DIY wind generator. How to make a wind generator with your own hands

Electricity is steadily rising in price. To feel comfortable outside the city in hot summer weather and a frosty winter day, you need to either spend a lot of money or look for alternative energy sources. Russia is a huge country with large flat areas. Although slow winds prevail in most of our regions, strong and violent air currents blow over the sparsely populated area. Therefore, the presence of a wind generator in the farm of the owner of suburban real estate is most often justified. The appropriate model is chosen based on the area of ​​application and the actual purpose of use.

Wind turbine #1 - rotary type design

You can make a simple rotary windmill with your own hands. Of course, he is unlikely to be able to supply electricity to a large cottage, but it is quite possible to provide electricity to a modest garden house. With it, you can supply light in the evening to outbuildings, illuminate garden paths and the local area.

You can read more about other types of alternative energy sources in this article:

So, or almost so, a do-it-yourself rotary wind generator looks like. As you can see, there is nothing super complicated in the design of this equipment.

Preparation of parts and consumables

To assemble a wind generator, the power of which will not exceed 1.5 kW, we will need:

• generator from car 12 V;
• acid or gel battery 12 V;
• converter 12V - 220V to 700 W - 1500 W;
• a large container made of aluminum or stainless steel: a bucket or a voluminous pan;
• automotive battery charging relay and charge control lamp;
• semi-hermetic "button" switch for 12 V;
• voltmeter from any unnecessary measuring device, you can automobile;
• bolts with washers and nuts;
• wires with a cross section of 2.5 mm 2 and 4 mm 2;
• two clamps with which the generator will be attached to the mast.

To complete the work, we will need metal scissors or a grinder, a tape measure, a marker or a construction pencil, a screwdriver, keys, a drill, a drill, wire cutters.

Most owners of private houses do not recognize the use of geothermal heating, but such a system has promise. You can read more about the advantages and disadvantages of this complex in the following material:

Progress of design work

We are going to make a rotor and remake the alternator pulley. To get started, we need a metal container of a cylindrical shape. Most often, a pot or bucket is adapted for these purposes. Take a tape measure and a marker or construction pencil and divide the container into four equal parts. If we cut metal with scissors, then in order to insert them, you must first make holes. You can also use a grinder if the bucket is not made of painted tin or galvanized steel. In these cases, the metal will inevitably overheat. Cut out the blades without cutting through them to the end.

In order not to be mistaken with the dimensions of the blades that we cut into the tank, it is necessary to make careful measurements and carefully recalculate everything.

In the bottom and in the pulley we mark and drill holes for the bolts. At this stage, it is important to take your time and position the holes symmetrically to avoid imbalance during rotation. The blades should be bent, but not too much. When performing this part of the work, we take into account the direction of rotation of the generator. It usually rotates in a clockwise direction. Depending on the angle of the bend, the area of ​​influence of wind flows increases, and, therefore, the speed of rotation.

This is another option for blades. In this case, each part exists separately, and not as part of the container from which it was cut.

Since each of the windmill blades exists separately, you need to screw each one. The advantage of this design is its increased maintainability

The bucket with finished blades should be fixed to the pulley using bolts. We install the generator on the mast using clamps, then we connect the wires and assemble the circuit. It is better to rewrite the diagram, wire colors and contact markings in advance. The wires also need to be fixed on the mast.

To connect the battery, we use wires 4 mm 2, the length of which should not be more than 1 meter. We connect the load (electrical appliances and lighting) using wires with a cross section of 2.5 mm 2. Do not forget to put the converter (inverter). It is connected to the network to contacts 7.8 with a 4 mm 2 wire.

The design of the wind turbine consists of a resistor (1), a generator starter winding (2), a generator rotor (3), a voltage regulator (4), a reverse current relay (5), an ammeter (6), a battery (7), a fuse (8) , switch (9)

Advantages and disadvantages of such a model

If everything is done correctly, this wind generator will work without creating problems for you. With a 75A battery and a 1000 W converter, it can power street lighting, video surveillance devices, etc.

The installation diagram clearly demonstrates exactly how wind energy is converted into electricity and how it is used for its intended purpose.

The advantages of such a model are obvious: it is a very economical product, easy to repair, does not require special conditions for its operation, works reliably and does not violate your acoustic comfort. The disadvantages include low productivity and a significant dependence on strong gusts of wind: the blades can be torn off by air currents.

Windmill #2 - axial design with magnets

Until recently, axial windmills with iron-free stators on neodymium magnets have not been made in Russia due to the inaccessibility of the latter. But now they are in our country, and they are cheaper than originally. Therefore, our craftsmen began to manufacture wind turbines of this type.

Over time, when the capabilities of a rotary wind generator will no longer provide all the needs of the economy, you can make an axial model on neodymium magnets

What needs to be prepared?

For the basis of the axial generator, you need to take the hub from the car with brake discs. If this part was in operation, it must be disassembled, the bearings checked and lubricated, rust cleaned off. The finished generator will be painted.

To qualitatively clean the hub from rust, use a metal brush that can be mounted on an electric drill. The hub will look great again

Distribution and fixation of magnets

We have to stick magnets on the rotor disks. In this case, 20 magnets with a size of 25x8mm are used. If you decide to make a different number of poles, then use the rule: in a single-phase generator there must be as many poles as there are magnets, and in a three-phase generator, the ratio of 4/3 or 2/3 poles to coils must be observed. Magnets should be placed by alternating poles. To ensure their location is correct, use a template with sectors printed on paper or on the disc itself.

If possible, it is better to use rectangular magnets rather than round ones, because round ones have a magnetic field concentrated in the center, and rectangular ones along their length. The opposing magnets must have different poles. In order not to confuse anything, apply “+” or “-” on their surface with a marker. To determine the pole, take one magnet and bring others to it. Put plus on attracting surfaces, and minus on repulsive ones. On the disks, the poles must alternate.

