While engineers and technologists of large corporations are developing projects for the use of alternative energy sources in industry, home craftsmen are finding ways to use it in the household. Moreover, the transition to non-standard energy generators is determined not only by the desire to save on electricity. In summer cottages and cottage settlements, interruptions in the delivery of electricity are not uncommon, and in some regions there are no central supply networks at all. For owners of remote private estates and those who simply want to provide their household with an independent source of energy, the idea of manufacturing a home-made wind generator in different variations is proposed.
Principal design of a windmill
At home, making a wind-powered generator is easy. It is enough to take the working part of the propeller or the bladed group, connect it to the engine with an electric converter and think over the energy storage system. Then it remains only to organize the technical conditions for the work createdinfrastructure. The problem is that for more or less significant volumes of production, the design should consist of full-scale work items. First of all, the wheel axle, its direction and assembly materials are calculated. For example, do-it-yourself vertical home-made wind turbines are made from metal plates processed in a special way on machine tools or with hand tools. Incorrect blade geometry can result in loss of thrust due to reversal of flow. This design will work against wind currents.
In turn, horizontal installations are not so demanding on the arrangement of functional organs. They will also need blades of a certain configuration, but with a simplified shape.
In addition to the working mechanical part, the design of the windmill includes the already mentioned engine. It will have to provide the transformation and accumulation of energy. As a rule, a home-made wind generator for the home is made from motors from household appliances, but there may be other options. Special attention is paid to the supporting structure. It will be formed by a massive metal-based frame, a protective case, a frame base for attaching auxiliary units, a rack and other components.
Specifications
Without a preliminary calculation of capacities, it makes no sense to start further development of a wind generator. The way the installation is used ultimately depends on the amount of energy converted. And again, performancedesign is determined by the dimensions of the working body and the configuration of its technical design. The average parameters of a homemade wind turbine can be represented as follows:
- Impeller diameter 200cm
- Number of paddle segments – 6.
- The voltage for the generator is 24W.
- Current - about 250 A.
- Generator power - range from 0.2 to 3 kW.
- Wind speed up to 12 m/s.
- Battery capacity - 500 Ah
Assembly of the wheel blades
As already noted, in the construction of a complex structure of a vertical windmill, one cannot do without a metal sheet. Anodized aluminum can be used, but steel segments are better for strength characteristics, although they will require machining. In any case, only hard metal will make it possible to assemble reliable blades for the construction of a vertical home-made wind generator. You can also make a wind wheel for a horizontal structure with your own hands using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) blanks. Plastic is more malleable in processing, insensitive to environmental influences and light. Its disadvantages rest on mechanical flexibility, so you should initially focus on rigid PVC alloys.
Structurally suitable blanks can be found in pressure pipes or gutter segments. In the case of plastic, it is worth focusing on a wall thickness of 5 mm, a length of about 100 cm and a diameter of up to 15 cm. To form a segment, it is advisable to usea ready-made template, draw contours from it and make a cutout using a jigsaw or a metal saw. Balancing homemade blades for a wind turbine is carried out by grinding and fine-grained grinding of surfaces. All corners and edges are carefully rounded to a single shape.
Next, 6 blade elements should be installed on the base of the wind wheel, into which the generator will then be integrated. Fastening is carried out through a metal sleeve with a diameter of 20 cm and a thickness of 1 cm. By means of inverter delicate welding, steel landing strips 30 cm long and 1.2 cm wide should be welded to the sleeve. Holes should be provided in them for fixing the blades.
Bicycle motor generator
The issue of choosing a generating plant is perhaps the most important, so several options will be considered. The most practical and convenient unit from the point of view of installation is an electric bicycle motor, which can be purchased for an average of 7-10 thousand rubles. It will be a model with voltage characteristics up to 250 V and a rotation speed of about 200 rpm. Next, the wind wheel coupling and the homemade generator are connected. The wind generator can be fixed to the body with bolts, choosing the holes for fastening the spokes. The result should be a compact, relatively light, but not the most productive installation for generating electricity. Therefore, it is worth considering more powerful alternatives.
Design with car alternator
In terms of the totality of working qualities, such an installation willoptimal power unit, and if possible, it is recommended to use tractor and cargo starters. The main difficulty will be in winding the device with neodymium magnets. They should be glued to the rotor discs. Optimally fit magnetic elements of the format 25x8 mm in the amount of 20 pcs. In this case, the poles should be strictly alternated, otherwise the starter will be useless in the design.
It is also worth abandoning round magnets in favor of rectangular ones. The fact is that a home-made wind generator from a car generator will have to evenly distribute electromagnetic waves, and round-shaped elements will not be able to support this function to the right extent. Along the outer and inner contours of the placement of the magnets, the lines of the sides are also organized. They can be made of plasticine fixed with epoxy glue. However, for greater reliability, it is worth filling the entire starter with astringent resin.
