OT: Vertical Axis Windmill

[Pavel314]

I had an idea for a new type of windmill. It took a few revisions but I fin ally got the model to work.

I think that the panels should extend further out from the center axis to g et more leverage off the wind power. I plan to build a larger one this summ er to aerate the pond in the main pasture. Just a fun project to avoid real work.

It's based it on the V-1 pulse jet engine, with the front vanes that open a nd close to let air in and keep the exhaust going out the back. In this mod el, the panel facing the wind is stopped by the lower support, causing it t o spin clockwise. When it gets to the other side, the wind lifts it off the support, allowing it to continue spinning clockwise to the wind pick-up po int. This design allows it to work no matter which direction the wind is co ming from.

Paul

[trader_4]

inally got the model to work.

get more leverage off the wind power. I plan to build a larger one this su mmer to aerate the pond in the main pasture. Just a fun project to avoid re al work.

and close to let air in and keep the exhaust going out the back. In this m odel, the panel facing the wind is stopped by the lower support, causing it to spin clockwise. When it gets to the other side, the wind lifts it off t he support, allowing it to continue spinning clockwise to the wind pick-up point. This design allows it to work no matter which direction the wind is coming from.

It looks like a design that is inferior to the typical windmill. With a typical windmill the blades have optimal direction into the wind. It's like a turbine, oriented into the wind. The wind is moving past all the blades, applying force in the same direction. With your design, while one blade is being pushed away by the wind, the opposite blade is being driven *into* the wind cancelling out a lot of the possible power.

[Pavel314]

finally got the model to work.

to get more leverage off the wind power. I plan to build a larger one this summer to aerate the pond in the main pasture. Just a fun project to avoid real work.

en and close to let air in and keep the exhaust going out the back. In this model, the panel facing the wind is stopped by the lower support, causing it to spin clockwise. When it gets to the other side, the wind lifts it off the support, allowing it to continue spinning clockwise to the wind pick-u p point. This design allows it to work no matter which direction the wind i s coming from.

Right, it's not an attempt to improve on the tried-and-true design, just a wild idea to see if it works.The blade being driven into the wind is hinged so that it lifts and doesn't get the full force of the wind. It does creat e some drag but it doesn't cancel the one on the other side. In the video y ou can see how the blades on the left rise when going into the wind.

Paul

[Phil Kangas]

"Pavel314" <

Right, it's not an attempt to improve on the tried-and-true design, just a wild idea to see if it works.The blade being driven into the wind is hinged so that it lifts and doesn't get the full force of the wind. It does create some drag but it doesn't cancel the one on the other side. In the video you can see how the blades on the left rise when going into the wind.

Paul

Perhaps each wing could be made up of pivoting slats 'venetian blind' style?

[Fake ID]

Didn't get the video to play. Just a still.

But there's already a standard design for a verical axis windmill for rapidly varying wind direction. It's basically a vented barrel.

They're probably gone now, but some company installed a pair of this style windmills in NYC years ago as a publicity stunt to power their video billboard.

I have a cheap window fan that uses the same design. It's reversible by rotating the cover around the fan. Costco at one time sold an overpriced stylized vertical fan based on the same design. What intrigued me was that the fan looks like a squirrel cage fan except sealed on both ends, so how can it move air when the only place for air to get out is the same as where the air goes in?

m

[Pavel314]

I like that. I thought of having two or three blades on each side but just built the model with one for simplicity.

[Pavel314]

I just tried it and the video ran for me. What browser are you using? It works in Chrome and Explorer.

Paul

[Fake ID]

youtube-dl mplayer Nokia N810 lacks the compute power to play even 480p video at reasonable bitrates. The first frame displays but video doesn't advance while the audio plays.

m