The magnets are correctly placed. Before fixing them with epoxy resin, it is necessary to make plasticine sides so that the adhesive mass can harden, and not glass on the table or floor

To fix the magnets, you need to use a strong glue, after which the bonding strength is further enhanced with epoxy resin. It is filled with magnets. To prevent the resin from spreading, you can make plasticine borders or simply wrap the disc with tape.

Three-phase and single-phase generators

A single-phase stator is worse than a three-phase one, because it vibrates when loaded. This is due to the difference in the amplitude of the current, which occurs due to its non-constant return for a moment in time. The three-phase model does not suffer from this disadvantage. The power in it is always constant, because the phases compensate each other: if the current drops in one, it increases in the other.

In a dispute between single-phase and three-phase options, the latter comes out the winner, because additional vibration does not extend the life of the equipment and irritates the ear.

As a result, the output of a three-phase model is 50% higher than that of a single-phase one. Another advantage of the absence of unnecessary vibration is the acoustic comfort when working under load: the generator does not hum during its operation. In addition, vibration always puts the wind generator out of action before the expiration of its service life.

Coil winding process

Any specialist will tell you that before winding the coils, you need to make a careful calculation. And any practitioner will do everything intuitively. Our generator will not be too fast. We want the 12 volt battery to start charging at 100-150 rpm. With such initial data, the total number of turns in all coils should be 1000-1200 pieces. It remains to divide this figure by the number of coils and find out how many turns there will be in each.

To make the wind generator more powerful at low speeds, you need to increase the number of poles. In this case, the frequency of current oscillations in the coils will increase. For winding coils, it is better to use a thick wire. This will reduce the resistance, which means that the current will increase. It should be noted that at a high voltage, the current may be "eaten" by the resistance of the winding. A simple homemade machine will help you quickly and accurately wind high-quality coils.

The stator is marked, the coils are laid in their places. For their fixation, epoxy resin is used, the runoff of which is again resisted by plasticine bumpers.

Due to the number and thickness of the magnets located on the discs, generators can vary considerably in performance. To find out what power to expect as a result, you can wind one coil and scroll it in the generator. To determine future power, you should measure the voltage at certain speeds without load.

For example, at 200 rpm, 30 volts is obtained with a resistance of 3 ohms. We subtract from 30 volts the battery voltage of 12 volts, and divide the resulting 18 volts by 3 ohms. The result is 6 amps. This is the volume that will go to the battery. Although in practice, of course, it turns out less due to losses in the diode bridge and in the wires.

Most often, the coils are made round, but it is better to stretch them a little. At the same time, there is more copper in the sector, and the turns of the coils are straighter. The diameter of the inner hole of the coil should match the size of the magnet or be slightly larger than it.

Preliminary tests of the resulting equipment are carried out, which confirm its excellent performance. Over time, this model can be improved.

When making the stator, keep in mind that its thickness must match the thickness of the magnets. If the number of turns in the coils is increased and the stator is made thicker, the interdisk space will increase and the magnetic flux will decrease. As a result, the same voltage can be generated, but less current due to the increased resistance of the coils.

Plywood is used as a form for the stator, but you can mark sectors for coils on paper, and make borders from plasticine. The strength of the product will increase the fiberglass placed on the bottom of the mold and on top of the coils. The epoxy must not stick to the mold. To do this, it is lubricated with wax or petroleum jelly. For the same purpose, you can use a film or tape. The coils are fixed to each other motionlessly, the ends of the phases are brought out. Then all six wires are connected by a triangle or a star.

The generator assembly is tested using hand rotation. The resulting voltage is 40 volts, while the current strength is approximately 10 amperes.

Final stage - mast and propeller

The actual height of the finished mast was 6 meters, but it would be better to make it 10-12 meters. The base for it needs to be concreted. It is necessary to make such a fastening so that the pipe can be raised and lowered using a hand winch. A screw is attached to the top of the pipe.

PVC pipe is a reliable and fairly light material, using which you can make a windmill screw with a predetermined bend

For the manufacture of the screw, a PVC pipe is needed, the diameter of which is 160 mm. A six-blade two-meter screw is to be cut out of it. It makes sense to experiment with the shape of the blades in order to increase the torque at low revs. From a strong wind, the screw must be removed. This function is performed using a folding tail. The generated energy is stored in batteries.

The mast must be raised and lowered with a hand winch. Additional structural stability can be given using tension cables.

Your attention is given to two options for wind turbines, which are most often used by summer residents and owners of suburban real estate. Each of them is effective in its own way. Especially the result of using such equipment is manifested in areas with strong winds. In any case, such an assistant in the household will never hurt.

Wind is a clean source of inexpensive energy that is fairly easy to obtain. In our opinion, everyone has the right to choose where to get electricity from. For these purposes, there is nothing more practical and efficient than building a wind generator with your own hands from improvised materials.

General scheme of the wind generator

Wind turbine assembly

Most of the tools and materials mentioned in this manual can be purchased at a hardware store. Also, we strongly recommend that you look for the following components at second-hand dealers or at your local junkyard.

The issue of safety is of the highest priority for us. Your life is much more valuable than a cheap source of electricity, so follow all the safety rules associated with building a windmill. Fast rotating parts, electrical discharges and harsh weather conditions can make a wind turbine quite dangerous.

The design of this home wind turbine is simple and efficient, and it is quick and easy to assemble. You can use wind energy without any restrictions.

Wind generator accessories

This manual uses a DC motor from a treadmill (powered 260V, 5A), with a 15 cm threaded bushing attached to it. At a wind speed of about 48 km / h, the output current reaches 7 A. This is a small, simple and cheap unit with which you can start harnessing wind power.

You can use any other DC motor that delivers at least 1V at 25 rpm and can handle more than 10 amps. If necessary, you can change the list of required components (for example, find a sleeve separately from the engine - a circular saw blade with a shaft adapter of 1.6 cm is suitable for this purpose).

