Any DIY WIND GENERATOR? - vertical axis

[socaldmax]

Originally Posted by GTom

Actually I plan to do something similar as the Duogen: wind or water, depending which one is better at a certain situation. Doesn't have to be so fancy as the Duogen: a simply replaceable alternator would do that I move to the wind turbine once anchored (=no more hydroelectric available.)

I think that's a very good idea, as long as your mounting system makes it easy to convert from one mode to the other.

[espresso]

Vertical axis. =. Total waste of time.
You can't escape the physics.
One side is downwind, the other is upwind!
The only reason it turns is because the back of the blades are somewhat more aerodynamic than the leading edge.
Extremely wildly extravagantly inefficient.

[OldBawley]

As a full time liveaboard I build a low wind horizontal windgen that I mount ( 5 minutes ) on the SB side just 6 feet behind the bow. We have sun and a bought windgen for summer, in winter sun stands low, hides behind mountains and I hate to burn gasoline to generate power. We anchor all except two weeks so the big gen is no problem.
The Aerogen 4 stands on top of the second mast, the self build big whopper at the front of the boat at head level.
Wooden two bladed prop 1,7 meter diameter. Geared by roller chain. The Ametek motor/ generator has double the revs of the prop. After 3 years of winter use I modified so the windgen is fixed in forward position. That dampens wind gusts. Our heavy boat has to turn into the wind in gusts so the gen picks speed up progressively. The beast has lots of power, is dangerous.


No automatic regulation. Just bulk loading. I stop the gen when the battery voltage reaches 14,5 V, after which the other windgen and solar ( MPPT ) take over the following loading steps.


I never leave the gen milling when I leave the boat, never when I sleep. A thunderstorm with hail once destroyed the prop in seconds. Prop has a Nacra profile, broad and a lot of twist at the centre, narrow with just 3° twist at the wing tips.


The gen produces at average 5A. That is not much for such a big wing, but off the shelf gens produce nothing at low wind speeds. Anyway our consumption is about 3AH so no problem.


A bought windgen would have been easier, would not load when we need it most.


Vertical axis ? Forget it.

[GTom]

Originally Posted by OldBawley

...
A bought windgen would have been easier, would not load when we need it most.

There are quite a few models around. Heard that e.g. the "german" Istabreeze is a scam I doubt that the topmarket products would differ much from their published efficiency curves.

Vertical axis ? Forget it.

^^

[OldBawley]

Our self made gen has a very big prop and a reduction. No company would consider building gens like that. Difficult to sell for yachts ( Market is for small props ) and way to expensive.


Ours was a winter project ( two winters ) total price tag 55 $. Ametek motor, a big diode and some ball bearings. I like wind driven stuff. Have build a windmill water pump for my garden and house, modified the Aerogen so it has better output and often fly a kite when anchored. O, and I was a keen delta flyer until things went wrong.