windmill power generation

Steve in VA · Jul 16, 2014

G'day all,
I have an Aeromotor 8' mill on a 27' tower. Have any of you coupled a mill to a generator for power? thanks in advance.

buickanddeere · Jul 16, 2014

Technically a windmill runs a water pump or grist mill. A wind turbine makes electricity.
Are you planning on using slip rings or a twisted cable to carry power down from the generator?
Here is one of the best links to the basics around.

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/engineer/facts/03-047.htm

8ft is approx 1.6KW shaft power at 10m/s which is 22mph.A fairly stiff breeze actually.
27ft is about 50ft too short. Any trees of buildings around?
Your location?
This would make a nice little science project that would probably produce 500W on an average of 8hrs a day so 4KW/hr. Between 44cents and 85cents worth of power a day.
Enough power to run a beer fridge, trolling motor battery charger and some LED lights at a hunt camp.
#1 Storing power in batteries or #2 using an ebay grid tie inverter?

Lazy WP · Jul 17, 2014

Why is a 27 foot tower way to short? 27 feet is taller then all but 1 of my windmill towers, and they all turn quite well.
Why couldn't a person hook the "pump rod" up to a fly wheel and use it to turn a generator? No, you aren't going to create a lot of electricity, and you are probably losing a lot of efficiency between the gears in the mill head, which turn rotary power in to vertical power. Then you would have to turn it back to rotary power.
An 8 foot head will lift a 2 3/4" column of water 230 feet. I know cause I have one doing it.

buickanddeere · Jul 17, 2014

(quoted from post at 09:20:51 07/17/14) Why is a 27 foot tower way to short? 27 feet is taller then all but 1 of my windmill towers, and they all turn quite well.
Why couldn't a person hook the "pump rod" up to a fly wheel and use it to turn a generator? No, you aren't going to create a lot of electricity, and you are probably losing a lot of efficiency between the gears in the mill head, which turn rotary power in to vertical power. Then you would have to turn it back to rotary power.
An 8 foot head will lift a 2 3/4" column of water 230 feet. I know cause I have one doing it.

To ahead and set up such a generation system and get back to us with the results.
2-3/4" column of water how many inches per stroke and how many strokes per minute? We can figure power from that.

rustyfarmall · Jul 17, 2014

I like the concept, and I think it could be done. Most likely the return on your investment wouldn't be all that great, but if you already have some of the parts and pieces, and are creative enough to "repurpose" a few other parts, it just might work.

Thomas Edison did a lot of experimenting before he got it right.

buickanddeere · Jul 17, 2014

According to Aeromotor an 8ft dia unit will lift a 2-3/4" pump to a head of 80ft and 385 gph. In 15-20mph wind.
If short stroked down to lift 230ft then gpm would be 134. Figures to 1/8HP effective so approx 1/4HP at the rotor shaft or 4.4KWhr.

http://www.aermotorwindmill.com/sales-information/9-company-related/15-common-questions.html

Mounting the generator on top via a belted up drive to obtain usable rpms is the only semi practical utilization. Still looking at about 1500watt shaft power in a true 22mph wind.
Where do you live? We need to know wind speed in the area.
Still thinking about 4KWhr per day average output. With 25KWhr if in a steady 25mph wind for a constant 24hrs.

Geo-TH,In · Jul 18, 2014

Buickanddeere,
I've often thought about using wind power to directly run a belt driven AC compressor. Then you could produce both hot and cold water. Cold water could be used for air conditioning and the hot water to pre-heat domestic hot water.

Using water to store energy, instead of batteries.

Do you think that could be done?

Just one of those ideas in the back of my head.
George

buickanddeere · Jul 18, 2014

For a price. Payback would be lengthy.

T in NE · Jul 19, 2014

It takes a lot of power to turn an AC compressor. I don"t think it would be practical, by the time you had a big enough windmill.

buickanddeere · Jul 19, 2014

How much heating and cooling are you going to get with 4KWhr per day ? That is roughly what a fridge uses.

Geo-TH,In · Jul 19, 2014

Like I said, just a thought that rattled in the back of my head.

Where I live, wind and solar isn't really pratical. My electricity is way to cheap, around $.10/kw-hr

I've put my money into insulation, good windows, and doors. The insulation will never need a service call to repair it like all the other alternative energy sources will.

windmill power generation

Steve in VA

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buickanddeere

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Lazy WP

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buickanddeere

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rustyfarmall

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buickanddeere

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Geo-TH,In

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buickanddeere

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T in NE

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buickanddeere

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Geo-TH,In

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