Articles in the Wind Generator Category
Posted in Micro Wind Generator, Vertical Wind Generator, Wind Generator on 20 March 2012
Wind Powered Generators is a rotating machine that is able to convert kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy and then is converted to electrical energy. The first wind powered generator in the United States was erected in Cleveland with the assistance of Charles F. Brush (1888). By the World War I period, American windmill creators were producing around more than one hundred thousand windmills for farms each year, commonly for H2O siphoning.
Wind Powered Turbines must be installed in places with high constant wind speeds. With a wind commodity judgment, total quantity of power produced from the wind turbine can be properly assessed. A yardstick is occasionally used to establish the prime place is referred as Wind Power Density. Its calculation is derived relating to the practical potential of wind at a precise place, occasionally asserted in expressions of height above ground level over a measure of time, and accounts wind speed and wind mass.
There are several criticisms of Wind Powered Generators. Wind power is generally considered as intermittent power source. The energy production may decrease or increase over a short period of time without warning. High quality wind areas are mostly inhospitable to people, logistics and transmission of power can create problems to installations. Wind turbines affect local wild life to a smaller extent. Less than 10,000 birds are killed by wind turbines. It also pose hazards to bats, however is less likely threatening than house glass or house cats in terms of magnitude and gravity of danger. Wind power generators have much more favorable life cycle imparts than other conventional energy generation technology.
Posted in Micro Wind Generator, Wind Generator on 11 March 2012
Residential Wind Generator is wind turbine designed to be install in homes. A wind turbine functions by harnessing the power of the wind, into mechanical energy and then converting it into useful electrical energy. Most modern home turbines do not require batteries and is directly attached to the house’ power grid. It cuts down electricity bills by about 50%-90% depending on wind speed, turbine output and many other factors. In typical home turbines, the required wind speed is not below 7-10 mph; going below will not produce output electricity. Typical residential wind generators are installed on towers and relatively large, making it unpractical for confined areas in urban and suburban areas. And windy areas are most practical for installation.
A typical American home uses over 9,000 kilowatt-hour (kWh) per year (around 700 kWh per month). Depending on wind speed, the recommended rating of a wind turbine is in the range of 5 to 15 kilowatts to make an effective contribution to meet the demand. Most home turbine systems require less or no maintenance at all and can run up to 20 years depending on weather conditions. Most modern turbine system does not require any modification on the wiring system of the house. Price ranges from $6,000 to $20,000 or more depending on output and product and can be pre-installed by the manufacturer for an extra price, this also provides better after sales support; however one can self install the turbine system for a cheaper option provide you have knowledge on installation of residential wind generators.
Posted in Wind Generator on 28 February 2012
Used Wind Generators are generally 2nd hand or re-used wind generator. Most of the used wind generators sold have damages such as damaged wind blade, defective generator, and old model, needs replacement parts and needs repairs. However used wind generators are up to 50% cheaper than brand new ones. A wind generator is a mechanical device that converts kinetic power in the wind into mechanical energy and then it is converted to usable electrical energy.
Most wind generators today are of two types: Horizontal Axis type and Vertical Axis type.
The Horizontal Axis type (HAWT) has the main rotor shaft and electrical generator located at the apex of a tower and must be pointed in the direction of the wind. Small turbines are guided into the proper direction using a device known as a wind vane, at the same time larger turbine generally use more advance wind sensor using a servo motor. Commonly, a gearbox that turns the sluggish rotation of the blades into a much faster rotation that is better applicable for wind electricity generation. HAWT has advantages in variable wind blades that can be adjusted to suit the maximum wind collection for different season; tall tower base can collect more energy in sites with wind shears, high efficiency because the blades will move perpendicularly to the wind.
The Vertical Axis type (VAWT) has the main rotor shaft positioned vertically. Advantages to this position are the wind turbine does not essentially to be at the direction of the wind to be useful, has advantage on sites which have high variability of wind direction and lesser noise signature than the HAWT.
Posted in Micro Wind Generator, Wind Generator on 25 February 2012
Wind Generators for home use are installed to help reduce electricity bill. Savings may reach 50%-90% depending on location and model. It is common to home wind generator owners with homes powered by electricity to gain monthly bills of utterly $9-$16 or even less for 9 months. In areas of the United States that has less use of air-conditioning; bills can be less annually. The money saved from wind turbine use can vary on location, wind speeds, amount of electricity used, and the wind generator itself.
Homes in the United States approximately use more than 9,000 kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity annually (more than 780 kilowatt-hour per month). Relying upon median wind speed of the vicinity, a wind turbine classified at the range of 6-16 kilowatts would be needed to make compelling benefaction to meet the demand.
