On Mon, 13 Mar 2006 08:25:42 GMT, Gunner
wrote:

This involves metalworking...G

Ive gotten a wild hair to build a wind generator. I believe I either
have most of the stuff...or can scrounge it up easily enough.

Im NOT doing this to go off the grid...with my power needs..Id have to
cover the back 40 with windmills. This is simply something Fun to do.

Im pretty sure all those 110vt DC tread mill motors Ive got..aint
going to work very well unfortunatley...getting one up to 3600 rpm in
the variable winds I have here..often gusty dust devil winds in the
summer time..slight breeze to 70mph winter storms.

Ive been doing some web searching..and the verticle types that use
lift look interesting..and I can mount one easily enough on the shop.
Though a prop job looks doable also.

http://www.windstuffnow.com/main/darrieus_type.htm
http://www.windstuffnow.com/main/newpage5.htm
http://www.windstuffnow.com/main/vawt.htm

Anyone have any specific preferences? Someone here sent me some files
from Oz on using a washing machine motor..a radial style Ive never
seen here in the US ever never. And no..I cant afford $150 worth of
exotic magnets to modify a GM alternator.
However..I can chain drive a 2 wire alternator..shrug.

Ive got to be able to build this thing using off the shelf,
scroungable Stuff, build it in a reasonable amount of time (no life
long projects) and charge some batteries. The more the better of
course.

Ive got a very high end 5500 watt inverter/charger that came out of a
brand new land yacht that burned..but didnt touch the inverter (and it
works) to use to give me true sine wave 110vts if I want to add it to
the system after its done.


Chuckle..and frankly..Im tired of making stuff in the shop that is
used to simply fix other machines..I want to make Something! G

The 3600 RPM rating is at 110 volts. If those are permanent magnet
motors, they will probably produce 12 volts at about 400 RPM. DCPM
motor exhibit speed that is about linearly proportional to voltage --
and produce voltage proportional to speed when driven as generators.
Current rating is determined by the wire in the windings, regardless
of operating speed. A 110 volt 1 HP motor will only be good for
about 75 watts at 12 volts.

You might come across some good-sized DCPM servomotors in your machine
tool travels. I would think that they might work very nicely as DC
generators.

Keep your eye peeled for burned-out VFD's. They will contain ferrite
transformers from which you can scrounge the cores to make switchmode
power converters to change DC voltage. The magnetics are always the
hard part to come up with. The elex aren't hard at all working at
below 24 volts. I could help with that part if you like. I have
lots of 55-amp 60-volt power MOSFETs in my goodiebox, could spare a
couple.