Wind Generator Plans?

**preachtheWORD** · 07-28-2010, 01:27 PM

Did a search and didn't find anything, though I admit I might have missed it if it was buried and another thread somewhere.

I am interested in finding (free) plans for a simple wind powered generator. I have not been sucessful searching the internet - not successful in finding a detailed, free plan, anyway.

Something I could build cheaply out of salvaged parts and materials would be best. I have never build anything like this, but I am fairly handy and resourceful. I would like to start with something small. If I can get that to work I might try something bigger.

It occurs to me that the most complicated part might be storage of the electricity produced to make the supply of energy consistent and stable.

If you know of any such plans, please hook me up! If you have any experience in such a project, please fill me in!

**Justin Case** · 07-28-2010, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by preachtheWORD

Did a search and didn't find anything, though I admit I might have missed it if it was buried and another thread somewhere.

I am interested in finding (free) plans for a simple wind powered generator. I have not been sucessful searching the internet - not successful in finding a detailed, free plan, anyway.

Something I could build cheaply out of salvaged parts and materials would be best. I have never build anything like this, but I am fairly handy and resourceful. I would like to start with something small. If I can get that to work I might try something bigger.

It occurs to me that the most complicated part might be storage of the electricity produced to make the supply of energy consistent and stable.

If you know of any such plans, please hook me up! If you have any experience in such a project, please fill me in!

http://www.homemade-wind-generator.com/

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/vid...ree&FORM=VIRE2

**Old GI** · 07-28-2010, 01:54 PM

Hey, I've been told that I generate a lot of wi ...... . Oh, you meant .... nevermind.

**Justin Case** · 07-28-2010, 02:11 PM

here are a bunch of youtubes,

http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...generator&aq=f

**crashdive123** · 07-28-2010, 07:50 PM

I know that tjwilhelm doesn't post here all that often, but he does check in from time to time. You may want to PM him - he is into renewable energy (including wind) big time.

**hunter63** · 07-28-2010, 08:09 PM

This one is a set of complete plans that was featured back in 1982 or 1983 Mother earth News Magazine.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/shopp...itemnumber=765

It was pretty complete spread out over a couple of issues, used a car alternator, and they did a lot of testing on the blades.
So what you are buying is the plans of their finished product.

Mostly made from pipe, and fittings, was a pretty good start, might be able to find in by looking in MEN archives.

**Rick** · 07-28-2010, 08:23 PM

Canid.....paging Canid.....Did you ever finishing building that contraption?

**crashdive123** · 07-28-2010, 08:25 PM

Ah - the vertical design?

**Rick** · 07-28-2010, 08:44 PM

This is the working prototype he posted.

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**klickitat** · 07-28-2010, 09:45 PM

I do not have drawn out plans but I can describe an easy version that a friend of mine seen in Montana and was making my own version years back. I never finished it because we moved, but I was told that the people who bought the place finished it.

#1 Split 3 55 gallon drums vertically.
#2 mount 2 drum halves opposite each other on a 2" heavy gauge pipe. Then stack 2 more halves on top of those and then the next two halves, off setting them by 1/3 so as to make a spiral up the pipe.
#3 mount the bottom of the pipe in a thrust bearing and the top use a plate and bearing.
#4 I made a base for the bottom bearing to sit on and had three legs coming off of the top. The top legs shot straight out 6' and then down.
#5 Under the barrel blades I found a 4 belt shiv off of an old harvester and mounted it to the pipe.
#6 The plan was to run 4 alternators off of the shiv.

I hope this isn't to confusing. The ones we seen built like this in Montana would turn at the slightest of breeze.

**Rick** · 07-28-2010, 10:16 PM

http://greenterrafirma.com/wordpress...-very-popular/

**tacmedic** · 07-29-2010, 02:36 PM

These are the most straight forward and easy plans that I have found.

http://www.mdpub.com/Wind_Turbine/index.html

**2dumb2kwit** · 07-29-2010, 04:47 PM

Check out this site.
http://www.otherpower.com/
Be sure to click on experiments, and on discussion board. There is more good info at that site, than you could imagine.

**Rick** · 07-29-2010, 06:16 PM

Not a windmill but if you chuck a handle in your electric drill and turn it you will produce current through the cord or battery contacts depending on if it's cordless or not.

**canid** · 08-31-2010, 09:23 PM

yeah, the internet is full of plans and buildalongs. a couple of the sites linked in this thread have given me a good deal of education and ideas.

if you plan to build one we should talk. i've been studying and meaning to build one i've been designing for a couple years now, and i'm currently working on a small-scale version of two designs.

my ultimate goal is to work a design built predominately from commonly available waste for under $1USD/peak Watt, and i'm now pretty sure that with a good score on old wiring for the coils that a 200-250 watt design could be build for a fair bit less.