Wind turbine assembly tools

Drill
- Drills (5.5 mm, 6.5 mm, 7.5 mm)
- Electric jigsaw
- Gas key
- Flat head screwdriver
- adjustable wrench
- Vice and/or clamp
- Cable stripping tool
- Roulette
- Marker
- Compass
- Protractor
- Tap for threading 1/4 "x20
- Assistant

Wind turbine assembly materials

Carrier bar:
- Square tube 25x25 mm (length 92 cm)
- Masking flange for 50 mm pipe
- Spigot 50 mm (length 15 cm)
- Self-tapping screws 19 mm (3 pcs.)

Note: if you have the opportunity to use a welding machine, then weld a piece of 50 mm pipe 15 cm long to a square pipe, without using a flange, pipe and self-tapping screws.

Engine:
DC motor from the treadmill (power supply 260V, 5A) with a threaded bushing 15 cm attached to it
Diode bridge (30 - 50 A)
Bolts for the engine 8x19 mm (2 pcs.)
Piece of PVC pipe 7.5 cm (length 28 cm)

Shank:
Square piece of tin 30x30cm
Self-tapping screws 19 mm (2 pcs.)

Blades:
A 20 cm piece of PVC pipe, 60 cm long (if it is UV resistant, you don't have to paint it)
Bolts 6x20 mm (6 pcs.)
Washers 6 mm (9pcs)
Sheets of A4 paper (3 pcs.)
Scotch

Wind turbine assembly

Cutting the blades - we will have three sets of blades (nine pieces in total) and a thin strip of waste.

Place our 60 cm long PVC pipe on a flat surface along with a piece of square pipe (you can use any other sufficiently long object with a smooth edge). Press them tightly against each other and draw a line on the PVC pipe at the point of contact along its entire length. Let's call this line A.

Make marks at each end of line A, stepping back from the edge of the pipe 1-1.5 cm.

Glue three sheets of A4 paper together so that they form a long, straight piece of paper. You have to wrap the pipe with it, applying in turn to the marks just made on it. Make sure that the short side of the piece of paper fits snugly and evenly against line A, and that the long side overlaps evenly where it overlaps with itself. From each end of the pipe, draw a line along the edge of the paper. Let's call one of these lines B, the other - C.

Hold the pipe so that the end of the pipe closest to line B is pointing up. Start where lines A and B intersect and make marks on line B every 145mm moving to the left of line A. The last piece should be about 115mm long.

Turn the pipe upside down with the end closest to line C. Start at the point where lines A and C intersect, and also mark lines C every 145 mm, but move to the right of line A.

Using a square tube, connect the corresponding points on opposite ends of the PVC pipe with lines.

Cut the pipe along these lines using a jigsaw so that you have four strips 145 mm wide and one about 115 mm wide.

Lay all strips with the inside of the tube facing down.

Make marks on each strip along the narrow side from one end, retreating from the left edge of 115 mm.

Repeat the same from the other end, retreating 30 mm from the left edge.

Connect these points with lines, crossing the strips of the cut pipe diagonally. Saw the plastic along these lines with a jigsaw.

Put the resulting blades with the inner surface of the pipe down.

Make a mark on each line of the diagonal cut at a distance of 7.5 cm from the wide end of the blade.

Make another mark at the wide end of each blade 2.5 cm from the long, straight edge.

Connect these points with a line and cut the resulting corner along it. This will prevent the blades from breaking in side winds.

Processing of wind turbine blades

You must sand the blades in order to achieve the desired profile. This will increase their efficiency and also make their rotation quieter. The front edge should be rounded and the back edge should be pointed. Any sharp corners should be rounded to reduce noise.

Shank cutting

Tail size is not critical. You need a piece of light material measuring 30x30 cm, preferably metal (tin). You can give the shank any shape, the main criterion is its rigidity.

Drilling holes in square pipe - use a 7.5 mm drill bit.

Position the motor on the front end of the square tube with the bushing over the end of the tube and the mounting bolt holes facing down. Mark the position of the holes on the pipe and drill through the pipe at the marked locations.

Holes in the masking flange- this point will be described later in the installation section of this manual, since these holes determine the balance of the structure.

Drilling holes in blades- use a 6.5 mm drill.
Mark two holes at the wide end of each of the three blades along their straight (back) edge. The first hole should be 9.5mm from the straight edge and 13mm from the bottom edge of the blade. The second is at a distance of 9.5 mm from the straight edge and 32 mm from the bottom edge of the blade.

Drill these six holes.

Drilling and cutting holes in the sleeve– use a 5.5 mm drill bit and a 1/4" tap.

The treadmill motor comes with a bushing attached to it. To remove it, use pliers to firmly fix the shaft protruding from the bushing, and turn the bushing clockwise. It unscrews clockwise, which is why the blades rotate counterclockwise.

Make a sleeve template on a piece of paper using a compass and a protractor.

Mark three holes, each 6 cm from the center of the circle and equidistant from each other.

Place this template on the core and pre-punched it through the paper at the marked locations.

Drill these holes with a 5.5mm bit.

Thread them with a 1/4"x20 tap.

Screw the blades to the hub with 1/4" x 20mm bolts. At this moment, the outer holes, close to the boundaries of the bushing, have not yet been drilled.

Measure the distance between the straight edges of the tips of each blade. Adjust them so that they are equidistant. Mark and hammer each hole on the hub through each blade.

Make a mark on each blade and hub so you don't mix up the attachment points for each at a later stage of assembly.

Unscrew the blades from the hub and drill and thread these three outer holes.

Production of a protective sleeve for the engine.

Draw two parallel lines on our segment of PVC pipe with a diameter of 7.5 cm along its length at a distance of 2 cm from each other. Cut the pipe along these lines.

Cut off one end of the pipe at a 45° angle.

Place a pair of needle nose pliers into the slot and look through the pipe.

Make sure the bolt holes on the motor are centered in the middle of the slot in the PVC pipe and place the motor in the pipe. With an assistant, this is much easier.

