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Englishmastiff
Starting Member
United Kingdom
1 Posts |
 Posted - 11/05/2008 : 22:35:48
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Hi, all. I'm new to this so hello.
I am fairly practical but useless with electronics. I want to build a wind turbine for my garden. i live on the side of a valley and get fairly constant wind.
I have sourced a scaffold pole and have 6" pipe for the blades. I obviously want to get as much juice as I can. I have seen people talking about treadmill fans. how much more power would these produce and how would you wire one up. If I could put up two turbines can i run them in series and can the power be stored in leisure batteries or the like. I am probably getting a little ahead of myself here but like all of us, am sick of paying such horrendous prices for electricity.
On a final note, when do planning issues start to come into play?, height of poles, blade diameter etc?
Many thanks all
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Capt Slog
Junior Member
United Kingdom
114 Posts |
Posted - 12/05/2008 : 09:15:55
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Hi,
Fortunately, you don't need to to know a lot of electronics to start with, and what you will need is easy to learn. You can get lots of help, but you are going to have to do a bit of reading up first, this helps to ask the right questions  .
The amount of power you will get depends upon the windspeed and the area that the blades cover as they spin around. The motor or alternator can only convert that power into electricity, and how well it does that will depend upon its efficiency.
If you are able to run two turbines, they will run in parallel, and the power will go to deep cycle (leisure batteries) as you say.
Unless you are prepared to go to great lengths in this, then you are still going to be paying for your electricity, but you might make a bit yourself and will have a temporary fallback if your power goes off. Rigging up to go self sufficient is expensive, consider this a hobby.
Planning? No idea, I started with something low and small which has grown once my neighbours got used to the idea and no-one complained. I think I heard somewhere that the max size you can put up without planning is 2m diamter, or that it might be soon.
After a couple of years at this, I now have a solar panel (80w), a 4ft diamter turbine, and light a few rooms with LED spots.
Suggested reading....
http://www.gotwind.org/Projects.htm
http://www.otherpower.com/otherpower_wind.html |
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Brand new, loads of questions!!
