Choosing a wind turbine. Wind turbines for home: types, approximate prices, DIY
Wind generator is a good idea for country house. It saves energy and does not harm the environment. Before wind generator for a residential cottage was a curiosity, an innovation, but now it is quite common.
To choose a wind generator, you need to understand what it is in general, what types it is found and what is needed for their payback and correct operation. Surely you have already seen surreal photos of a wind turbine on the Internet or footage from a movie and became interested in this wonderful source of alternative energy.
Let's take a look at how a wind turbine works. The air flow rotates the rotor blades fixed on the shaft of the wind generator itself. In its winding, an electric current is generated. Electricity is stored in batteries and then fed into a serviced private home.
Wind generator device
The controller, which is located after the generator, converts the three-phase alternating current into permanent. The controller is responsible for controlling the current throughout electrical circuit, can switch it to charge batteries.
Then the current enters the inverter, where it is converted from direct to alternating. All this leads to insignificant energy losses - about 20%
Complete set of wind turbines for home
- Rotor. They are divided into two-, three- and multi-bladed;
- Reducer. Regulates how fast the rotor rotates;
- Battery. Collection or consumption of energy;
- inverter. Converts current from direct to alternating;
- Casing. Protects the windmill from negative natural factors;
- "Tail". It is necessary to turn the wind generator in the direction of wind movement;
How to Calculate the Efficiency of a Wind Turbine
Wind is a changeable phenomenon and depends on natural conditions and climate features. Sometimes it blows very strongly, and at other times it is almost zero. Therefore, you should first understand whether a windmill is needed at all in a given place, whether it is cost-effective.
It is necessary to know the average annual wind speed in the study area. If it turns out to be less than 4 m / s, then it is not worth buying a wind farm, it will not pay off your investment. If there is enough wind, it is necessary to choose the power of the installation correctly.
Let's calculate the average electricity consumption for one family. Approximate value will be 100-300 kilowatts per month. With an average annual wind speed in the region of 5-8 meters per second, a wind generator with a power of up to 3 kW is needed. In winter, when the wind is stronger, electricity production will increase.
Their cost will depend on the power and efficiency of wind turbines. It ranges from $2,000 to $8,000 per 1kW of electricity. In operation, the windmill is more economical than a gasoline generator.
Wind turbines with a horizontal axis of rotation are optimally placed at a level of 25 - 35 meters above the ground. Vertical wind turbines can be placed on the surface of the earth.
Vertical wind turbines are easy to place, which cannot be said about horizontal ones. These installations need special masts, which are fastened with guy wires and stand on the foundation.
Installation powerful wind generator carried out with a crane. This is a rather laborious process, so windmills for residential buildings are preferred to be made without masts. Wind turbines with a vertical axis of rotation are the cheapest. They function well even if the wind is weak.
These plants are relatively new and so far we can only talk about low cost, low noise level and, unfortunately, low efficiency.
The mast for the wind generator is easily made independently. But the rest of the equipment must be factory. Of course, there are masters with "golden hands" who make windmills from old technology.
The material is used by electric motors, and generators from cars, and even wheels from electric bicycles. But such installations always turn out to be less effective than factory ones. And it's unreliable.
And you should also know that the larger the blade and the more powerful generator, topics more electricity can do the installation. It would be nice if it didn't increase the cost. Therefore, before you start to figure out how to choose a wind turbine for your home, you need to know exactly the required power.
Placement and operation
The question will inevitably arise: where will the windmill be installed? Here are the points to consider:
- Ideally, the wind generator should be installed above ground level.
- Nearby there should be no structures, trees and anything that reduces productivity
- It is good if the wind turbine is several tens of meters away from residential buildings. Wind turbines are not just noisy, they also emit infrasound, which is felt as a low hum.
How to connect a wind generator to the network
In Russia, with its long winters and constant winds, preference is given to vertical wind generator. The wind generator connection diagram is quite simple: it is installed on the ground or a low mast.
The wind generator can be immediately connected to the boiler, bypassing the inverter and batteries. All this is easy to do on your own.
Cons of wind turbines
- Problems in operation
- Wind turbines are quite noisy.
- Gusty winds and icing can damage wind turbine parts
- The wind turbine requires regular maintenance and replacement of parts.
- The mast must be grounded and a lightning rod installed on it.
- It also requires a signal light for small aircraft.
