end. Another project back in the day.

Jaycar Electronics here in QLD have a complete wind turbine package for $499. 2.1m blades! I am thinking hard about getting one, but I first need to try and measure the wind speed I get around here as they state it only produces power above 3m per sec.

I rekon it would compliment a solar panel system nicely...because when it is cloudy it is usually windy. Speaking of solar panels... sun trackingincreases efficency of PV cells by heaps, esp in southern states. This guy has invented a very cool hydraulic tracker - I saw him on new inventors.

Has anyone got a system not connected to the grid?

Had a look at the site in the link.... says...


So how does it work, what drives it??

heat from the sun pushes the fluid I believe - not powered by electricity

I have almost
I built the Shed to hold the Batteries Over Easter
I built the stands for the Batteries and moved the batteries into the shed last weekend
I plan do the cabling this weekend, but there is a lot of soldering to do and
I still have to plan where and how to support the inverter.
I am not using Solar just wind, the Wind generator I have is 24v by 600watt,

The real expense is the batteries ( I got mine for free ) 24 x 2v 225/10 ah and 38 x 6v 115/10 ah enerlyte batteries

http://www.batteryenergy.com.au/02_enerlyte.htm

Pictures coming soon ( Either of a working system or of the fireworks when it explodes)
Cheers
Ron

3m per second = just under 11Km/Hr by my count.

Does anyone know what sort of a wind that is? Is is a slight breeze or what?

give it to me in knots

about 5 knots, not much more than a light breeze. piece of piss.