A home wind turbine generator may
be built in a couple of ways, namely by way of
purchasing a DIY kit where all the components would be
provided by the kit manufacturer or procuring all the
parts individually and then assembling the turbine
generator according to one’s own plan. Since the kits
are available for sale at around $150 to $200 there is
hardly any scope for discussing the matter in detail and
so let us proceed with the other option, i.e. acquiring
all the parts individually from different sources and
assembling them together.
To
start with, the wind turbine is basically a high
rotation DC electric motor and a hunt for the same at
the local hardware store should solve the problem
easily. However, you should look for one that is not too
bulky and has a high rpm rating. Of course, the ratings
are printed on the motor’s base plate and so would pose
no problem. The DC motor should not cost more than $35.
Now
is the time to turn your attention towards making blades
for the turbine. Another run to the nearest hardware
store would be ok for the job. Procure a 24” long (2
feet) 6” diameter ABS pipe from the hardware fellow and
then cut it into 4 pieces. This will give you 4 rigid
blades at a cost of $10. You would actually need 3
blades, the 4th one serving as a
spare.
I
am afraid one more trip to the hardware chap is needed
now to fish out a suitable hub for the blades. This
however, may take a few days as the hub has to be
spindle-friendly with the DC motor apart from the fact
that it would be a perfect fit for the blades. In any
event, it should not cost more than $5. You may need
some more money now to get hold of a few bolts to secure
the blades onto the hub.
Your
next trip will lead you to the getting a charge
controller and a transformer-cum- converter for the wind turbine
generating set. The first item is essential for keeping
the batteries healthy as it will disconnect the current
coming from the turbine to the battery as soon as it
becomes fully charged. Over-charging will shorten the
life of a battery. The second electronic item will
convert the DC current generated by the turbine to 120V
AC which is suitable for general consumption However,
both the items may cost you around
$10.
All that you need now to finish the
job is any usable battery for which you will need a trip
to the nearest automobile junkyard. There you may
salvage out a fully usable battery from a discarded
automobile almost for a song or say around
$25.
Now
that the job is almost over, you should spend another
$10 for the housing of the wind turbine generator that may
consist of a 6” x 8” ply board and a few screws and
bolts to fix the turbine on the board. In order to
provide protection to the turbine against the elements,
a 6” x 8” aluminum sheet, costing another $5 would be
needed.
Adding up the costs together we
come to a figure not exceeding $90. Providing an
additional 10% for exigencies the sum total comes to $99
as compared to $200 for a kit and $2000 (minimum) for a
set available in the market.
Building
a wind
turbine generator is not really a difficult job to
do provided you know how to do it. And there are many
advantages as well because the electric wind power that
you get is cheap as well. But you should know how to
build a wind generator. And you should also know where
to buy cheap parts from, safety precautions, choosing
the best location and wiring the system. Building such a
system has several ecological as well as financial
benefits – so go ahead and learn everything so that you
can benefit from wind power.