Advantages of wind turbines
- Do not require payment for the energy sources used;
- Quite autonomous;
- The wind turbine can be operated in most regions;
- Durable, no need frequent replacements and repair;
Alternative energy is actively developing and it is already clear that wind turbines have a great future. They are completely autonomous, do not require non-renewable energy sources and do not pollute environment. Someday a private residential building with wind turbine and solar panels will look quite normal.
Photo of wind turbines for home
It was an innovative technique, but today it is increasingly common in everyday life. To choose such a device for your home, you need to figure out what they are wind farms, what varieties are there and what conditions are needed for their full and cost-effective operation.
Wind generator - what is it?
This device works according to the following principle: the rotation of the blades, which are mounted on the generator shaft, occurs due to the wind flow - this produces an alternating current. Such electricity is accumulated and stored in batteries, consumed household appliances as needed. This diagram is very simplified. In reality, devices are sometimes required that convert electricity.
After the generator, the controller is placed in this circuit. It converts alternating current to direct current, which charges the batteries. Almost all equipment does not operate on direct current, so after the battery you will need another device - an inverter. This device performs the operation in the reverse order, that is, it converts direct current into alternating current with a voltage of 220V. In the course of such manipulations, certain losses of the received electrical energy, which is approximately 15-20%. This is a big part.
In the case when several devices are used to generate electricity (windmill plus solar panels or a fuel generator), you will need to supplement the circuit with a switch (ATS). It will be required so that when one of the devices is turned off, the other one is turned on - the backup one.
Top 5 best wind turbines for a private house (prices)
| Model | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Wind generator "Condor Home" - 0.5 kW Buy |
|
Wind turbine WW/FD 5.5 - 2 kW/48VDC 
Buy |
|
Wind generator FD 8 -10 kW 
Buy |
|
Buy |
|
Horizontal-axial wind generator "Condor Air 380 - 10 kW" 
Buy |
|
To get the maximum possible power, it is necessary to place the windmill along the wind flow. This moment is realized according to the principle of a weather vane. Need to be fixed vertical blade at the opposite end of the generator - this is done so that she turns it towards the air currents. If a more powerful installation is used, a rotary electric motor is installed on it.
Varieties and features of wind turbines for a private house
All wind generators are divided into two groups:
- with a rotor placed vertically;
- with a horizontal rotor.
The first type is considered less efficient for generating electricity: its efficiency is less than that of horizontal ones, almost three times.
On a note! The advantages are ease of assembly and reliability. Low noise makes possible mounting such a device on the roof of the house and at ground level. Such devices are resistant to bad weather conditions(hurricane, icing). They start working from a weak wind force of 1-2 m / s.
If we talk about horizontal ones, then they will need a wind force of at least 3.5 m / s, however, these devices are the most common. The efficiency level is 50%, but the noise and vibration will be quite high. In order to install such a device, you will need a lot of free space, up to 100 meters, and a high mast.
The use of a wind generator for 220V can be justified in a number of cases:
- inability to join the public power system;
- you can make the device yourself;
- in the case of active participation in the movement of environmental security of the planet.
Note! It just doesn’t make sense to mount a windmill to power the house, because even if in your geographical latitude the wind is constantly blowing, this does not make the device profitable from an economic point of view.
We calculate and select a wind generator for your home
Air currents cannot flow continuously to your home, such as pipeline gas. This is a capricious natural phenomenon, which can hardly be called permanent. One day it's a hurricane, the next it's completely calm. Before you buy a wind turbine for a private house or make it yourself, you should determine the possibilities of wind in your region. This is estimated using the average annual wind strength. This parameter is easily found on the Internet.
If you get a force less than 4 m / s, then you should not install a windmill, because it will not be able to generate required amount electricity. As soon as you have decided on the moment that you can install the device, you should select a generator in terms of power.
It is also necessary to remember about devices for the protection and autonomous operation of the wind power generator. The continuous supply of energy to the house depends on this.
- All installations must be equipped with lightning protection: this is necessary because the windmill is high construction made from conductive materials.
- It is imperative to equip the device with anti-icing protection - this will avoid ice on the turbine blades in the cold season.
- The installation must be equipped with a fire extinguishing system. This will allow you to quickly localize the source of fire, the reasons for which may be several: oil leakage, short circuit, lightning strike.
- In order to create the correct operation of the windmill at different gusts of wind, apply automatic system braking. wind from high speed able to disable the gearbox and the generator itself, so you simply cannot do without a brake.