Most wind generators for home use are around $6,000-$22,000 installed depending on size, energy production, and service agreements with the manufacturer. The wind system will usually bring investment back through utility savings within 6 to 15 years depending on several factors, and after that the electricity it provides will be free. In long term cases, a wind home generator is a good investment because a well-sited wind system increases value, similar to other home improvement and land. Most wind system buyers are in preparation for retirement because electricity rates can be unpredictable in years to come. Most manufacturers offer with assisted installations or self-install of the wind system. However the self-install is cheaper provide you have knowledge on proper installation.
Posted in Wind Generator, Wind Turbine on 19 February 2012
Wind Turbine Generator is a mechanical rotating machine which converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy and then converted into useful electrical energy. Due to environmental and economical concerns, wind turbine can be an alternative source of energy and, does not produce harmful green house gases. Wind turbines especially in wind farm, require constant winds with high speeds; wind velocity and mass is also accounted in.
Wind turbines are constructed to capture and harness the wind energy that exists in a location. Through Aerodynamic modeling, one can determine the optimum tower height, blade number and control system.
20% of the total cost of the wind turbine is attributed to the rotor parts, which houses the wind generator turbine blades for transforming the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical energy.
34% of the total cost of wind turbine is attributed to the generator component, consist of the electrical dynamo, and regulates electrical components and gearbox; which converts the mechanical energy from the turbine to electrical energy.
15% of the total cost, concerns with the wind turbine that comes from the structural support component, which accommodate the tower and rotor yaw apparatus.
31% is attributed to other parts.
Wind Turbine Generators has impact on wildlife. Noise from the turbine may disturb certain hearing sensitive animals, birds and bats are often killed from collision of the blade. High quality wind locations are often far and inhospitable; creating obstacles in transmission logistics and maintenance. How ever wind turbine has much more favorable life cycle imparts than other alternatives.
Posted in Micro Wind Generator, Solar Panel, Vertical Wind Generator, Wind Generator, Wind Turbine on 13 February 2012
Vertical Axis Wind Generator or Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) is a type of wind turbine that has its rotor shaft position vertically. VAWTs do not need for towers because of this arrangement; generator and gear box are placed near ground level, which is more accessible for maintenance. VAWTs can also utilize wind from any directions. Drawbacks of VAWTs are some design produce pulsating pulse, affects reliability. Wind speeds are more slower at near ground level, so less energy is available to be harnessed by the turbine. Air flow near ground level and other objects can produce turbulent flow, which creates vibration, noise, and bearing wear which lowers reliability of the turbine. However when mounted on top of buildings, this can double the speed as the building redirects wind over the roof.
VAWT advantages:
- A large tower is less generally needed, VAWTs has mounted near ground level and roof tops.
- Models without yaw apparatus are plausible with secured pitch rotor concepts.
- VAWTs are located near ground level, which is more accessible for maintenance.
- VAWTs have lesser startup wind speeds. They can start generating electrical energy at around 6 mp/h (or 10 km/hr)
- VAWTs can be erected at locations where taller structures are not allowed.
- VAWTs tend to create lower noise.
VAWT disadvantages:
- VAWT are less efficient compared to the other type of wind turbine, because of further drag that is created when the blades rotate.
- VAWTs uses guy-wire to secure it, this places strain on the base bearing because the entire mass is on the bearing.
Posted in Micro Wind Generator, Vertical Wind Generator, Wind Generator, Wind Turbine on 7 February 2012
Due to declining natural resources such as fuel, people resort to alternative renewable energy resources. Wind power is one of the cleanest and most efficient alternative energy resources. Wind generators for residencial use are available commercially. They vary in size, model, price and output. All wind generators operates on the principle of using the kinetic energy of the wind, converting to mechanical energy and converting it to useful electrical energy.
Wind generators can save up to 50%-90% on electrical bill depending on several factors such as wind speed and generation output. Homes in United States use about 9,400 kilowatts-hour (kWh) of electricity per year. Depending on average wind speed in the area, a suitable wind turbine would be rated at the range of 5 to 15 kilowatts in order to make enough contribution to meet up the demand.
In buying a wind generator for home use, location is important; not suitable in urban and suburban area, an open area is required; wind generator is relatively a large device and a tower is needed. Also electricity price should be at least 10 cents/kWh. Wind speed is also important, recommended wind speed should not be below 7 to 15 mph.
Price range for wind generator is around $6,000 to $20,000 or more depending on model, size, output and service agreement by the manufacturer. Self installation is cheaper than manufacturer based installation providing you have knowledge on wind generator installation, however manufacturer installed are more hassle free and comes with support after the installation.
