General Electrical Interactions for Home Project

[thepip3r]

soo... this is my first post and I'd like to start out by thanking the PF people for existing and helping the resting of us out. =P

I'd also like to preface my post with, I took physics in high school and that was it. i remember that i really liked it but my career path has taken me more towards programming and have lost much of my knowledge as a result. with that... here goes my post:

so... it happened - I've caught the green bug. along with the massive recycling my wife and i do, i'd like to try and start to wean myself off the power grid. i get a lot of wind and sun at my house so i figured i'd give it a shot.

i started watching DIY vids on making your own turbines and solar panels and have opted to cut my teeth with the turbine option and see what i can't get the wind to do for me. I've already ordered my http://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=BX081-N52" and am waiting for them to come in. however, I've been thinking about the videos and would like to know how to optimally set up my coils-to-magnets as to get the best result?

some of the videos showed the different coils actually being coated in some kind of sticky-appearing liquid? I'm assuming this is some kind of conductive fluid? if so, what is the best over-the-counter type i can make and does anyone have any links on that process?

also, what is the equation, ratio, etc for the strength of the magnets to the amount of coiled wire to use?? I'm assuming standard copper wire is sufficient? i ask this question because i was thinking, "why don't they just wrap more wire to get more electrical current as the magnet passes by?" and then i realized that it's probably the size of the magnet (or strength rather) that dictates how the amount of wire to use.

i could probably keep going with many more questions but will try to keep it generally short enough that i might actually get an answer. =P

thank you for your time and i look forward to hearing from u all.

TIA

 

[Integral]

You want to build your own generator?

You are aware that this is the sort of project that a corporation would devote a team of engineers. Engineers who are already experts in this sort of design. Personally I think you are biting off more than a layperson can chew. Good luck

 

[thepip3r]

hmm interesting response, anything more constructive from anyone else?

 

[mgb_phys]

A lot of the wind power folks build their own alternators, the commercial ones aren't really aimed at low speed.
Volvo wheel bearigns and brake discs seem to be popular, see http://otherpower.com/
and specifically http://otherpower.com/bartmil.html

 

[vk6kro]

The sticky fluid would possibly be epoxy. It is used to just hold the coil together. Older coil makers used varnish but various 2 part mixes like Epoxy are stronger.

When the generator is operating, you can get mechanical forces on the wires, so they need to be held firmly.

Epoxy and other substances are chosen as glues because they are non conductors. We only want electrical currents flowing in the wires.

 

[RonL]

hmm interesting response, anything more constructive from anyone else?

I think you will find this interesting, it has lots of things green related.

Study, Study, Study.

Ron

http://www.builditsolar.com/index.htm

 

[thepip3r]

thank you all for the responses. whether my taking of Integral's response as condescending was correct or not, i don't know. i would like to think that the "green boom" has enlightened many other people towards science (finally) and it is my personal opinion that those who can help, should help freely to keep this trend moving.

there are many new programmers/scripters who come to:

http://www.autoitscript.com/forum/index.php?act=idx
http://www.phpfreaks.com/forums/
http://www.experts-exchange.com/
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/ITCG/threads/
et. al

and i help as many "laypeople" as i can--including the novice-to-intermediate programmers.

i will read the links posted and try to do some more research before i post again. thank you for the information.