How can I build a simple and cost-effective wind power generator?

[an_mui]

Hi everyone,

I need to build a wind power generator for a grade 11 physics project, but i dont' want to spend too much money on it. Can anyone tell me a cost-effective way of making a wind power generator that works? Thanks

 

[Newton1Law]

an mui,
Try using a simple alternator from any car. You could get one from a junk yard. Take a fan blade from an old floor fan and mount it to a rotating shaft on a bearing assembly. On this shaft mount a pulley. Mount the alternator below the fan shaft and connect it to the fan shaft using a v-belt. You'll need a small 12 volt latern battery to start the field on the alternator. When the wind blows and rotates the fan and alternator assembly, you will be able to draw off 10 to 14 volts DC from the alternator and an amperage supply depending on the wind speed and the amount of load you attach to the output.

You may be able to directly drive the alternator by mounting the fan blades on to the front of the alterbnator where the existing pulley assembly is.

What does you physic's teacher want the generator to be able to do? May be I can suggest alternatives. Is there a minimum power level it must be able to supply? If it can be really small, you could buy a small DC motor from Radio Shack and re-wire it to act as a generator. Let me know.

Hope this helps,

Newton1Law

 

[an_mui]

Newton1Law,

Yes that really helped, but I don't think it needs to be that complicated. The instruction was: "Your presentation should include a poster board and model displaying some feature of how the energy technology works (e.g. a simple model of a generator to demonstrate the generation of electricity). I think the model only needs to demonstrate that electricity can actually be created by winds.

Thank you for your help,

An_mui

 

[Newton1Law]

Simple Wind Generator

An_Mui,

The the model yuo may need can downloaded from, http://www.windenergy.com/SUPPORT/downloads.html

Look at ma403_d.pdf

Hope this helps,

Newton1Law