Asynchronous motor application
For convenience when performing installation work, you can take an asynchronous power plant and, after a simple alteration, combine it with the mechanical working part of the windmill. The main part of the refinement will be associated with the groove of the rotor on a lathe. Finishing is done according to the thickness of the magnetic elements. The processing problem is due to the fact that the design of asynchronous motors does not provide special sleeves for inserting magnets, so the grooves are bored independently.
As with the choice of rectangular electromagneticelements, the formation of inserts in the housing is done for the correct direction of the field to the starter. After technical refinement and the introduction of working equipment, it is possible to fill the structure with epoxy resin. The output should be a homemade wind generator of 2 kW and above - the performance will depend on the rated power and the format of the magnets used. By the way, do not be afraid that the field of treatment with adhesive composition will drop the voltage a little. It is not of fundamental importance for the performance of the windmill, but it may well raise the current strength.
Using a Homemade Magnetic Generator
For maintenance of small batteries, you can limit yourself to installing a starter of your own manufacture. It will have many disadvantages compared to factory devices, but for low-power consumers, such a system will be enough. The most important step in manufacturing is to make the correct calculation of the turns of the winding. Their number in a homemade wind generator with magnets will depend on the number of coils. On average, the total power is provided by 1000-1200 rpm.
If you use a larger wire for winding, then the resistance will decrease, and the current strength, on the contrary, will increase. But in any case, you will need a machine to create coils with a winding. The process is routine and long, so mechanization is indispensable. The winding unit can be manual on the basis of a workbench. It is enough to organize a rotating equipment on a metal rod and bring to itcoil with copper wire. The coil itself will be round. More significant is the question of its length, since an elongated design will provide straighter turns with a large consumption of copper on the sector. Separate sectors for the correct distribution of the winding over the area can be initially marked on paper, after which the same plasticine barriers can be used on the coil blank.
In order to increase the strength of a home-made wind generator with your own hands, it is recommended to apply fiberglass on the bottom of the mold. To prevent it from sticking to the surface, it is advisable to treat the back side with wax or petroleum jelly. In the starter system, the coil group is assembled without direct contacts. Each element must be securely fixed, and the ends of the phases are brought out with multilayer insulation. Several wires can be combined into one shape - a star or a triangle.
Installing the generator on the frame
The assembled power unit must be designed for certain electrical loads, but do not forget about third-party mechanical impact. In order for the structure to withstand dynamic and static pressure, the generator shaft must be securely fixed in the frame. To do this, use a metal frame suitable for a homemade wind generator in shape and size. In extreme cases, damping materials can be used to clamp the unit into the housing. Too heavy frames are also undesirable. The best option is an aluminum frame 1-2 cm thick.
High wind protection
BIn normal mode, the windmill operates and generates stable current at a wind speed of about 10 m/s. Exceeding this indicator will be harmful both for the supporting structure and for the electrical stuffing of the equipment. Therefore, the installation is protected by a side vane system. For example, homemade vertical wind turbines are protected from hurricanes using panels that provide spring force. In this design, the generator will work in the direction of flow with the tail, that is, the function of the system is limited to the mechanics, but without excessive loads from air currents.
Wind turbine mast
The central and main bearing component of the installation, on which the mechanical reliability of the entire complex depends. Profile corners, pipes and poles can be used as this rod. A metal pipe with a diameter of 10 cm is more practical and easier to install. As for the length, it must be borne in mind that the optimal position of the generator above the ground is 4-5 m. Industrial plants are also mounted at a higher height, but for a reliable installation with such parameters additional equipment is required. In this case, according to the principle of screw piles, it is possible to install a home-made wind generator on a pipe with a depth of 1-1.5 m into the ground. When choosing a position point, it must be taken into account that there should be no interference at the same level within a radius of 30 m. In extreme cases, you will have to raise the working structure 1 m above the barrier.
You can also calculate in advance the devices for descent and ascent. You still can’t do without maintenance, and the stand of an ordinary ladder is not the most reliable solution. In addition, designers recommend installing safety wires with 5 m indents along the height of the mast. They are anchored to the ground with anchors within a radius that is half the height of the pole.
Conclusion
Generator sets powered by natural energy sources are still not widely used due to the high cost of basic equipment and considerable maintenance costs. In this case, the most expensive can be a homemade wind generator from an asynchronous motor, which will require a powerful power base and regular technical support. On the other hand, it also has the highest performance (efficiency of about 80%), which will make it possible to recoup the costs of installation and related materials. How much energy is enough from a battery connected to such a generator? As practice shows, the minimum energy threshold of a system with a return of 2-3 kW allows you to cover the needs of climate systems, household groups of lighting devices, refrigeration equipment, etc.
