Bearings

[Pavel314]

I'm building a horizontal windmill, just a fun project to try out some diff erent ideas I have, and need some suggestions on bearings. There will be tw o major parts to the windmill, the base and the blade assembly. The base wi ll be a small platform with a hole in the middle, supported by long legs. T he blade assembly will sit on top of that with the drive shaft sticking dow n through the hole to power a pump or water wheel or something like that.

There should be some sort of bearing mounted on the base platform for the b lade assembly to rest on to reduce friction. I was thinking of something li ke the unit pictured on this web page:

nit-ucf201-8.html

Bolt the flange to the base platform and have the blade assembly rest on th e neck sticking up from it, with the drive shaft sticking down through the neck. The blade assembly won't weigh that much, maybe 15# or 20#, but is th is sort of bearing assembly designed to support weight or just rotate a sha ft sticking through it?

Any links to appropriate bearings will be appreciated.

Paul

[recyclebinned]

fferent ideas I have, and need some suggestions on bearings. There will be two major parts to the windmill, the base and the blade assembly. The base will be a small platform with a hole in the middle, supported by long legs. The blade assembly will sit on top of that with the drive shaft sticking d own through the hole to power a pump or water wheel or something like that.

blade assembly to rest on to reduce friction. I was thinking of something like the unit pictured on this web page:

-unit-ucf201-8.html

the neck sticking up from it, with the drive shaft sticking down through th e neck. The blade assembly won't weigh that much, maybe 15# or 20#, but is this sort of bearing assembly designed to support weight or just rotate a s haft sticking through it?

How about a thrust ball bearing?

[David L. Martel]

Pavel,

That's the wrong bearing, I think. You need a thrust bearing, since the bearing is supporting the blade assembly.

Dave M.

[hrhofmann]

fferent ideas I have, and need some suggestions on bearings. There will be two major parts to the windmill, the base and the blade assembly. The base will be a small platform with a hole in the middle, supported by long legs. The blade assembly will sit on top of that with the drive shaft sticking d own through the hole to power a pump or water wheel or something like that.

blade assembly to rest on to reduce friction. I was thinking of something like the unit pictured on this web page:

the neck sticking up from it, with the drive shaft sticking down through th e neck. The blade assembly won't weigh that much, maybe 15# or 20#, but is this sort of bearing assembly designed to support weight or just rotate a s haft sticking through it?

I think you mean a vertical axis windmill.

[The Daring Dufas]

different ideas I have, and need some suggestions on bearings. There will be two major parts to the windmill, the base and the blade assembly. The base will be a small platform with a hole in the middle, supported by long legs. The blade assembly will sit on top of that with the drive shaft sticking down through the hole to power a pump or water wheel or something like that.

blade assembly to rest on to reduce friction. I was thinking of something like the unit pictured on this web page:

neck sticking up from it, with the drive shaft sticking down through the neck. The blade assembly won't weigh that much, maybe 15# or 20#, but is this sort of bearing assembly designed to support weight or just rotate a shaft sticking through it?

Hey Paul, have you ever wondered what the inside of one of those really big wind Turbine machine heads looks like, take a look at one that was damaged on its way to a job and is now up for a salvage auction. ^_^

TDD

[DD_BobK]

fferent ideas I have, and need some suggestions on bearings. There will be two major parts to the windmill, the base and the blade assembly. The base will be a small platform with a hole in the middle, supported by long legs. The blade assembly will sit on top of that with the drive shaft sticking d own through the hole to power a pump or water wheel or something like that.

blade assembly to rest on to reduce friction. I was thinking of something like the unit pictured on this web page:

the neck sticking up from it, with the drive shaft sticking down through th e neck. The blade assembly won't weigh that much, maybe 15# or 20#, but is this sort of bearing assembly designed to support weight or just rotate a s haft sticking through it?

Your description seems to be that of a "vertical axis" windmill?

Perhaps the orientation of the windmill axis needs to be described via a graphic of some sort

btw the bearing you show appears to be a "radial loads only" type.

SWG here....For your windmills you'll at least two bearing.... one that takes thrust & radial, one the takes radial only. Note: Your bearing arrangement needs to support component weight AND wind loading.

[DD_BobK]

fferent ideas I have, and need some suggestions on bearings. There will be two major parts to the windmill, the base and the blade assembly. The base will be a small platform with a hole in the middle, supported by long legs. The blade assembly will sit on top of that with the drive shaft sticking d own through the hole to power a pump or water wheel or something like that.

blade assembly to rest on to reduce friction. I was thinking of something like the unit pictured on this web page:

the neck sticking up from it, with the drive shaft sticking down through th e neck. The blade assembly won't weigh that much, maybe 15# or 20#, but is this sort of bearing assembly designed to support weight or just rotate a s haft sticking through it?

check this out

you might consider

the rotor assy shown in video

4

[harry]

fferent ideas I have, and need some suggestions on bearings. There will be two major parts to the windmill, the base and the blade assembly. The base will be a small platform with a hole in the middle, supported by long legs. The blade assembly will sit on top of that with the drive shaft sticking d own through the hole to power a pump or water wheel or something like that.

blade assembly to rest on to reduce friction. I was thinking of something like the unit pictured on this web page:

the neck sticking up from it, with the drive shaft sticking down through th e neck. The blade assembly won't weigh that much, maybe 15# or 20#, but is this sort of bearing assembly designed to support weight or just rotate a s haft sticking through it?

I have seen the axle from a rear drive car used in projects like this. Sometimes the gearbox as well. Saves a lot of work. Differential unit needs modification to lock it up.

[Pavel314]

Thanks, that looks like what I need. I searched around and can't find a thrust bearing with a flange for bolting to the base or a thrust bearing holder. I suppose I can bore a depression in the base to fit the bearing into so that it's somewhat stable.

Paul

[Pavel314]

different ideas I have, and need some suggestions on bearings. There will b e two major parts to the windmill, the base and the blade assembly. The bas e will be a small platform with a hole in the middle, supported by long leg s. The blade assembly will sit on top of that with the drive shaft sticking down through the hole to power a pump or water wheel or something like tha t.

he blade assembly to rest on to reduce friction. I was thinking of somethin g like the unit pictured on this web page:

n the neck sticking up from it, with the drive shaft sticking down through the neck. The blade assembly won't weigh that much, maybe 15# or 20#, but i s this sort of bearing assembly designed to support weight or just rotate a shaft sticking through it?

Yes, a problem with terminology. When I first started looking at this years ago, there was a website for the Green windmill, which had sails instead o f blades. They called it a horizontal windmill, meaning that the plane of r otation was horizontal, although the axis was vertical. That term stuck in my head but I'll have to train myself to think of it as a vertical axis win dmill, which is a much better description.

[Pavel314]

different ideas I have, and need some suggestions on bearings. There will b e two major parts to the windmill, the base and the blade assembly. The bas e will be a small platform with a hole in the middle, supported by long leg s. The blade assembly will sit on top of that with the drive shaft sticking down through the hole to power a pump or water wheel or something like tha t.

he blade assembly to rest on to reduce friction. I was thinking of somethin g like the unit pictured on this web page:

n the neck sticking up from it, with the drive shaft sticking down through the neck. The blade assembly won't weigh that much, maybe 15# or 20#, but i s this sort of bearing assembly designed to support weight or just rotate a shaft sticking through it?

Thanks for posting that. Buying a rotor assembly would save a lot of time a nd effort.

Paul