If you are looking for a greener alternative to conventional sources of power you can opt for harnessing the wind energy. It is safe, cheap and inexhaustible. Above all, it has little or no environmental fallout. While many concerns are selling home wind turbines, it is not difficult to make one yourself. You can use easily available raw materials from your local hardware store to build a DIY wind turbine. You can go one step further and use recycled materials to make your wind turbine even more environment friendly.
The favorable conditions
Before you decide on building your own home wind turbine, you have to ascertain that it will ultimately be economical. Wind speed is a critical factor. The site should be windy enough and the average mean wind speed (AMWS) should be consistently high enough to keep the machine in operation. Flat plains with little constructions are most suitable.
Steps to build your own home wind turbine
In order to build a DIY home wind turbine, you have to proceed according to the following steps.
* The most crucial part of the machinery is the generator and it is also the most difficult to procure. This is the motor which actually convert the force of the blowing wind into electricity. You can use a car alternator. However, most of them require a much higher shaft speed to produce an electric current than what wind can produce. Instead you may opt for old computer type drive motors. The most suitable permanent magnet DC motor is that which produces the highest voltage at lowest revolution per minute.
* Blades of the wind turbine can be curved from wood. A much more convenient alternative is to make them from PVC pipes. Roughly, such a pipe should be one – fifth as thick as it is long. A piece of that pipe should be cut into quarters and you can fashion your own blades. A hole should be drilled at the broader end so that they can be welded to the hub.
* You then need to attach the blades to a hub. Any pulley and metal rings can serve the purpose. This unit is now joined with the motor with the help of a conduit. A tail made of metal needs to be attached to keep the blades turned into the wind.
* If you want to take the greatest advantage of the wind speed, the turbine has to be raised on a tower. Generally, a turbine has to be at least 30' higher that any construction around it for a radius of about 500'. You can make the tower from pipes, with the base made of plywood. A tee can be installed so that you could lower or raise the blades. One alternative is to use old TV towers which are now becoming obsolete as people opt for satellite television. Homeowners may even pay you a fee to remove their old TV towers.
* Finally, you require batteries and a control system to ensure the greatest utilization of the wind power that you have harnessed. Reconditioned batteries from golf carts or boats are quite suitable. You need to install a controller which will send the power produced by the generator to the batteries. A diode prevents the power from being cycled back to charge the batteries. Rather, the controller sends the current to the batteries. In case the battery is fully charged, the excess current is sent into a secondary load to prevent overcharging of batteries. When wind speed is low, this stored power can be directed back to the batteries with the help of a charger. You should of course install simple indicator switches to monitor the status of your batteries.
Following the above simple steps, your home wind turbine is ready to be used.
