Your Questions About Wind Turbines For Home Use
Steven asks…
How can I efficiently use a car alternator to power a home made wind turbine?
I have built my own home made wind turbine. How can I use a car alternator to effciently generate electricity? Any other DIY wind turbine info really welcome.
admin answers:
First off the turbine would power the alternator.
Doesn’t the turbine have a shaft that spins? Mount a pulley on the shaft, use a fan belt to connect the alternator.
Robert asks…
Where can I purchase a residential wind turbine, preferably horizontal in the Chicago area?
I just moved into a split level home in a suburb of Chicago. I was thinking of either installing solar panels or horizontal wind turbines on the roof of my porch. Any help in finding companies for this would be appreciated, I am more interested in wind then solar being that Chicago is pretty far north (little sun in the winter) and known for our wind.
admin answers:
Search and network on the tree hugger and ‘mother earth’ websites. They will probably have info on residential wind turbines. Companies aren’t really interested in marketing residential turbines because the money is in commercial energy production and that is where the resources go. But their are probably some made in the garage type industry out there that has what you need. And good luck finding something in the horizontal variety.
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GudCraft WM450 450W 450 Watt 24 Volt Wind Turbine Residential Wind Generator with Free Charge Controller CD5.0
 | GudCraft 450W Wind Generator is 450W 24 volt model with 3 blades. Fresh 2012 version just shipped from the factory. This is the latest design model. This item is new in the factory unopened box. Comes with Free Charge Controller CD5.0, instruction manual and 1-year warranty from purchase date. | |
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K3 Wind and Solar Mobile Charger (Green)
 | Wind and Solar portable battery charger | |
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ALEKO® WG450A 450 Watt 12 Volt Residential Wind Turbine Generator
 | ALEKO WG450A 450 Watt generator is 12 volt model. Fresh 2013 Version just shipped from the factory. This is the latest design with 5 blades. This item is new in the factory unopened box. Comes with instruction manual and all warranty information (3 year warranty from the purchase date). | |
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Your Questions About Wind Turbine Jobs
Betty asks…
is it possible for people to operate wind turbines almost like peddle bikes?
what i am saying is to make a smaller power generating wind turbine and replace the propellers with a bike…..if this was possible how much power/jobs could this open up?
admin answers:
Hey Bret, Blamay is quite right. We’re assuming you ultimately want to generater electricity by peddeling something, is that correct? Some years ago we built one ourselves using a car alternator. Turns out that just would never work. A car alternator is horribly inefficient, needs to be continuously excited by battery power to generate a magnetic field, and once it is up to speed, it creates huge drag on what little torque a human can bear to get the battery voltage up to where it needs to be. What works much better is an electric scooter motor, inexpensive, permanent magnets, ball bearing movement and lower RPM requirements.
Check out the website below, they make a stand you can strap your bike into, the wheel turns the shaft of a small scooter motor/generator while you peddle. The faster you peddle, the more power you generate.
What you have to understand is that a healthy human being exerting around 75% power is only putting out about 1/4 to 1/3 horsepower. Even in a perfect world, that only equates to about 170 watts. Most people aren’t going to do that for more than 20 or 30 minutes a day, so if you do the math, you’re much farther ahead just purchasing a small 50 watt solar panel and letting it do the work for you, and you don’t need space in the garage to run it. I still think it’s a great idea, that’s why we have one here. Sometimes I’ll pay the kids a nickle to peddle it for 15 minutes if it’s cloudy out for a few days, but you’ll never make a “Ton” of power with even a thousand of these things, they are more a novelty, useful for education and games mainly. If you really want to learn more about renewable energy, check out some of the sites I’ve included below, or click on my avatar and check out some other questions and answers we have done recently. Take care Bret, Rudydoo
Jenny asks…
What type of engineers work in the field of sustainable energy?
Im considering doing a Building Services and Sustainable Engineering degree, what kind of jobs do you think it will open up for me?
Will i be able to work with sustainable/renewable energies, such as solar panels, wind turbines etc? or would i need a different type of engineering course to do that?
Any more information on engineering would be more than helpfull, im not 100% sure whether i want to do an engineering degree or not.
thanks
admin answers:
Hi,
From my own knowledge, jobs open for Sustainable Engineering degree are Electrical Engineer, Project Engineer, Project Admin., Project Manager etc.