Mounting

Place the motor on a square pipe and screw it to it using 8x19mm bolts.

Place the diode on the square pipe behind the motor at a distance of 5 cm from it. Screw it to the pipe with a self-tapping screw.

Connect the black wire coming out of the motor to the "positive" input terminal of the diode (marked AC on the "plus" side).

Connect the red wire coming out of the motor to the "negative" input terminal of the diode (it is labeled AC on the "negative" side).

Position the shank so that the end of the square tube opposite the one on which the motor is placed runs through the center of the shank. Clamp the tail against the pipe with a clamp or vise.

Screw the shank to the pipe with two self-tapping screws.

Place all the blades on the hub so that all the holes line up. Using 6x20mm bolts and washers, screw the blades to the hub. For the three holes in the inner circle (closest to the hub axle), use two washers, one on each side of the blade. For the other three, use one each (on the side of the blade closest to the bolt head). Tighten tight.

Securely fix the motor shaft (which passed through the hole in the bushing) with pliers and, after putting on the bushing, turn it counterclockwise until it is completely screwed in.

Using a gas wrench, screw the 50 mm spigot tightly onto the masking flange.

Clamp the nozzle in a vise so that the flange is horizontally above the vise jaws.

Position the square tube carrying the motor and shank on the flange and achieve a perfectly balanced position.
Once balanced, mark the square tube through the holes in the flange.

Drill these two holes using a 5.5mm bit. You may have to twist the tail and sleeve for this so that they do not interfere with you.

Screw the supporting square tube to the flange with two self-tapping screws.

In terms of wind energy resources, Russia occupies a rather ambivalent position. On the one hand, it accounts for a huge area, rich in flat places. On the other hand, the winds here are slow and have low potential. They can be quite riotous in places where few people live. In accordance with this, the task of arranging a home-made wind generator becomes urgent.

Source of electricity

At least once a year, tariffs for electricity services are increased, often by several times. This hurts the pockets of citizens whose wages are not growing as rapidly. Home craftsmen used to resort to a simple, but rather unsafe and illegal way to save on electricity. They attached a neodymium magnet to the surface of the flowmeter, after which it suspended the operation of the counter.

If the specified scheme initially worked smoothly, then problems arose with it in the future. This was explained by several reasons:

All this prompted people to search for alternative sources of electricity, for example, wind turbines. If a person lives in areas where winds blow regularly, such devices become a lifesaver for him. The device uses the power of the wind to generate energy.

The body is equipped with blades that drive the rotors. The electricity thus obtained is transformed into direct current. In the future, it passes to consumers or accumulates in the battery.

A homemade wind generator can act as the main or additional source of energy. As an auxiliary device, it can heat water in a boiler or feed home lamps, while all other electronics work from the main network. It is also possible to operate such generators as the main source where houses are not connected to electricity. Here the devices feed:

• lamps and chandeliers;
• heating equipment;
• consumer electronics.

The wind farm is able to feed low-voltage and classic appliances. The former operate on a voltage of 12-24 volts, and the wind generator is capable of providing power at 220 volts. It is made according to the scheme using inverter converters. Electricity is stored in its battery. There are modifications for 12-36 Volts. They differ in a simpler design. They use standard battery charge controllers. To ensure the heating of the home, it is enough to make wind generators with your own hands at 220 V. 4 kW is the power that their engine will provide.

Product Features

It is profitable to create a windmill with your own hands. It is enough to find out that factory products with a power of no more than 5 kW cost up to 220,000 rubles, as it becomes clear how much better it is to use the available materials and make them yourself, because this will save a lot of money.

Of course, factory modifications rarely break and are more reliable. But if a breakdown happens, you will have to spend huge sums on the purchase of spare units.

Shop models are often inaccessible to most citizens. It takes 10 to 12 years to recoup the cost of purchasing such a device, although certain types of devices recoup these costs a little earlier. Having made a 2 kW wind generator with your own hands, you can get far from the most perfect design, but in the event of a breakdown, you can easily repair it yourself. A miniature windmill of low power can be assembled without problems by any person who knows how to handle tools.

Key nodes

As mentioned, a wind generator can be made at home. It is necessary to prepare certain nodes for its reliable functioning. They include:

1. Blades. They can be made from different materials.
2. Generator. You can also assemble it yourself or buy ready-made.
3. Tail zone. Used to move the blades in the direction of the vector, providing the highest possible efficiency.
4. Multiplier. Increases the speed of rotation of the rotor.
5. Mast for fasteners. It plays the role of an element on which all specified nodes are fixed.
6. Tension ropes. Necessary for fixing the structure as a whole and protecting it from destruction under the influence of wind.
7. Battery, inverter and charge controller. Contribute to the transformation, stabilization of energy and its accumulation.

Beginners should consider simple rotary wind generator circuits.

Manufacturing instructions

A windmill can even be made from plastic bottles. It will spin under the influence of the wind, while making noise. There are many possible schemes for arranging such products. The axis of rotation can be placed in them vertically or horizontally. These devices are mainly used for pest control in the garden.

A homemade wind generator is similar to a bottle windmill in design, but it is larger and has a more solid design.

If you attach a motor to a windmill to fight moles in the garden, it will be able to provide electricity and feed, for example, LED lamps.

Generator Assembly

To assemble a wind farm, you will definitely need a generator. It is necessary to put magnets in its body, which will provide electricity in the windings. This type of device has certain types of electric motors, for example, which are installed in screwdrivers. But it will not be possible to make a generator from a screwdriver. It will not provide the required power. It is only enough to feed a small LED lamp.

It is also unlikely that a wind farm can be made from a car generator. This is explained by the fact that in this case an excitation winding is used, which is powered by a battery, which is why it is not suitable for these purposes. You should select a self-excited generator of optimal power or buy a ready-made model. Experts recommend purchasing it ready-made, because this device will provide high efficiency, but no one bothers to do it yourself. Its maximum power will be at the level of 3.5 kW.

