Something different, anyone try making a wind turbine from an auto alternator?

[Oh Mr. Wilson]

Guys,

Has anyone tried making a home wind turbine from a auto alternator? Our power goes out about once a month here, if we are ever faced a long outage it would be nice to have a maintenance free backup. I've been thinking about this for some time, seeing how winter is coming I think this would be a good winter time project.

There are a lot of videos on YouTube, some of those guys came up with some good ideas. It looks pretty simple, there are sources where you can buy conversion parts for the Delco alternators, I can get a new rotor that's made with magnets which turns it into a more efficient generator. I can get used Delco alternators at the junk yards dirt cheap, then build my own pole and vane assembly myself and I'll just use a old aluminum or plastic auto cooling fan reversed for the blades. There's a U-Pull-It junk yard near me where I can get everything including scrap metal for under $60 and they always have good used battery's for $10 each. I'm thinking of setting this up with a bank of batteries to power my garage for lights at first and try that for a year or so before I consider taking it farther.

I think I'll just stick up a stock alternator to charge a couple battery's and use a few 12 Volt or LED lights on a separate 12 Volt circuit in the garage for a test first. I want to see just how much wind I get here before dumping a lot of money into something that just won't work.

If anyone has gone down this path, I would appreciate any feedback, tips or advice.

Here's one YouTube video from a company that sells everything from parts to complete install kits
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ejWMGXalb0&feature=related

The website http://www.windbluepower.com/

Guy

[timshufflin]

I have, except for July, a good 20mph prevailing SW wind on most days. I am very interested in getting wind energy but not for outages, to sell back to my power company. I have no interest in the battery bank back up situation, I have a propane back up generator for that, I just want a VERY LOW power bill.

[cwcdl79]

unless you can build a big enough turbine yourself, they take forever to pay off (about 10 years based upon my calculations)

[Oh Mr. Wilson]

That is my end goal Tim, I like the idea of getting a check from big brother every month rather then a bill. I'm just not sure how to get there without having to pay someone to do it for me which I just can't afford. And I can't afford one of these big dollar kits, not sure which kit would be best anyways so I'll start out small and learn as I go, baby steps. I'm not sure if there is a way around the battery bank system, is there? I don't know.

Ultimately I think I'll end up with a combination of a few solar panels and at least a couple good wind turbines working together, that seems to be what most have done.

I've never been one to pay someone to do anything for me if I can do it myself. Some times it ends up costing me more in the long run because I'm stubborn but I was raised by parents and grandparents that either figured a way to build it or they did without. They also taught me to take care of what you have and make it last a lifetime, not like this throw away generation of today as I see with my daughter. I also get a lot of satisfaction in doing it myself. I'm afraid this young generation is in for a rude awakening though, in just the last year my daughter is feeling the economy crunch and finally starting to change her money spending habits. If things keep going down hill people will have to start going back to old ways again.

[Oh Mr. Wilson]

unless you can build a big enough turbine yourself, they take forever to pay off (about 10 years based upon my calculations)

Well that's my concern, what's the payoff? And in ten years how many battery's and generators will I have gone through? I still want to tinker with one on these alternator systems, even if just to give me 12 volt lights when the power goes out.

[Prince Humperdink]

I'm sure it would work for backup lights...great idea!

[LEAD POISON]

Couldn't you use an invertor.Like in a travel trailer.

[cwcdl79]

wind turbine shouldn't need batteries, ties directly into the meter. the solar panels would need batteries and inverter. big difference is that with the solar panels you'll still have power after the sun goes down, with the wind turbine if it stops blowing, party's over. (based upon my understanding of the systems, i'm trying to decide on something, but a 10 yr roi just isn't worth it to me, it was 8 yr roi for solar, still rather long). Turbines would require maintenance, maybe new brushes/bushings. if they have an overspeed governor you should be good for >20yrs. solar panels have a half life of 10 years (have a 100watt panel, in 10 years its down to 50). also note, you won't get the full rating (panel or turbine). those are ideal conditions.

[Punch The Clown]

Tim has his geothermal system and he's stealing heat from the magma-OUR MAGMA! I hear that obama is going to tax magma heat users and funnel the proceeds to Acorn.

[smc51]

I too have been thinking about wind energy. In the rural setting I live in, the wind blows most of the time.

[sandsnow]

Tim has his geothermal system and he's stealing heat from the magma-OUR MAGMA! I hear that obama is going to tax magma heat users and funnel the proceeds to Acorn.

That would push him into a fatal stroke