Wind turbine installation options
Before you buy a 220 V wind generator for a private house, you need to know how and where to install it. There are a number of points to consider when installing:
- the device must be mounted on a special structure, which must necessarily exceed by several meters all standing side by side buildings;
- note that there should not be nearby trees and pillars, as well as objects that reduce the performance of the generator;
- most the best way- 50 m away from the residential building, due to the presence of noise, which can cause discomfort to people.
It will not be possible to obtain a constant energy production over time. This is due to the fact that the conditions of nature are constantly changing. Consider in advance where to use the excess electricity that will arise during strong wind. For example, you can provide water heating in a boiler or electric heater for the home. This feature should turn on automatically in strong winds and light loads.
For a climate with a long winter, models are more suitable vertical arrangement rotor. You can install such a device on the ground or on a low mast. In addition, it can be directly connected to the power grid with and boiler. In this case, you can try to do without an inverter and batteries. Most often, such a connection scheme can be implemented with your own hands without the involvement of third-party organizations. Such a wind generator can serve for.
You should also solve some problems that are associated with the operation of the windmill:
- First, the presence of noise. This is unlikely to please your neighbors, in addition, infrasound can be uncomfortable to hear. To eliminate this feature, install the device as far as possible from residential buildings;
- secondly, the obligatory presence of grounding and lightning protection, as well as signaling system for aviation at the highest point of the structure. Please note that vibration will be generated during operation. This means that the mast must not come into contact with other objects;
- thirdly, the generator itself and other parts of the system. Batteries and inverters require regular maintenance and systematic replacement. The mast also needs to be painted, inspected and looked after in a timely manner;
- fourthly, there is a possibility of damage during icing or a strong hurricane.
How to choose an electric generator?
If you decide to buy a wind turbine for, you need to study the prices. Pay attention to appliances Russian production, as well as those made in China: they will be much cheaper than similar European-made units.
To do right choice, it is worth considering all the pros and cons of installations. Advantages of wind turbines:
- costs are needed only for the maintenance of the installation;
- well-coordinated work will not require intervention;
- the device can be used in many climatic zones;
- all components of the system are subject to slight wear.
It is necessary to find and purchase a neodymium generator that will allow you to remove wind energy. The screw can be both sailing and rotary. To collect everything and install on a support, you need to do concrete base that will hold it securely. Using stretch marks, you need to fix the mast in a vertical position.
A wind generator (windmill) is a device that converts the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical energy with subsequent transfer to electricity. Production of wind turbines in Russia for last years has grown significantly along with the interest of consumers. Today, imported and Russian wind turbines with a capacity of 0.1 to 70 kW are presented on the market. You can buy wind turbines for your home in the companies listed below, whose products are most popular with consumers:
- Vetro Svet LLC (St. Petersburg), wind turbine power 0.25–1.5 kW;
- SKB Iskra LLC (Moscow), power 0.5 kW;
- OOO GRTs-Vertical (Chelyabinsk region, Miass), power 1.5–30 kW;
- Sapsan-Energia LLC (Moscow region), power 0.5–5 kW;
- CJSC Wind Energy Company (St. Petersburg), power 5 and 30 kW;
- LMW "Wind Energy" (Khabarovsk), power 0.1–10 kW.
Distinguish domestic and industrial wind turbines:
- Household wind turbines - windmills of small power, sufficient to provide energy to a private house. Their operation requires a constant wind speed of 4 m / s, and the latest developments in equipment make it possible to generate electricity even in light winds.
- Industrial wind turbines have a power of several MW. Such installations operate in the far north in areas with constant strong winds.
Necessary conditions for the operation of the generator:
- average annual wind speed not less than 4 m/s;
- free space for installing a windmill (preferably on a hill);
- it is not required to officially coordinate the installation with the local administration - you just need to inform it;
- consent of neighbors to install - noise, wind turbine, can cause dissatisfaction with people living nearby;
- in addition to the installation itself, you will need a mass of additional equipment: batteries, an inventory installation, a control system, a mast.
How much does a wind generator cost
The prices of Russian-made wind turbines are lower than German, Danish or Indian ones. The cheapest Chinese windmills, although their quality is much lower. The simplest wind turbines for private homes cost up to $500. They can be used for local power generation, but they cannot solve the problem of full power supply at home. More powerful wind generators from 3 kW to fully provide a home with electricity will cost more.
Approximate cost of a set of wind generators for a home:
- for a small private (country) house, power 3 kW/72V, equiv. $1700-1800;
- to provide electricity to the cottage, power 5 kW/120V, equiv. $4000;
- to provide electricity to several houses or a farm, power 10 kW / 240V, equiv. $8500.
