What pieces of kit would I need for a small quick and dirty windpower setup suitable for charging AA, AAA, C and D-sized batteries?
I was thinking as follows:
What else would I need?
Thanks!
Harry
It isn't really worth the effort unless you are very very off grid. Even then you'd be better off with a solar powered charger - assuming you don't have a 24/7 need to recharge batteries.
Most times I have needed off grid power humping a 12Ahr SLA to the remote location has won hands down as a solution.
If you must do it then cut out the middle man and use a charger that is designed to plug into a cars 12v cigarette lighter socket. Be prepared to be disappointed turbine output scales as the cube of the windspeed.
Unicorn farts and pixie dust.
better would be 12Ahr Lithium
A valid reason to do it?
If you are off grid and have to do it then what you want is commonly obtainable to keep batteries topped up on yachts left on moorings where a mains supply isn?t available so investigating that market is a good start.
This link given as an example only, I have no experience of them shows what it is out their from one of the recognisable makers.
You will find that even a basic set up would cost a lot .
To do it on the cheap you would really have to a do lot of DIY and depending on how Heath Robinson your skills are you might find bits in skips such as a bicycle wheel with a hub dynamo which you could drive from a home made windmill built out of wood via a belt or chain and all sort of variations there of.
Put homemade wind generator into YouTube will show you plenty of ideas some more practical than others. A lot will depend on wether you had a Meccano or Lego upbringing.
GH
Ha! I like that. That's a metaphor for a lot more than just the OP's question.
Less weight to carry certainly.
+1
If you only want a few watts then a stepper motor and some belt and pulley to spin it up from a modest DIY windmill would do. I have done a hand powered version of same for demonstrating how much effort is needed to generate a few watts of electricity from bits in my junk box.
We did a larger one using a bike and 60W mains lamp load vs 14W CFL. That didn't survive but the smaller LED vs filament bulb one did.
Meccano or better Dexion would at least stand a chance.
that 100w will only be occasional
100w to a 240v 1kW element means it running at 240v / root 10 = 76va good idea
NT
buy a model aircraft motor. you will get a three phase supply at around
85% efficiency off what a prop can put in, Also used a step up gearbox and a BIG prop.Still will be the square root of f*ck all use...
Remember when small wind turbines were on sale in B&Q? Think where they've all gone to ... now do you still want one?
And where are you going to site this so the control circuits don't use more power than any domestic turbine can produce in the uk.
Can you not get chargers that normally run from car batteries as inverters are a big waste of power considering what you are going to use it for. If it was some kind of mains device then yes, but I guess its up to you. Of course boats have often these capabilities but I think their voltage is often different to cars. Brian
Also I did notice that at least in some areas, a wind turbine of your own needs planning permission and s often noisy and an attraction to Nimbi types. Brian
200W is a pretty BIG turbine..
Solar power is better in winter?
Not that big
Come on, admit you would like one.
It would be like one of those steam engines we had as kids.
No, I won't, because I wouldn't
In message snipped-for-privacy@mid.individual.net>, Marland snipped-for-privacy@btinternet.co.uk> writes
than wind, yes. Look up the return figures on those B&Q wind jobs
NT
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