Many homeowners wrongly assume that making a wind generator
is a difficult project that will cost a fortune. In reality you can build a wind
turbine with readily available materials found at any local hardware store. For
this short tutorial I picked up a small, used engine on eBay to power the turbine,
visited the local scrap yard for a metal pipe and used PVC pipe I already had
at the shop.
The example here obviously isn' Â™t an industrial-strength power-house; however
it is a good project to learn how to make free energy right at home. Best of
all, it' Â™s really cheap to build. This is an overview of what needs to be done and is by no
means a complete guide. Skip to the resources at the end of this article to get complete, detailed instructions and plans.
Things You Will Need
- A motor with a flywheel to act as a generator
- PVC pipe, roughly 2 feet in diameter
- large metal pipe with floor stand
- pipe union
- frame to anchor the wind
- 2 golf cart batteries
- bridge rectifier
Building the blades
The blades on a wind turbine can be made out of (preferably heavy-gauge) PVC pipe. Large diameter piping is cut into sections. Each blank gets a nice curve to it since it is cut from a circular tube. This is used to its full advantage in the next steps. Each piece is re-cut with a ban saw or jigsaw so it tapers at one end. You should now have six blanks.
Once two tapered pieces are attached, the correct curve is created to harness the power of the wind. To further the effect, the leading edge is given a rounded profile and the trailing edge is sanded down to a sharp tapered profile. By now all three blades should have a wing shape.
Drill two quarter inch holes in each blade so they can be attached to the flywheel. This is the mechanism that allows the turbine to rotate and begins the transfer of electricity.
Constructing the head of the unit
The flywheel needs to be tapped in three places so the blades can be bolted onto it. Use a quarter-inch tap wrench and cutting oil to thread the holes. You can now attach the blades to the flywheel with one bolt each.
Mounting the head
The head of the unit can now be mounted on the large metal
pipe with floor stand. Attach the pipe union to the top of the stand so the
windmill can freely spin. Now the frame can be added to act as a tail, catching
the wind to change the direction of the windmill. Fix the motor to the top of
the stand with hose clamps. Connect the blade assembly along with flywheel to
the shaft of the motor. Screw the assembly on.
Power your wind turbine
Wire the golf cart batteries to the bridge rectifier then
connect the wires to the motor. This makes it so the electricity flows in one
direction only. Now your batteries will charge as the wind comes in, generating
Get building with detailed plans
Diagrams and a DIY Windmill Manual
is available to
help you complete this project. With plans to reference, the process is much
easier than it may sound here in writing.
Tips & Warnings
-Use extreme caution when wiring the unit. Do not play with
electricity if you don' Â™t know what you are doing.