What you need to take:

They put the rotor and stator and at a distance of 2 mm. The windings are combined in such a way that a 1-phase AC source is obtained.

Creating the blades

In windy weather, 3.5 kW of power can be extracted from the finished device. With an average intensity of the air flow, this figure is not more than 2 kW. The device is silent when compared with models on an electric motor.

You should think about the place of installation of the blades. In this example, a simple modification of a horizontal type wind generator with three blades is made. You can try to make a vertical version, but its efficiency will be reduced. On average, it will be 0.3. The only advantage of this design will be the ability to work in any direction of the wind. Simple blades are made using the following materials:

It is one thing to make blades for a wind turbine with your own hands, and quite another to ensure a balanced design. If all the nuances are not taken into account, a strong wind will easily destroy the mast. As soon as the blades are made, together with the rotor, they are installed on the mounting site, where the tail section will be fixed.

Launch and performance evaluation

Even if the wind generator was manufactured in accordance with all the rules, the wrong choice of a mast location can play a cruel joke on the master. The element must be vertical. It is better to place the generator together with the blades as high as possible - where strong winds "walk". Nearby there should not be houses, any large buildings, separately growing trees. All this will block the flow of air. If any interference is detected, the generator should be placed at a certain distance from them.

After the installation starts to work, you should connect a multimeter to the generator branch and check if there is voltage. The system can be considered ready for full operation. After that, it remains to find out what voltage will enter the dwelling and how this will happen.

Connecting process at home

After arranging an almost silent windmill with good power, it is necessary to connect household appliances to it. When assembling such a device with your own hands, you should take care of buying an inverter converter with an efficiency of 99%. In this case, the losses for the transition of direct current to alternating current will be the smallest, and three nodes will be present in the case:

1. Battery pack. Able to accumulate energy for the future, which is generated by the device.
2. charge controller. Provides longer battery life.
3. Converter. Transforms direct current into alternating current.

You can install equipment to power lighting fixtures and household appliances that can operate at a voltage of 12-24 volts. In this case, there is no need for an inverter converter. For appliances that allow you to cook food, it is better to use gas equipment powered by a cylinder.

Until recently, wind turbines were considered a rarity, but today this area is rapidly developing, and many have gained experience in creating wind turbines to generate electricity. Such devices can be used in a variety of areas - for water supply, electrification of private houses, operation of agricultural units (for example, crushers) or heating water to heat a home.

Industrial models have a lot of advantages, except for the cost. Therefore, today we will find out how to make a wind generator with our own hands and what materials / tools will be needed for this.

Design features and mechanics of a wind generator

The principle of operation of a wind turbine is to convert kinetic energy into electricity. The device consists of a number of system elements, each of which has its own function. Let's try to figure this out.

Note! Wind generators can be rotary (vertical) and classic (horizontal). The latter have a higher efficiency, which is why they are made more often than others.

It is worth noting that vertical windmills must be turned towards the wind, because they are simply unable to function with a side stream. Horizontal generators have other advantages as well. Let's get acquainted with them.

1. Turbines of rotary devices will "catch" the wind, regardless of which side it blows. Which is extremely convenient in case of unstable / variable wind in the region.
2. It is much easier to build a horizontal windmill than a horizontal one.
3. The structure can be located directly on the ground, but provided that there is enough wind there.

As for the disadvantages, a horizontal wind generator has only one - a rather low efficiency.

We calculate the power of the future wind generator

First you need to find out how much power a wind generator should have with your own hands, what are the functions and loads that it will face. As a rule, alternative sources of electricity are used as auxiliary, that is, designed to help the main power supply. Therefore, if the power of the system is even from 500 watts, this is already quite good.

Note! To heat a private house of medium size, you will need about two to three kilowatts.

However, the final power of the wind turbine depends on other factors, including:

• wind speed;
• number of blades.

To find out the appropriate ratio for horizontal type fixtures, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the table below. The numbers in it at the intersection are the required power (indicated in watts).

Table. Calculation of the required power for horizontal wind generators.

For example, if in your region the wind speed is predominantly from 5 to 8 meters per second, and the required power of the wind generator is 1.5-2 kilowatts, then the diameter of the structure should correspond to about 6 meters or more.

What should be the blades?

The shape of the blades can be:

• sailing;
• winged.

As for the sail-type blades, they are flat, and therefore less efficient. They do not take into account aerodynamics, but spin exclusively under the pressure of the wind flow. As a result, no more than 10 percent of all energy is converted into electrical energy. But for winged blades, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe inner and outer surfaces is different. It is also worth noting that such blades should be located at an angle of 7-10 degrees relative to the wind.

Now a few words about the material from which the blades should be. For ancient windmills, tonic wood frames were used, consisting of poles and lintels. On such frames, special "wings" made of fabric were stretched. In case of wear of the fabric, it was simply replaced with a new one. Although there is an alternative option - to take dense materials for these purposes (for example, a tarpaulin).

Although with your own hands you can make blades from more modern materials.

1. If the propeller is small, then PVC pipes cut into pieces can serve as blades for it.
2. You can also use light metals (for example, duralumin).
3. If you plan to use "sails", then they can be cut out of plywood.
4. Finally, for a large unit, the blades can be made from boards (even if they are heavy, it doesn’t matter, they just need to balance each other).

Note! In the case of a predominance of gusty winds in the region, it is better to give preference to weighty blades - this will ensure a more stable functioning of the entire system.

As for the diameter of the pipes, it should correspond to 1/5 of their total length. Each of these pipes is cut lengthwise into four pieces, and at the base it is necessary to cut a 5x5 rectangle (there will be fasteners), and after that, make an oblique cut, due to which each blade will taper from the base. Emery is used to process a torn edge.

Making a vertical wind generator at home

And now let's find out how, in fact, a wind generator is made by hand. The procedure consists of several stages, we will get acquainted with the features of each of them.

