Water pump motor for wind turbine project?

[AL_n]

I stumbled accross what appears to be a 3-blade microlite aircraft propellor, and have ideas of using this in the construction of a small wind turbine for charging a 12v battery. I'm looking for a suitable motor to use as the generator/dynamo. From what I've gleaned, I gather a 240v DC motor would be most suitable.

I have a Clarke submersible water pump (model CSE1A) which I could butcher, but is the motor AC or DC? Nothing in the specs tells me. Here is a manual:

suspect it may be an AC motor, since it is only required to run at a fixed speed...

If so, which common domstic appliances do contain 240v DC motors?

Many thanks,

Al

[Andy Dingley]

Flog it on eBay, spend the income on a copy of Piggott's book and a box of rare-earth magnets.

[dom]

For charging a 12V battery, I'd have thought a car alternator *along with the rectifier diodes and voltage regulation circuitry*, would be the most suitable.

However, there's still a lot of work in *safely* mounting the blades (i.e. well above the height anyone could reach into the blades) and alternator at the top of a pole, and suitable arrangements to keep it turned into the wind - and making it safe in storm conditions.

[Gib Bogle]

Almost a no-brainer.

[robgraham]

I'm sorry if this sounds a bit abrasive, but for your own good I'm not going to tell you, on the basis that if you don't know the answer yourself, you shouldn't actually be playing with this - you just don't have enough basis knowledge to be setting up something which is potentially dangerous - go with the Ebay suggestion.

Rob

[AL_n]

robgraham wrote in news:039896be-b8b3-4b82- [e-mail]:

"Dangerous"?!? God - you should see some of the other hobby pursuits I've "played with" over the past 50 years! Now if I had said I was trying to build a flying machine out of timber offcuts or something, then I'd have said your response was probably wise enough.

Al

[Tabby]

:)

Spin the motor shaft & see if you get power out of it. Also see if it runs round easily or has a friction problem. It sounds like youre looking for a cheap solution, car alternators fit that, though they do lose power in the energised field winding.

Don't forget a brake mechanism too, on occasion a turbine will need to be stopped and kept stopped.

NT

[AL_n]

" [e-mail]" wrote in news:a094f77c-2768-46dd-871e- [e-mail]:

I would have thought so too. However, for some reason, the folks I've heard of who build small wind turbines, always seem to use motors. I've never heard of anyone using car alternators. Perhaps there is a reason for that. Treadmill motors seem to be one of the favourites, for some reason.

I'm aware of all that, thanks - I was just asking about a suitable generator/dynamo that I might be able to obtain cheaply.

Al

[AL_n]

Andy Dingley wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I was thinking about buying that book. I was hoping to avoid spending actual cash on this experiment though!

Al

[John Rumm]

Well not so much required to run at a fixed speed - but required to run for extended periods without need of periodic brush changes, and with a torque profile that is suited to pumping liquids.

Many (most) appliances have "universal" brushed motors that will run AC or DC. They are usually more noisy, spin up fast etc. Most DIY power tools for example.

[AL_n]

Tabby wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I put a volt meter accross the live and neutral pins of the pump's mains plug. Spinning the motor by hand, I got nothing but a 0.00 volts reading. Meter was set to DC volts.

Al

[AL_n]

John Rumm wrote in news:1oudnbCZw4hjpy [e-mail]:

I wondered if an electric drill might work. If so, I have an old one that could be employed. I must try connecting my volt meter accross the plug pins and see if it produces volts when spun by hand.

Al

[Dave Liquorice]

I think it's because to get anything useful out of 'em they have to spin quite fast. To get the required RPM from a relatively slow turbine you need to bung in a gear box which introduces losses and IIRC costs you torque on the high speed output. ie it might be spinning fast enough but you can stop it with your fingers...

I'm not sure if they are self exciting either, this isn't a problem in a car as you have the cars battery.

[Matty F]

In NZ we have a washing machine manufacturer who invented a"smart drive" motor. These are available second hand for about $10 and are used for wind generators. Google [smart drive wind generator]

[Anthony R. Gold]

Maybe the motors are used to directly mount the blades because they could have appropriately rated bearings whereas alternators would need to be driven indirectly via a belt system. But that is just my blind 2p guess.

Tony

[<me9]

/If/ it gives out /anything/ it will be AC.

[Andy Dingley]

Well then for starters, web search for the American bunch using Volvo

240 hubs

You need to buy magnets and enamelled copper wire. A good workshop and scrapstore might provide the rest.

[Andy Dingley]

What's the difference between a wind turbine and an aircraft propellor?

People don't stand under their aircraft propellors.

[Steve Firth]

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "AL_n" saying something like:

Alternators aren't much good at low speeds and low power. They really come into their own when attached to an engine, however. It's possible to bugger around and use PMs in an alternator casing, replacing the field windings to really improve them, but it's a lot of buggering around. For that much buggering around, you'd be as well to copy one of Piggot's designs.