How To Build Your Own Wind Turbine At Home

Wind turbines are quite simple and easy to make, and they can save you a lot of money on electric bills if you can build your own. And that is what this article is going to attempt to do- help you build your very own wind generator through the gathering and assembly of fairly widespread and cheap components.

Introduction

If you know how to build a home wind turbine, your electrical bills will cost significantly less and luckily this is relatively easy to do. Plans and instructions showing how to build your own wind turbine are commonly available and thousands of people have built their own home wind turbine. It is often said that only an area prone to strong winds is suitable for wind power generation. This is absolutely not so. Even gentle breezes will produce power which is stored in batteries till needed.

Before you start building it is crucial that you grasp a basic understanding of how a windmill or turbine works. Wind turbines are made up of three major components: the rotor with blades, the tower, and the motor. All of these components work together to generate electrical energy. The tower is used to strengthen your wind power turbine. The blades are used to capture the power of the wind; when constructing your turbine you should consider aligning the blades in the direction of the wind to enhance this ability. The motor is the component that converts the wind blown into the blades into usable electrical energy for your home.

Material and Tool Needed for Wind Turbine

Now that you have a fundamental understanding of what you will be creating you will need a work place that can fit all your needs to start building. A decent-sized garage or shop will help you with this. You wouldn’t want to have your things cluttered around, so it should be large. Subsequently, with your do-it-yourself wind turbine plans, you are now equipped with instructions and the facility to build your wind power turbines.

For you to get started, you must secure your tools such as the wrenches, saw and the cordless drills. Furthermore you need to make a detailed plan in building your wind turbine.

There are a number of materials you could use for the generator’s blades. Almost all experts suggest a strong, pliable wood such as cedar or spruce. Using cedar means your generator can withstand strong winds best by bending slightly with them. Any durable, not-overly-dense and not-too-weak wood will suffice. You could also use plastic blades, like PVC, but you have to be aware that cold weather can fracture them.

The dimensions of your blades will establish the strength of the motor you should get. Something around 40 volts is reasonable. And lastly, your wind generator will need a power source and a monitoring device. A large battery, like a car battery, and a diode will work perfectly.

It is required for you to purchase a DC motor. This will be your power turbine. The DC motor will serve as the heart of the wind turbine, so it is necessary to get one. Ordering this may take days before it is delivered at your home, so place the order ahead of time. The most challenging part of building a home wind turbine is the process of matching blades to the power turbine properly and effectively. Nonetheless, don't be threatened by this because it will not be very difficult if you correctly outlined your plan. If you are aiming for more power production, then you may need to have larger sized blades and of course bigger DC motor.

In making a 1000 watts home wind turbine, your blades ought to be at least 4 feet long, therefore the diameter will have a total of 8 feet all in all. This will catch more wind and will create more power. If you are making small machines, it is recommended to use a PVC pipes for the blades. While you are waiting for the DC motor that you have ordered, you can begin building your blades it basically takes only one day to be able to finish the blades.

Instructions how to get started

With a band saw, cut the wood or PVC into the shape of fan blades. Make sure you cut them into a size that will accommodate your power source. Use bolts or screws to attach the blades to your saw blade pivot. Cover your blades in a primer paint with an oil base, then add additional layers of enamel paint. Later on, attach the blades and pivot to your stainless steel core.

Test the blades to ensure weight is being distributed equally. Run copper wire around the base of the stainless steel core of your generator and attach that wire to your battery. Attach the diode to the battery. Then place your core on the TV tower to keep it elevated. In combination with what you’ve already constructed, you may add a gear box to your generator. This significantly boosts the power generator, as it does a lot of extra work for you with the same amount of wind as it was receiving before.

Conclusion

Where you place your home wind turbine is essential for the success or disappointment of your project. You need to do extensive investigation on the amount of wind available and the speed of that wind. If your site is among trees or surrounded by steep hills, it's impossible to be useful for wind power. It is best if your site is flat or with hills that are far away from trees and other obstacles.

Author:

This article was written by Philippe Allaire, a French Canadian writer with hopes of teaching the world great alternative energy sources. If you’re looking for other alternative energy sources, many can be found at www.greenieproducts.com.