Some consultancies provide solar installation courses, but I am not sure if it is what you want to do.
And sustainable engineering is a vast concept, you may need to choose your major orientation later, like wind energy, bioenergy, or solar…
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Wind Turbine Syndrome: A Report on a Natural Experiment
 | Wind energy is a multi-billion dollar a year industry. It's billed as "clean, green, renewable." In this engagingly written, peer-reviewed report by a Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine trained M.D. and Princeton (Population Biology) Ph.D., we discover wind energy's dirty little secret. Many people living within 2 km (1.25 miles) of these spinning giants get sick. So sick that they often abandon (as in, lock the door and leave) their homes. Nobody wants to buy their acoustically toxic h | |
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ALEKO WGV45W 30W Nominal 45W Maximum 24V Residential Vertical Wind Turbine Generator
 | This vertical version of ALEKO brand wind generator can be used around the home, farm, boat, business, or anywhere else where the power is needed.
This is a great working conversation piece to show the potential of what can be done with renewable energy today.
Not only is it perfect for battery maintenance, it can also be used to power remote lighting, laptops, communications equipment, signs, or nearly anything imaginable that is electronic in nature.
You can connect this unit to any 24V DC ba | |
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LEGO City Limited Edition Set #7747 Wind Turbine Transport
 | Transport and build a spinning wind turbine! LEGO® City is going wind-powered! Transport the wind turbines blades and motor on the trucks trailer, then extend it to carry the entire tower to the building site with the help of an escort vehicle to guide you through traffic. Put it all together and let the citys new wind turbine spin! # Contains extendable truck that fits the wind turbine parts! # 2 Minifigures and escort car included! # Wind turbine measures 13 inches (33cm) tall! # Truck and tr | |
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American Educational Wind Turbine
 | Wind turbine. This exciting kit allows students to build and test a fully-functional wind turbine. The 10 page comprehensive guide was developed by the Kidwind Project and contains in depth information about history, turbine design, and wind energy. Students use a multimeter (included) to monitor how much power their wind turbine produces. For grades 6 to 12 and ages 11 to 18 years. | |
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Your Questions About Wind Turbine Generators
Maria asks…
How do i make a Wind Turbine Generator?
Hi, i need to make a wind turbine generator for my science fair project. Links will be appreciated if you know a website with step-to-step diy. thanks so much!
admin answers:
Simple. Jst take a dynamo and a toy fan. Take the wings of this fan and fix it into the shaft of dynamo. Place the fan on the direction of blowing wind.
Michael asks…
Please can you explain why the output voltage of a wind turbine generator is proportional to the angular speed?
Please can you explain why the output voltage of a wind turbine generator is linearly proportional to the angular speed of the rotor based on Faraday’s induction law and the definition of magnetic flux?
Please help me i cant find it anywhere
admin answers:
Faraday’s Law states that the voltage produced in a coil, moving relative to a magnetic field, is directly proportional to the number of turns in the coil times the change in magnetic flux per unit time.
V = -n (dB/dt)
In a rotating machine, obviously the number of turns in the coil is a constant. Also, the magnetic field in permanent magnet generators can be considered a constant for this purpose.
What changes when a wind turbine rotor speeds up (or slows down) is the rate of change of magnetic flux per unit time. When the rotor speeds up, the dt in the denominator becomes smaller (it takes less time for the rotor to move a fixed angle). Therefore, the voltage must increase as the speed increases. Conversely, as the rotor slows down, it takes more time for the rotor to move a some fixed angle and the dt in the denominator becomes larger, causing the voltage to drop. If the rotor is stationary then it effectively takes an infinite amount of time for the rotor to move a given angle. If dt becomes infinity, obviously, V becomes zero.
For the pedants out there:
I am aware that I played a little loose with dt vs. Delta t, but for the purposes here I think it illustrates the point well enough
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Thames & Kosmos Alternative Energy and Environmental Science Wind Power
 | Renewable Energy Science Kit. Build a working wind turbine. Harness mechanical energy to lift weights. | |
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1600 Watt Missouri Raider Wind Turbine – 12 Volts
 | The Missouri Raider 9 blade wind turbine - 1600 watts plus potential wind power. 12 Volt 3-phase AC output to DC output model.
