How to Build a Wind Turbine For Home Use
I am sure you have seen the huge wind turbines standing majestically in fields as their blades turn into the wind.
Have you ever ask yourself, I wonder if I could build a wind turbine for home use? The answer is definitely yes, especially if you live in an area that has sustainable winds.
By sustainable winds I mean wind that is blowing more than it is still.
If you are in doubt about the wind in your area, the government has resources with maps showing annual wind speeds.
Of course before you can even think of building a wind turbine you must have enough wind to support one.
I built my own wind generator a year ago and quite frankly it was not as hard as you might assume.
I found my motor on E-Bay at a reasonable price for what I wanted.
After looking at several different designs I tried a vertical design but could not get enough rpm from it to charge my batteries.
Then I came up with the idea of using PVC pipe to make my design.
I did a lot of research on the Internet and found a design for PVC blades that really work great and turn with very little wind speed.
My blades have a diameter of six feet across and turn my DC motor at about 10 mph wind speed.
I am using a 48 volt DC motor rated at 1100 rpm, which when turning around 300 rpm it produces a little over 12 volts DC.
I only have my wind turbine at 20 feet high, but enough because in my yard there are no obstructions in the way of the wind flow.
I am using a charge controller which regulates the output to my batteries.
Granted, having an electrical back ground has probably given me some what of an advantage over someone else.
Below I have listed the items you will need to get started building your own residential wind turbine.
Have you ever ask yourself, I wonder if I could build a wind turbine for home use? The answer is definitely yes, especially if you live in an area that has sustainable winds.
By sustainable winds I mean wind that is blowing more than it is still.
If you are in doubt about the wind in your area, the government has resources with maps showing annual wind speeds.
Of course before you can even think of building a wind turbine you must have enough wind to support one.
I built my own wind generator a year ago and quite frankly it was not as hard as you might assume.
I found my motor on E-Bay at a reasonable price for what I wanted.
After looking at several different designs I tried a vertical design but could not get enough rpm from it to charge my batteries.
Then I came up with the idea of using PVC pipe to make my design.
I did a lot of research on the Internet and found a design for PVC blades that really work great and turn with very little wind speed.
My blades have a diameter of six feet across and turn my DC motor at about 10 mph wind speed.
I am using a 48 volt DC motor rated at 1100 rpm, which when turning around 300 rpm it produces a little over 12 volts DC.
I only have my wind turbine at 20 feet high, but enough because in my yard there are no obstructions in the way of the wind flow.
I am using a charge controller which regulates the output to my batteries.
Granted, having an electrical back ground has probably given me some what of an advantage over someone else.
Below I have listed the items you will need to get started building your own residential wind turbine.
- DC motor-the reason for a DC motor is because when you reverse a DC motor it will generate electricity.
- PVC pipe-to build your blades and make your turbine body.
- Tower or stand-I used two-inch rigid conduit.
- Batteries-I am using deep cycle batteries because they recover quickly to full storage.
- Charge controller-used to regulate the output to your batteries.
- Inverter-an inverter changes DC voltage to AC house current which can then be used for household electrical items.
- Wiring-should be done by someone who knows what they are doing, if in doubt hire yourself an electrician.
Source...