Stage one. We prepare tools and materials

There are no requirements regarding the size of the turbine - the larger it is, the better for the system itself. And in the example given in this article, the diameter of the turbine is 60 centimeters.

To make a vertical turbine yourself, prepare in advance:

• a pipe with diameters of 60 centimeters, made of stainless steel;
• screws, nuts and other fasteners;
• a pair of plastic discs with a diameter of 60 centimeters (it is important that the plastic is durable);
• hub from the car for the base;
• corners with which the blades will be attached (for each element - six pieces; that is, 36 copies in total).

In addition, take care of the following tools first:

• keys;
• jigsaw;
• mask;
• protective gloves;
• Bulgarian;
• screwdriver;
• electric drill.

Magnets or small metal plates can be used to balance the blades. If the imbalance is slight, then you can simply drill holes in the appropriate places.

Stage two. Draws up a drawing

You definitely can't do without a drawing. You can use the one below or create your own.

Stage three. Making a vertical windmill

Step 1. First, take a metal pipe and cut it lengthwise so that you end up with six blades of the same size.

Step 2 Cut out a pair of identical circles with a diameter of 60 centimeters from plastic. They will serve as supports for the lower and upper parts of the turbine.

Step 3 You can cut a small hole in the upper support (about 30 centimeters in diameter), which will make the construction somewhat easier.

Step 4 Mark the holes on the car hub with the same holes in the lower plastic support needed for the fasteners. Use a drill to make holes.

Step 5 Mark the location of the blades in accordance with the template (you should get a pair of triangles that seem to form a star). Mark the places for fixing the corners. On both supports, everything should be the same.

Step 6 Cut off the blades. You can cut several of them at once using a grinder.

Step 7 Mark the attachment points on the blades and corners. Make all these holes.

Step 8 Connect the blades to the bases using angles, bolts and nuts.

Note! The power of the device largely depends on the length of the blades, but if the latter are large, it will be much more difficult to balance them. Moreover, the structure can "loose" under the influence of a strong wind.

Stage four. We make a generator

The generator in this case must be self-excited, and always on permanent magnets. If you take a conventional generator from a car, then here the voltage winding functions from the battery, in other words, in the absence of voltage, there will be no excitation. Therefore, if you use a simple generator in tandem with a battery, and the wind is relatively weak for a long time, the battery will soon simply be discharged, and later, when the wind resumes, the wind generator will not start up again.

You can also make a system on neodymium magnets. This kind of device will produce from 1.5 kilowatts (if the wind is weak) to 3.5 kilowatts (if the wind is strong). Step-by-step instructions for creating such a generator are as follows.

Step 1. Make a couple of metal pancakes, each of which would be about 50 centimeters long.

Step 2 Using superglue, glue neodymium magnets measuring 2.5x5.0.12 centimeters to the pancakes around the entire perimeter (twelve pieces for each).

Step 3 Place the pancakes opposite each other, do not forget about the polarity.

Step 4 Place a self-made stator between them (make 9 coils from a wire with a cross section of 0.3 centimeters, each with 70 turns). Connect the coils with an "asterisk" (as shown in the image), then fill with polymer resin. At the same time, it is important that the coils are wound in one direction, you can mark the end / beginning of the winding with a colored insulating tape - it will be more convenient.

Step 5 The stator should be about 2 centimeters thick. The winding should come out by means of bolts with nuts. The distance between the rotor and the stator must be 2 mm.

The magnets will attract quite strongly, and for a smooth connection, you need to make holes in them and cut the threads for the studs. Immediately align the rotors, then using the wrenches, lower the top to the bottom. Then you can remove the temporary hairpins.

Note! The generator described above can be used not only for vertical, but also for horizontal windmills.

Stage five. Assembling the entire structure

First, install a special bracket on the mast, through which the stator will be attached (which, in turn, can have either three or six blades). Fix the hub above the bracket using all the same nuts. Screw on the four studs that are at the hub, the finished generator. After that, connect the stator to the bracket, which is fixed to the mast. Attach the turbine to the second rotor plate. Connect the stator wires to the voltage regulator using the terminals.

Stage six. We install a unit that can turn wind into electricity

To install the entire wind turbine with your own hands, you must follow the steps that are given below in the form of step-by-step instructions.

Step 1. Concrete in the ground a reliable and solid foundation.

Step 2 When pouring concrete mortar there, add the studs needed to attach the massive hinge (all this is easily done with your own hands).

Step 3 When the concrete has completely hardened, put the hinge on the studs and fix with nuts.

Step 4 Install the mast in the movable part of the hinge.

Step 5 Attach 3 or 4 guy wires to the top of the mast (you can use a flange or weld). You will also need a steel cable.

Step 6 Raise the mast on the hinge using one of the prepared cables (you can pull with a car).

Step 7 The verticality of the entire mast is strictly fixed with braces.

Where can such a wind generator be installed?

The efficiency of its operation largely depends on how correctly you choose a place to install a wind generator. The place should be such that the blades of the system get as much wind as possible. The site should be open and elevated (for example, the roof of a house, but as far as possible from trees and other structures). Tellingly, the reason for this lies not only in interference, but also in the production of some noise by the device during operation, which the neighbors or the owners themselves may not like.

For a more detailed acquaintance with the problem, we recommend that you watch the thematic video below.

Video - How to make a wind generator using a household fan

Rotary (horizontal) wind generator

Such a device will cope with the provision of electricity to a small house or several outbuildings. The maximum power of the wind generator will not exceed 1.5 kilowatts.

Prepare for work:

• car generator 12 watts;
• relay, battery control light;
• the battery itself is 12 watts;
• current converter;
• a large pot or bucket made of duralumin or stainless steel;
• a pair of clamps for attaching the generator to the mast;
• switch;
• wire, 0.4 and 0.25 centimeters;
• bolts, nuts, washers;
• voltmeter.

The tools required are the same as in the previous case. First, take a pot (or bucket) and, using a marker with a tape measure, divide it into four identical parts. Cut out the blades, but do not cut all the way (as shown in the picture).

