Lately I’ve been building some small wind generators out of scrap material. So far they haven’t been all that efficient (or even very sturdy). Eventually I’d like to get something that will hold up to the local weather and generate a little power. It doesn’t have to be much power, just enough to charge a phone or run a small device like a Wifi hotspot would be fine.
The first design was a traditional (sort of) windmill. The blades are from an old ceiling fan, so it’s not optimized for wind power the way real airfoils would be. The generator/alternator was an old electric drill, with a 90-degree adapter as the pivot and mechanical power transfer.
This one worked OK, but didn’t hold up to the weather and I still haven’t found all the pieces under the snow!
Version two is a vertical-axis turbine made from old plastic barrels and a scooter motor. It’s currently installed at Sandland and may or may not survive until my next visit!
Version 3, if and when I get around to it, might be a combination of the horizontal blades, a better alternator, and a slip ring for pivoting. That last bit is what’s hard to DIY, so I may just have to buy a real one.
Saveitforparts 