Wind turbines with a vertical axis of rotation of Russian production are in special demand. Among the advantages of this equipment:
- small necessary wind speeds for rotor movement;
- independence from wind direction;
- low sound background, no vibration;
- Bird-safe design
- no forced start required;
- works in any weather conditions, with any wind strength.
The prices of wind generators for the home are considerable, but the cost of electricity is constantly growing, and wind turbines quickly pay off. Among the shortcomings, we note the large material consumption, the low coefficient of conversion of wind energy into electricity, the large dimensions of large-capacity installations.
How to make a wind generator with your own hands
Buying a factory wind turbine is not always The best decision. The main obstacle is high price industrial windmills. Such equipment can not be installed in every area - a special permit is required to install the mast, and it is dangerous to leave the equipment in an uninhabited place. Alternative option- make a wind generator for a private house with your own hands. In many cases this is acceptable given minimum costs and the opportunity to be creative.
A rotary wind generator is a relatively simple converting device. It will not be enough to fully provide electricity to the mansion, but for a small country house homemade windmill quite enough. He will be able to illuminate the house, outbuildings, paths on the site, etc.
The easiest option is to use it as a windmill generator car alternator. Autogenerators are inexpensive, well repaired, on the market big choice. At a cost, they are approximately $20 per 1 kW. They give out a stable voltage from a certain speed and are docked with 12 volt batteries.
Disadvantages:
- require high revolutions - from 1.5-2.0 thousand and above per minute;
- inferior in reliability to factory generators for windmills;
- have a relatively small resource (up to 4000 hours of operation), which is offset by low cost.
To assemble a wind generator with your own hands from a 1.5 kW car generator, you will need:
- car generator for 12 v;
- a rechargeable battery of the appropriate voltage;
- converter from 12 to 220v, power 1.3 kW;
- a small barrel (bucket) made of aluminum or steel;
- charging relay and car warning lamp;
- moisture-proof switch, 12v;
- voltage control device (old voltmeter);
- copper wire from 2 mm in cross section;
- fasteners (bolts, washers, nuts, clamps).
From hand tool you will need: metal scissors, a grinder, a measuring tape, a pencil, screwdrivers, wrenches in a set, pliers, an electric drill with drills.
A few key points in the manufacture of a wind generator:
- Maximum efficiency can be achieved by converting the car generator under permanent magnets. To do this, the excitation winding must be replaced with several ferrite magnets.
- By turning a non-magnetic rotor out of titanium or other non-magnetic material, magnetization of the rotor can be avoided.
- To increase current generation at low speeds, you need to rewind the stator, increasing the number of turns by 5 times and reducing the wire diameter.
- Installing neodymium magnets on the rotor will increase the power of the generator at low speeds. An even number of magnets are attached to a steel band, which must be attached to the base of the inside of the generator. When installing magnets to increase power, you need to alternate the polarity.
- For the manufacture of blades, an duralumin pipe is suitable, the fasteners are made of steel. The blades must be balanced, as well as to lighten the design as much as possible by removing the excess with a grinder and emery.
There are a lot of materials on the net detailed description works, so there is no need to repeat
The most simple model a factory wind generator for dacha lighting will cost at least 60-70 thousand rubles. An alternative windmill can be made using the old engine as the main structural element. washing machine. And in this case, you can’t do without expenses, but you can meet just a few thousand rubles.
For a wind generator from a washing machine, you will have to buy a rotor with your own hands. You can make it yourself if you buy neodymium magnets, but their price is about the same as that of ready-made Chinese 2.5 kW rotors. In addition, the production of the rotor is technically difficult. In addition to the rotor, you will need:
- the shaft is long;
- reducer;
- gears;
- impeller;
- mast 10-12 meters long (can be made from 32 mm pipes).
An electric motor is suitable for the gearbox housing industrial pump. The impeller is installed in a horizontal plane.
An impeller with a blade length of 1.5 m is best made from a durable duralumin corner or fiberglass. Often it is proposed to make blades from plywood, but from experience, with a wind of 10-15 m / s at a height, plywood blades break. The shaft must be firmly fixed, and at the same time rotate freely. The rotating shaft is connected to the generator by a flange.
For more information on how to make a wind generator from a washing machine, see the video below.
How to install a wind generator
- Install the wind generator in an open space, preferably on a hill. Support height not less than 10 m;
- attach the mast to the support (pole);
- mount the reducer with the impeller on the mast;
- connect the shaft to the gear at the base of the gearbox;
- connect the shaft to the generator through the flange;
- Above the windmill, you can install a small canopy from precipitation - this will extend the life of the wind generator.