(Can be used as 3 phase output or DC output / Grid tie or battery charging)
3 phase output is the most efficient , no voltage and amperage loss in long runs
like DC suffers from. DC output requires heavy expensive cable and has a high power loss over long runs.
The turbine comes with one Renegade Super PMA with 14 magnet rotor; one 3-phase to DC bridge rectifiers; | |
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GudCraft 900W 900 Watt 12 Volt Wind Turbine Residential Wind Generator
 | GudCraft 900W Wind Generator is 900W 12 volt model with 3 blades. Fresh 2012 version just shipped from the factory. This is the latest design model. This item is new in the factory unopened box. Comes with instruction manual and 1-year warranty from purchase date. | |
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Your Questions About Wind Generators Ebay
David asks…
what happen if the generator continue rotating and there is no one using its generated power?
I just want to make a home made wind mill and I’m afraid it will explode if I’m not home and it continue generating and no one is consuming the generated power.
thanks.
admin answers:
Hi
Some seem to heat the house hot water if the power is not needed.See ebay listings
Betty asks…
What is your current plan to get off of the power grid?
Where I live we have plenty of wind and sunlight. I am going to build a combination of those 2 types. It will cost a bit to get into but once its done I will be independent and can reasonably say I am doing everything I can to get off of polluting energy.
admin answers:
Beat you to it I’m OFF THE MONEY HUNGRY GRID. Ive been building solar panels from old broken cells i get off eBay allot cheaper then buying them and they are working really well . Takes a Little time imagination and work but well worth it. I have a few pics in my blog showing how i do it
I have a flat roof on my house and im building a low level wind mill my own design with the power shaft going through the roof going into the second story room that i use for my power room and that i use for my lab . The generator will be inside of the house . Its a 12 volt permanent magnet generator that came off a john dear tractor . I was going to use a GM alternator but they need to turn faster to produce electricity . The neighborhood thinks I’m the nutty professor but hey nothing like living free and i sure don’t worry about the power company shutting off my power .
Tell you the truth its just been a lot of fun building my own system.
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Wind Turbine Technology (Renewable Energies)
 | Wind energy is a rapidly growing and the demand for trained technicians is high. WIND TURBINE TECHNOLOGY, is a comprehensive and well illustrated book on the theory and operations of wind turbines that generate electricity for power companies. This book is written as an introduction to wind energy technology. It prepares readers for a career as wind energy technicians who are responsible for maintaining, servicing and troubleshooting turbines on wind farms. This is an inclusive book that covers | |
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Cyber Model 100 Wind Generator Kit
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A Wind Turbine Recipe Book
 | A Wind Turbine Recipe Book (Jan 2009 English Units edition)
This is the latest edition of Mr. Piggott's 'axial flux windmill plans' as used in the courses he teaches worldwide. The Recipe Book replaces his older plans 'How to Build a Wind Turbine' (2005).
The Recipe Book is a much better structured document than the older 2005 plans. Rather than evolving 'organically' it is carefully planned to include six different sizes of turbines. Each section offers general advice combined with specific d | |
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Your Questions About Wind Generators For Sale
Lisa asks…
Wind Generators.Does the AC generators for sale on ebay need a battery(exicter) to help them create voltage? I?
Does the AC generators for sale on ebay need a battery(exicter) to help them create voltage? I have a DC generator & it produces voltage without a battery. It will produce about 15 volts by spinning the shaft by hand. Just curious about the AC generator. Thanks.
admin answers:
It depends on the make and model
it is a design criterion
if there are permanent magnets, it will self start, the output control becomes more difficult
if it has only an electromagnet like an automobile alternator then it is much easier to control the output
Guru
Joseph asks…
What would you do if society colapsed end every one was on their own?
no cooperation between anyone, not even families
no utilities or power, unless you can provide it for yourself like your own well or generator and if you can you have to protect it from any one else who might want to steal it for them selves.
no sale or trade between people you just have what you own and what you can take or steal from others.
how long do you think you could last? Where would you go? What’s your plan?
admin answers:
Regenerate society among my family and our neighbors (we already have that planned)
We have wind / solar powering our ranch, and diesel back up… We also raise 80% of our own veggies and 95% of our meat / dairy… We have a 1 year stock of grain, coffee, sugar, etc.
