wind turbines

[brown]

What's a good turbine for a liveaboard, anybody want to recommend one? What have you got?

[carlt]

What's a good turbine for a liveaboard, anybody want to recommend one? What have you got?

I've got an AIR-X wind turbine. It's the canine's testicles, apparently.

[moggyjo]

What's a good turbine for a liveaboard, anybody want to recommend one? What have you got?

Hello, I was put off wind turbines and went for solar as I was told by our local fitter that they can be very noisy if fitted on boat and weather they have improved through the years ( they probably have) but used to only work well if you have them in an exposed area, hope this helps, Wendy

[carlt]

Hello, I was put off wind turbines and went for solar as I was told by our local fitter that they can be very noisy if fitted on boat and weather they have improved through the years ( they probably have) but used to only work well if you have them in an exposed area, hope this helps, Wendy

The air-x is computer controlled so it trims itself to minimise noise. You can hardly hear it, when sat in the wheelhouse and wouldn't know it's there, down in the saloon. I don't know how it would sound bolted to a tin can, though.

 

It also reduces the charge, automatically, if the windspeed gets too fast and reduces it's speed to practically nothing when the battery is fully charged.

[DHutch]

The rutland 913 is visably the most popular unit out there, im im sure that if you got one it would work fine.

- That said, there are dosens of others which maybe better/asgood/diffrent and there not the cheapest.

 

 

Daniel

[BarnBrian]

I've got a Rutland 913 which is adequate. As far as noise goes I used four windsurfer mast universal joints to mount it onto the coachroof directly above the bedroom, on really windy nights you can hear a slight hum but not enough to be annoying.

 

Brian

[John Orentas]

I have never lived on a boat but I can guarantee that if I did I would be up to Mk 7 prototype by know.. Why do none of you ever make anything for yourselves, building a wind powered generator is not brain surgery, the only thing that is anything like tricky are the vanes themselves.. The gearing is easily done, there are firms that produce metal and Nylon gears in a vast array of sizes and types.

 

A small car alternator, £100 at the most and contrary to what many 'experts' on this site believe every one will have it's own integral regulator/ controller.

 

So why when faced with a little problem does everyone immediately reach for their cheque books.

Edited November 16, 2007 by John Orentas

[BarnBrian]

I have never lived on a boat but I can guarantee that if I did I would be up to Mk 7 prototype by know.. Why do none of you ever make anything for yourselves, building a wind powered generator is not brain surgery, the only thing that is anything like tricky are the vanes themselves.. The gearing is easily done, there are firms that produce metal and Nylon gears in a vast array of sizes and types.

 

A small car alternator, £100 at the most and contrary to what many 'experts' on this site believe every one will have it's own integral regulator/ controller.

 

So why when faced with a little problem does everyone immediately reach for their cheque books.

John

I agree with you about building your own but all the websites I've come accross on how to build tend to steer away from using alternators as it's hard to get up to the required revs.

 

Brian

[DHutch]

...I used four windsurfer mast universal joints to mount it...

Yeah, thats always what i would plan to o if i was ever fitting one.

- Emilyanne has a 'mast step' on the roof, which would be ideal. Although it is just above the main bed...

- You can get them cheaply and readly as industial rubber bobin mounts if oyu get on the web for a bit.

[Guest]

I have never lived on a boat but I can guarantee that if I did I would be up to Mk 7 prototype by know.. Why do none of you ever make anything for yourselves, building a wind powered generator is not brain surgery, the only thing that is anything like tricky are the vanes themselves.. The gearing is easily done, there are firms that produce metal and Nylon gears in a vast array of sizes and types.

 

A small car alternator, £100 at the most and contrary to what many 'experts' on this site believe every one will have it's own integral regulator/ controller.

 

So why when faced with a little problem does everyone immediately reach for their cheque books.

Vanes are a doddle to make from PVC pipe. An efficient genny requires permanent magnets and coils usually but by no means always in a three phase configuration. Car alternators are a non starter unless you are into very large diameter turbines. Even then they are not very efficient requiring power to provide a field. The best lash up I have seen was maded with a bicycle wheel and hub dynaomo but was only useful for things such as phone charging. I believe some people use the fan cooling motors off car radiators as some are permanent magnet motors. We made one at work with a stepper motor which reached 6 volts very quickly but no more. There is hours of reading on the net re wind genny making typically:

 

http://www.otherpower.com/woodmill.html

Edited November 16, 2007 by Guest

[NB Willawaw]

John,

 

Is it any wonder people have a pop at you when you post blinkered stuff like this.

Not everybody has the ability to build a windgen and not everybody wants to.

Many boaters just want to go boating, not spend all their valuable leisure time surrounded

by bits.

I appreciate that it is your way to build things, but not everybody is you.

 

I have never lived on a boat but I can guarantee that if I did I would be up to Mk 7 prototype by know.. Why do none of you ever make anything for yourselves, building a wind powered generator is not brain surgery, the only thing that is anything like tricky are the vanes themselves.. The gearing is easily done, there are firms that produce metal and Nylon gears in a vast array of sizes and types.

 

A small car alternator, £100 at the most and contrary to what many 'experts' on this site believe every one will have it's own integral regulator/ controller.

 

So why when faced with a little problem does everyone immediately reach for their cheque books.

[John Orentas]

I'm not talking about a toy job here, if you don't aim to get a reasonable output it's not worth doing, a very small alternator, perhaps one made for a mini tractor, say 20 amps.. Spin it round at the same rate that the tractor did and it will work.. To repeat gearing is easy and everything is readily available..