Make holes for the bolts in the bottom, then bend the blades, but not very much. Take into account the fact how the generator will rotate (clockwise or counterclockwise).

Next, fix the pan with the already prepared blades on the pulley, secure with bolts. Install the generator on the mast, fixed in advance (for this, use the supplied clamps), then connect all the cables and assemble the circuit. Rewrite the entire circuit, fix the wires on the support.

Use a 4 mm cable with a maximum length of 1 meter to connect the battery. Use a smaller cable to connect the load. Also install an inverter. Below is an example connection diagram.

As you can see, it is quite possible to build a wind generator with your own hands. The design can be of two types, but if you have the skills and due zeal, you can even cope with the work alone. That's all, good luck!

With rising prices for electricity, there is a search and development of its alternative sources everywhere. In most regions of the country, it is advisable to use wind turbines. To fully provide electricity to a private house, a sufficiently powerful and expensive installation is required.

Wind generator for home

If you make a small wind generator, you can use electric current to heat water or use it for part of the lighting, such as outbuildings, garden paths and porches. Heating water for household needs or heating is the simplest option for using wind energy without its accumulation and conversion. Here the question is more about whether there will be enough power for heating.

Before you make a generator, you first need to find out the features of the winds in the region.

A large wind generator, for many places in the Russian climate, is not very suitable due to the frequent change in the intensity and direction of air flows. Above 1 kW, it will be inertial and will not be able to fully spin up when the wind changes. Inertia in the plane of rotation leads to overloads from the side wind, leading to its failure.

With the advent of low-power energy consumers, it makes sense to use small home-made wind generators of no more than 12 volts to illuminate the cottage with LED lamps or charge telephone batteries when there is no electricity in the house. When this is not necessary, an electric generator can be used to heat water.

Type of wind turbine

For a windless area, only a sail wind generator is suitable. In order for the power supply to be constant, you will need a battery of at least 12V, a charger, an inverter, a stabilizer and a rectifier.

For low-wind areas, you can independently make a vertical wind generator with a power of no more than 2-3 kW. There are many options and they are almost as good as industrial designs. It is advisable to buy windmills with a sailing rotor. Reliable models with power from 1 to 100 kilowatts are produced in Taganrog.

In windy regions, you can make a do-it-yourself vertical generator for your home if the required power is 0.5-1.5 kilowatts. The blades can be made from improvised means, for example, from a barrel. It is advisable to buy more productive devices. The cheapest are "sailboats". A vertical windmill is more expensive, but it works more reliably in strong winds.

DIY low-power windmill

At home, a small homemade wind generator is easy to make. To start working in the field of creating alternative energy sources and gaining valuable experience in this how to assemble a generator, you can make a simple device yourself by adapting a motor from a computer or printer.

Wind generator 12 V with a horizontal axis

To make a low-power windmill with your own hands, you must first prepare drawings or sketches.

At a rotation speed of 200-300 rpm. the voltage can be raised to 12 volts, and the generated power will be about 3 watts. It can be used to charge a small battery. For other generators, the power must be increased to 1000 rpm. Only then will they be effective. But here you need a gearbox that creates significant resistance and also has a high cost.

Electrical part

To assemble the generator, you need the following components:

1. a small motor from an old printer, drive or scanner;
2. 8 diodes type 1N4007 for two rectifier bridges;
3. capacitor with a capacity of 1000 microfarads;
4. PVC pipe and plastic parts;
5. aluminum plates.

The figure below shows the generator circuit.

Stepper motor: connection diagram to the rectifier and stabilizer

Diode bridges are connected to each motor winding, of which there are two. After the bridges, the LM7805 stabilizer is connected. As a result, the output is a voltage that is usually applied to a 12-volt battery.

Neodymium magnet power generators with extremely high adhesive force have gained great popularity. They should be used carefully. With a strong impact or heating to a temperature of 80-250 0 C (depending on the type), neodymium magnets demagnetize.

As a basis for a do-it-yourself generator, you can take the hub of the car.

Rotor with neodymium magnets

About 20 neodymium magnets with a diameter of about 25 mm are glued onto the hub with superglue. Single-phase generators are made with an equal number of poles and magnets.

Magnets located opposite each other must be attracted, i.e. turned by opposite poles. After gluing neodymium magnets, they are filled with epoxy resin.

Coils are wound round, and the total number of turns is 1000-1200. The power of the generator on neodymium magnets is selected so that it can be used as a source of direct current, about 6A to charge the battery at 12 V.

Mechanical

The blades are made from plastic pipe. Blanks 10 cm wide and 50 cm long are drawn on it, and then cut out. A bushing is made on the motor shaft with a flange to which the blades are attached with screws. Their number can be from two to four. Plastic will not last long, but for the first time it will be enough. Now enough wear-resistant materials have appeared, for example, carbon fiber and polypropylene. Stronger aluminum alloy blades can then be made.

The blades are balanced by cutting off excess parts at the ends, and the angle of inclination is created by heating them with a bend.

The generator is bolted to a piece of plastic pipe with a vertical axis welded to it. An aluminum alloy weather vane is also installed coaxially on the pipe. The axle is inserted into the vertical tube of the mast. A thrust bearing is installed between them. The whole structure can freely rotate in a horizontal plane.

The electric board can be placed on a rotating part, and the voltage can be transmitted to the consumer through two slip rings with brushes. If the board with a rectifier is installed separately, then the number of rings will be six, how many pins a stepper motor has.

The windmill is mounted at a height of 5-8 m.

If the device will generate energy efficiently, it can be improved by making it vertically axial, for example, from a barrel. The design is less subject to lateral overloads than the horizontal one. The figure below shows a rotor with blades made from barrel fragments, mounted on an axis inside the frame and not subject to overturning force.

Wind turbine with a vertical axis and a barrel rotor

The profiled surface of the barrel creates additional rigidity, due to which thinner sheet metal can be used.