Posted in Micro Wind Generator, Wind Generator on 22 January 2012
Wind generator blades are found on wind generators. They are responsible for harnessing the power of the wind. Connected to the motor, they can produce electricity. Wind generator blades are usually 3 blades ranging in size up to about 45 meters, depends on usage and model (smaller blades are used in residential while large blades are used in wind farms). The blades are made of different laminated materials; composites, wood, carbon fiber, metal, fiber glass, and PVC. Different materials have their own advantages; fiber glass has the highest strength-to-weight ratio compared to other material however it is expensive, while PVC and wood are cheaper and are preferred for homemade blades but quality may be compromised. Also different materials are preferred for different usage (home, industrial, farm). The blades molded into airfoils; to maximize the wind’s lift. Most commercial blades are protected against elements and lightning.
Generally, wind generator blades are designed to be wider at the base and narrower at the tips, since area swept by the inner portion of blade is relatively small. Different blades have different pitch and twist; more pitch will result into improved start-up and efficiency while less pitch is better at high performance. The blades twist affect the angle of the blade in which the wind will hit; common home made designs are even twist at 10 degrees at the root and 5 degrees in the tip. Blade balance is also important to prevent vibration; this is easily done on a two rotor blade than the three rotor one.
Posted in Wind Gen, Wind Generator on 31 March 2009
For our first one, and probably yours too, we didn’t want to build a great big home wind power machine. We wanted the project to be manageable. Of course it wouldn’t produce as much power as we wanted but we figured we could build a larger one later (and we did).
Let’s get started- what will you need?
· Detailed plans on how to build wind generators
· A shop or garage big enough to work in
· Simple tools- wrenches, saws, screwdrivers etc.
It’s nice that the plans are designed so that any home handyman can complete the project, no special tools or skills are needed.
The blades for a wind turbine under 5 feet blade diameter (30 inch blades) are made from strong PVC pipe. It is easy to cut and easy to work with. The blades are cut on kind of an angle to center so they work better in the wind.
Don’t worry the plans cover all of the details.
A DC motor is used as a turbine to make power from the wind. Learning how to build a wind generator is really just a simple matter of sizing the motor to the blades, the bigger the motor the bigger the blades.
The body and tail of the machine, it was suggested that we use a free source of stainless steel material so it would weather better.
The tower we also got for free. It seems that people have no use for their old TV towers as they are switching to satellite. These towers are strong, light and easy to find.
Our first wind generator turned out great and only cost about $120 including the plans. We use it along with our solar panels and bio diesel generator to power our home completely off grid.
What if you want to build a bigger one as we chose to do right after this project?
The only real difference is that you will need bigger blades, at least 8 foot diameter (4 foot individual blades) and they should be made from wood.
You need straight clear grained wood with no knots, cedar, spruce or any strong hardwood will work.
While the PVC blades can be made in an hour or so, wooden blades take about a day to complete. Most of the rest of the machine is the same, whether big or small, perhaps a bigger body and frame for the larger models.
Aren’t you tired of rising electric bills?
Isn’t it time you built your own too?
Build A Wind Generator, get started now at the preceding website for all the details to cut your electric bill by learning how to build a wind generator.
By: Bill Freeman
About the Author:
Learning how to build a wind generator was one of the smartest moves we made in our off grid life. It is the fastest most economical way to produce the most power possible by building wind generators.
Posted in Wind Gen, Wind Generator on 23 March 2009
So, how can you build your own home made wind generator? What does it take to do it? How much does it cost? Well, for starters, you can generally build your own wind generator for less than $200. Another great thing is that you can find most of the supplies from your local hardware store. So, for less than $200, you can have something that will be saving you money on a consistent basis. A manufactured wind generator can cost thousands of dollars, so you’re definitely going the cost-effective route by building your own.
One thing I need to mention before you begin building: You need to check with your local government about zoning laws. If you’re in a rural area, you won’t have to worry about this really, as you can place a wind generator on your property. Residential areas might have trouble having one on their property, however; if you check with your city officials, you might be surprised to find out that you can get a permit to have one.
Finally, In order to make sure that your wind generator is built correctly, you will obviously need a great set of detailed instructions that you can use to follow along. Without instructions, how can you build a wind generator? You won’t be able to! Make sure you find easy to follow instructions, so you can get the most out of your newly built wind power system!
By: Bryan Hufford
About the Author:
Are you in search for instructions on how to make a wind generator? Earth4Energy is a complete guide that provides full, detailed instructions on how to build your own wind generator!
To learn more about this guide, visit Earth4Energy Review.