I won’t mention our weapons… Or our security arrangements other than to say that a few Marine Gunny Sergeants and SEALs (friends) have been up here and approved / and improved.
We live 20 miles from town and 90 miles from the city… We have our own valley and access to another four via neighbors… Time to start a tribal / feudal system !!
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Your Questions About Wind Turbine Technician Jobs
Sharon asks…
Is it too inconvenient for a wind turbine technician to live in a residential area and not the country?
Im very interested in a career as a wind turbine technician but I have no idea where the average worker resides. I like the country but do not want to live the country life. I’m more of a city person. I like the commotion. My major concern is I want to live in a residential/suburban neighborhood but still be generally close to my job.
admin answers:
My husband has been a wind turbine technician for around a year. We live in California. The wind turbines that I know of in the Mojave desert are NOT near an urban area, and you would be living in the desert while working. There are wind farms close to San Francisco, though, and you could probably live somewhat close to the work site. But a lot of wind turbine technicians travel. For example, right now my husband is working in Illinois, and he has been there for five months. It is in a rural area, but the city is within an hour drive. 🙂 I don’t know if that helps.
Ken asks…
How do you become a Wind Turbine Technician?
What do i need to learn ? My background is in Electrical & Electronic Engineering,but i am unemployed at the moment and want to take steps in the direction to become a Wind Turbine Technician.
admin answers:
Very limited field.
Congrats on your initiative. Good research efforts.
Complete thorough realistic research to achieve life sustaining income. Maybe accounting, engineering, law, medicine, computers, …. Always get real job descriptions with course requirements from employers, unions, certification groups/associations. Don’t sign up for education till you’ve done this, EVER!!!
Pick a path where you don’t start working bankrupt with debt. Don’t become another casualty of the Trillion$ student debt. You must earn enough, $200k+ to support a family in a major City. Do not low ball your life and your family. If you can’t find work volunteer to get in the door. Try volunteering at good potential employers and go down from there to community service, but get in anywhere and start working/networking, even if its for free.Be a model worker, no yapping, internet, cell phone..start work 30 minutes early and end work 30 minutes after day’s end. Keep learning from more courses, read books, get another language, etc
There are almost 50 million people on food stamps, ~20% of males 25 to 54 yrs not working, lowest SATs in 40 years, debt to GDP over 100%, 25% of global prison inmates with only 5% of global population, etc and whats uncle sams answer to America’s problems? Corrupt political paralysis and meteroic debt plague spiking by adding a trillion dollars of debt in 2013 to criminally prop up financial markets artificially. What a mess we live in!
You are On Your Own. YOYO’s the word. Never forget it. Take control of your own lives and ignore what ever fictonal solutions the politicians and corporate bobble heads throw around as their self-profiteering benevolence.
Abandon obese consumer spending debt addiction culture and resulting self enslavement. Cut your lifestyle in half or less of the destructive unrealistic American dream nightmare standard….small house or apt..one car or no car .. Always have a second job cause the one you have can/will disappear …save and invest over 50% of your income if you can …. Stay with your parents….parents move in with your kids…Rent with friends…rent rooms in your home ..Live like the wage you make today could be the last you’ll earn, always. Stay away from ponzis, addictions, unhealthy lifestyles, get rich scams, online rip offs and purple koolaid cults.
Most of all maintain constructive positive relationships and forward planning. Have fun at it without spending money. What you are wanting to do is great but do it with a strong dose of reality and caring for your future, family and community. Good luck! Cheers:).
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5kW ON-GRID Vertical Axis Wind Turbine – Complete
 | Reliable, affordable, independent, clean electricity with zero greenhouse gas emissions!
Diagrams Brochure Cost Analysis Resellers
Wind energy can be converted to electricity easily and cleanly. With today's rising gas and oil prices driving electricity costs higher and higher, it makes sense to harvest the wind but cost effective alternatives sized to generate enough power were tough to come by.
Not anymore. Finally homeowners and small business owners have an affordable | |
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Check it out!
