UPDATE: SAWDOS Wind Turbine Projects

Lately I've been spending a great deal of time working on ways to generate my own electricity in the event that SAWDOS need addisional emergency power. Personally I hope to someday be electrically self-sufficient. My interest started a while back when I stumbled upon a how-to article on building wind generators. More on these projects are available on my other website, MOSSEL BAY MAD SCIENTIST PROJECTS.

I decided to build three models:

1. Micro Wind Turbine: A micro wind charger built from scrap. I had all the parts lying around in my workshop and decided to put this little turbine together to see how it performs. This little turbine perform excellently and will charge a 7 AH battery with ease. The turbine is a 24 volt stepper motor. I regulate the power through a simple charge controller that I constructed. Images available HERE.

Images: SAWDOS Micro Wind Turbine (Click on image for larger view.)

2. DIY Larger Wind Turbine:  This wind turbine was also build from scrap except for the odd nuts and bolts and PVC Pipe. I needed more power and therefor decided to build a larger wind turbine called the DIY Larger Wind Turbine.  I constructed this turbine by using PVC pipe for the blades and turbine housing, scarp metal to mount the turbine and tail and aluminum for the tail and tail pipe.  Hard work went into making the blades and to ensure that they are all the same size and weight.  The turbine produce the following output:

4400 rpm / 180 volts = 24.44 rpm per volt
24.44 rpm x 6 = 146.64 rpm for 5 volts
24.44 rpm x 13 = 317.72 rpm for 13 volts
24.44 rpm x 24 = 586.56 rpm for 24 volts

It is envisaged that this turbine will produce 720 watts. (to be tested)
I still need to construct a charger controller for this turbine.

Images: SAWDOS DIY Large Wind Turbine (Click on image for larger view.)

3. DIY VAWT - Vertical Axis Wind Turbine: Still under construction. (This turbine will hopefully take the SAWDOS off the grid. Lookout for updates on this one. If there is enough interest I will manufacture these turbines on request.)

Lookout for more updates!!