Wind generator with a capacity of more than 1 kilowatt

The device should bring tangible benefits and provide a voltage of 220 V so that you can turn on some electrical appliances. To do this, it must independently start and generate electricity in a wide range.

To make a wind generator with your own hands, you must first determine the design. It depends on how strong the wind is. If it is weak, then the sail version of the rotor may be the only option. More than 2-3 kilowatts of energy cannot be obtained here. In addition, it will need a gearbox and a powerful battery with a charger.

The price of all equipment is high, so you should find out if it will be beneficial for the house.

In areas with strong winds, a home-made wind generator can produce 1.5-5 kilowatts of power. Then it can be connected to a 220V home network. It is difficult to make a device with more power on your own.

Electric generator from a DC motor

As a generator, you can use a low-speed motor that generates electric current at 400-500 rpm: PIK8-6 / 2.5 36V 0.3Nm 1600min-1. Body length 143 mm, diameter 80 mm, shaft diameter 12 mm.

What does a DC motor look like?

It needs a multiplier with a gear ratio of 1:12. With one revolution of the windmill blades, the electric generator will make 12 revolutions. The figure below shows a diagram of the device.

Windmill device diagram

The gearbox creates an additional load, but still less than for a car alternator or starter, where a gear ratio of at least 1:25 is required.

It is advisable to make the blades from an aluminum sheet measuring 60x12x2. If you install 6 of them on the motor, the device will not be so fast and will not peddle with large gusts of wind. It should be possible to balance. To do this, the blades are soldered to the bushings with the possibility of winding onto the rotor so that they can be moved further or closer to its center.

The power of a permanent magnet generator made of ferrite or steel does not exceed 0.5-0.7 kilowatts. It can be increased only on special neodymium magnets.

A generator with a non-magnetized stator is not suitable for operation. With a small wind, it stops, and after that it will not be able to start on its own.

Constant heating during the cold season requires a lot of energy, and heating a large house is a problem. For giving in this regard, it can come in handy when you have to go there no more than 1 time per week. If everything is weighed correctly, the heating system in the country works for only a few hours. The rest of the time the owners are in nature. Using a windmill as a source of direct current for charging the battery, in 1-2 weeks you can accumulate electricity for space heating for such a period of time, and thus create sufficient comfort for yourself.

To make a generator from an AC motor or a car starter, they need to be redesigned. The motor can be upgraded to a generator if the rotor is made on neodymium magnets, machined to their thickness. It is made with the number of poles, like the stator, alternating with each other. The rotor on neodymium magnets glued to its surface should not stick during rotation.

Types of rotors

Rotor designs vary. Common options are shown in the figure below, where the values ​​​​of the wind energy utilization factor (KIEV) are indicated.

Types and designs of wind turbine rotors

For rotation, windmills are made with a vertical or horizontal axis. The vertical version has the advantage of ease of maintenance when the main nodes are located at the bottom. The thrust bearing is self-aligning and has a long service life.

The two blades of the Savonius rotor create jerks, which is not very convenient. For this reason, it is made of two pairs of blades spaced 2 levels apart with one rotated relative to the other by 90 0 . Barrels, buckets, pots can be used as blanks.

The Darrieus rotor, whose blades are made of elastic tape, is easy to manufacture. To facilitate promotion, their number should be odd. The movement is jerky, because of which the mechanical part quickly breaks. In addition, the tape vibrates as it rotates, making a roar. For permanent use, this design is not very suitable, although the blades are sometimes made of sound-absorbing materials.
In an orthogonal rotor, the wings are profiled. The optimal number of blades is three. The device is high-speed, but it must be untwisted at start-up.

The helicoid rotor has a high efficiency due to the complex curvature of the blades, which reduces losses. It is used less frequently than other windmills due to its high cost.

Horizontal bladed rotor design is the most efficient. But it requires a stable average wind, and it also needs hurricane protection. Blades can be made from propylene when their diameter is less than 1 m.

If you cut the blades from a thick-walled plastic pipe or barrel, you will not be able to achieve power above 200 watts. The segment profile is not suitable for compressible gaseous media. A complex profile is needed here.

The diameter of the rotor depends on how much power is required, as well as on the number of blades. A two-bladed 10 W requires a rotor with a diameter of 1.16 m, and a 100 W - 6.34 m. For a four- and a six-bladed rotor, the diameter will be 4.5 m and 3.68 m, respectively.

If you put the rotor directly on the generator shaft, its bearing will not last long, since the load on all the blades is uneven. The support bearing for the windmill shaft must be self-aligning, with two or three tiers. Then the rotor shaft will not be afraid of bends and displacements during rotation.

A large role in the operation of the windmill is played by the current collector, which must be regularly serviced: lubricated, cleaned, adjusted. The possibility of its prevention should be provided, although this is difficult to do.

Security

Wind turbines with a power exceeding 100 W are noisy devices. In the courtyard of a private house, you can install an industrial wind turbine if it is certified. Its height should be higher than the nearest houses. Even a low-power windmill cannot be installed on the roof. Mechanical vibrations from its work can create resonance and lead to the destruction of the structure.

High rotation speeds of the wind generator require high-quality manufacturing. Otherwise, if the device is destroyed, there is a danger that its parts may fly off over long distances and cause injury to a person or pets. This should be especially taken into account when making a windmill with your own hands from improvised materials.

Video. Wind generator with your own hands.

The use of wind turbines is not advisable in all regions, since it depends on climatic features. In addition, making them with your own hands does not make sense without some experience and knowledge. To get started, you can take on the creation of a simple design with a power of several watts and a voltage of up to 12 volts with which you can charge your phone or light an energy-saving lamp. The use of neodymium magnets in the generator can significantly increase its power.

Powerful wind turbines, which take over a significant part of the power supply at home, are best purchased industrial, to create a voltage of 220V, while carefully weighing the pros and cons. If you combine them with other types of alternative energy sources, electricity can be enough for all household needs, including a home heating system.