 

Always a mistake to start modifying tackle that was not designed for the job.. Many times in my life I have played about with stepper motors, given up on them every time, they are rubbish.

 

I would not be quite so confident with the vanes, not easy with low air speeds, you need a good aerofoil shape and large areas but I am certain it could be done with some development.

[Guest]

Here is the build it yourself wind genny guru should anybody be interested:

 

http://www.scoraigwind.com/

[John Orentas]

John,

 

Is it any wonder people have a pop at you when you post blinkered stuff like this.

Not everybody has the ability to build a windgen and not everybody wants to.

Many boaters just want to go boating, not spend all their valuable leisure time surrounded

by bits.

I appreciate that it is your way to build things, but not everybody is you.

 

 

Not sure about 'blinkered'.. But these days I do seem to be in a minority of one, traditionally and only a few years ago there has probably 5 or 10% of the population who could be described as a Wesley, those who liked to tinker about with motor bikes or anything else that was around, not because you could not afford to pay, but because you derived a certain satisfaction from doing it.

 

I have a friend who has a son who has been out of work for a year a so, his bike needed a new primary chain, he took it to a dealer and paid him to do it.. Now if people do not find that totally amazing, well you rather make my case for me.

 

I think that 5 or 10% has dwindled to close to zero in recent times.

[carlt]

Mine came free with the boat. That's ok isn't it?

[Travis]

Cant beat a landline......

Come to think about it, if you lived in a normal house would you have a wood burning stove on which you only burned wood you found on the street?, would you have a wind turbine on the roof?, would you run all your electrics through a chinese inverter run off two wagon batteries?

PS. John, I know where you're coming from. These days if you cant get an engineering chappie to sort out the old Beta/stern tube thingy/poo tank problem you get advised (by plenty of experts on the web) to get a man in.

Or is that "experts" who are little closer since we joined forums.

Not a rant, Wesley.

 

Edited due to crap Orange connection.

Edited November 16, 2007 by Travis

[bottle]

Travis

 

Come to think about it, if you lived in a normal house would you have a wood burning stove on which you only burned wood you found on the street?

 

You must have known there would have been at least one and that is me.

 

To qualify that though we did live in 'the country' and our street was a country lane.

 

I can see your point but when we get our boat we want to get away from landlines.

[chris w]

I have never lived on a boat but I can guarantee that if I did I would be up to Mk 7 prototype by know.. Why do none of you ever make anything for yourselves, building a wind powered generator is not brain surgery, the only thing that is anything like tricky are the vanes themselves.. The gearing is easily done, there are firms that produce metal and Nylon gears in a vast array of sizes and types.

 

A small car alternator, £100 at the most and contrary to what many 'experts' on this site believe every one will have it's own integral regulator/ controller.

 

So why when faced with a little problem does everyone immediately reach for their cheque books.

 

The usual nonsense electronically-speaking. If you knew how an alternator really worked John, you would truly understand why they are not good as wind generators. Since selling your boat, you've obviously moved into cloud-cuckoo land.

 

Chris

[magnetman]

Get away from the dreaded 'umbillical cord'. I've had 4 wind turbines - two rutland 910s not much good, an aerogen 6 VERY GOOD but Noisy and a Wren micro turbine, thats also noisy but when i get the cratch done in steel it's going on top of there to isolate the noise from the cabin. Building a geared hawt may well need longer blades than are practical on a boat and the yaw axis area is awkward.

[John Orentas]

The usual nonsense electronically-speaking. If you knew how an alternator really worked John, you would truly understand why they are not good as wind generators. Since selling your boat, you've obviously moved into cloud-cuckoo land.

 

Chris

 

 

Are you still here: Spin the alternator at the same speed as the the engine did and it will work, how does the alternator know what is rotating it.. Bloody oaf.

[chris w]

Are you still here: Spin the alternator at the same speed as the the engine did and it will work, how does the alternator know what is rotating it.. Bloody oaf.

 

And how are you going to supply the field current to the alternator rotor? You need a permanent magnet device as Catweasel alluded.

 

You really are a primary candidate for euthanasia John. You really don't know how daft you are do you?

 

Chris

[magnetman]

Another one which is supposed to be alright is the 'stealthgen'. A problem with direct drive (ie high speed) homemade hawts is they are liable to shed blades. I know of a Rutland 913 which disintegrated in a strong gale, the warranty mentions if you haven't got a furling version then you ain't covered. Not seen a good VAWT for a narrowboat yet, that may have potential for home build i think.

[tidal]

For a self-build if space for blades and yaw axis is a problem one can after all go vertical intsad of horizontal (like the Dolphin system)

 

With modern bearings there is very little problem with rotational losses.

 

I have built some lightweight ones over the years but never had a need to build a large one.......yet.

 

The links provided though make for interesting reading. I forsee a little project come the Spring as I stil like to tinker with such things now and then.

 

 

As for the ready builts I too have used and like the Rutland though the ones I have used have been mounted high on the mast of salty boats with them sail thingys. (big white flappy bits)

 

This (and the tendecy for the sea to be fairly open in prospect) tended to make them reasonably efficient

 

There is so much choice out there now though

[magnetman]

..A 'savonius rotor' can be used to provide a small trickle charge. Don't know if there are large scale geared sr's anywhere.

[chris w]

Even the ever-popular Rutland 913 will only produce 90W (less than 7 amps) in a 19 knot wind according to its spec. At a more normal 10 knots it only produces 24W (less than 2 amps).

 

Chris