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28.05.2015The Future of Wind Energy: Bladeless Wind Turbine
Spanish developers from the company Vortex Bladeless presented a revolutionary wind turbine project. Unlike the "windmills" with three blades that are already familiar to us, slowly rotating and creaking in the wind, now these devices will have a completely different shape.
Usually, designers try in every possible way to minimize the impact of vortices and wind load(especially in the case of bridges), but in the new wind turbine it's the other way around - now the turbines will amplify the turbulence! The proposed concept is as follows: support post there is a huge propeller that has not become familiar in Europe, rotating in a vertical plane, and a design in the form of an inverted cone, expanding at the top. This cone will "collect" air whirlwinds and, sucking them in like a tornado, multiply their strength.
Ring-shaped magnets are installed at the base of the structure, generating mutually repulsive fields. They will take on the function of a kind of motor. The task of these magnets is to push the funnel in the opposite direction to where the air currents direct it, thus causing it to produce even more vibrations, and as a result, kinetic energy, which is then converted into electricity at the alternator.
It is stated that the design will not have direct interaction between moving and stationary parts, and, as a result, friction between them, and with it the need for periodic lubrication and replacement of spare parts.
With regard to performance, according to the results of the tests performed, a bladeless turbine produces on average 30% less energy than an ordinary one. At first glance, this significant disadvantage, and it immediately becomes somehow incomprehensible why then such a novelty is needed at all. But back to some aspects of alternative energy: due to the fact that the energy from windmills is generally unstable, and it is necessary to keep a uniform voltage in the network, wind turbines designed to produce electricity in bulk are never installed in a single copy. To ensure a more or less uniform and uninterrupted supply of electricity, dozens of them are required. Right here new development bladeless turbines are "returning to the game" - much more of them can be installed on the same area. In addition, the cost of manufacturing and installation of new "funnel" turbines, as their authors say, will be half that of traditional ones. It will also reduce the cost of operation.
Note that supporters new design environmentalists can also become - the new device is much "friendlier" for birds flying by and sheep grazing nearby than the rotating blades of ordinary "windmills". In addition, carbon fiber glass will be used in the production of new turbines - more eco-friendly material than the one that goes to conventional wind turbines. Moreover, the total amount of materials used will also decrease. And the new "funnel" will be almost silent.
Wind generators are widely used in the most different countries, but still successful work too dependent on external factors beyond human control. For example, suddenly there will be complete calm, and what, without light to sit? And now the Spanish company Vortex Bladeless has shown a completely non-standard approach to this issue. According to one of the founders of the company, David Suriol, their generator is capable of generating electricity stably without blades and other rotating structural elements.
Principle
New wind turbine fluttering gracefully in the wind. “She looks like asparagus,” David humorously points out some of the resemblance. The work is based on the principle of the formation of a vortex when the wind goes around an obstacle.
Any object placed in the way air flow, creates undulating turbulence behind it. A whole science, called aerodynamics, is devoted to combating this phenomenon, which interferes with the movement of aircraft, cars and other types of equipment that require a special approach to streamlining the shape. The wind can even cause the destruction of the bridge. And so the Spanish engineers decided to put turbulence at the service of energy.
Construction and materials
The thin cone-shaped turbine is made of carbon fiber glass. The machine that converts the mechanical vibrations of the system into electricity is located not from above (as in traditional turbines), but from below, so greater strength is achieved. The design guarantees the synchronization of the vortex processes occurring in the cone, which is necessary for optimal efficiency. The design also includes a ring magnet (at the base of the oscillatory system) that maintains uniform rotation (it is the only element that rotates) regardless of wind speed.
Advantages
The system has more than enough advantages. It is inexpensive to manufacture, unpretentious and cheap to maintain (there are no rubbing parts and even lubrication is not needed). The blades that scare away the birds are absent, there is no noise. If wind turbines need smooth, laminar airflow, which requires them to be raised high, then the Vortex oscillatory system is completely uncritical to either wind uniformity or fluctuation. According to the authors of the project, it's all about the magnets, but they still do not fully reveal their secret.
Have vortex generator and critics who recall that in the 80s, work on such systems was already underway, but was not crowned with success due to the unpredictability of circulating oscillatory processes. At that time, it was not possible to achieve sustainable generation of electricity, but Vortex engineers assure that they succeeded, at least in the wind tunnel, and in the open air too. Wait and see.