windmill

[fordbroncodave]

Has anyone built a windmill before? I have a surplus of galvanized well pipe, 8 sections all over 20ft each.

I was thinking of doing end to end, 4 long posts in a square form to make a pyramid. frame a base and do rebar side supports and frame a top.

I am undecided about the fan yet if I want to make the blades of metal or plastic barrel.

Does someone have pictures of inspiration?

Summer project aside from my john deeres

 

[1967marti]

What are you going to have it turn? A water pump? Air pump? Generator?
The size of the blades will depend on the torque needed to spin whatever you have on there. Also Depending on what you want to move you will need to look into what kind of slip ring(s) you need to add into the design.

 

[mharmon]

I have built the blades themselves but never got them mounted on the stands. I used redwood and a draw knife to create the blade. I did this for durability and ease of creation. I had a book on the design methods depending on the application. Mine were usually just two blades for simplicity sake.

Just a quick side note. Don't drill a hole in the center of a newly created windmill and put a screwdriver through it to test it. Standing out it the wind with a windmill buzzing in front of you they get out of hand pretty quick.

Just a thought

 

[theoldwizard1]

Vertical Axle. That way you don't have to worry about which way the wind blows.

If you want to generate electricity, IT IS A LOT MORE COMPLICATED than you think ! Charge controllers, load dumps, brakes, batteries, inverters, etc, etc, etc.

 

[fordbroncodave]

no no no, I am building a windmill such as an aermotor.

I am not sure if I want to run electricity with it or put some sort of a pump on it. Mainly building it for looks, everyone around here has a windmill working or not.

I was thinking of taking a rear differential and slicing one of the tubes off. the pinion would run the blades and the one shaft would spin vertically down to the ground. at the ground I could add anther differential with a manual transmission or something similar to a heavy duty lawn mower differential with gears/lever.

this is all mapped out in my head, nothing is actual yet

 

[racingtadpole]

The losses through the diff and trying to overcome the weight of the vertical shaft will mean you will need some pretty stiff wind to make the shaft turn.
Many moons ago I built a wind generator out of an alternator and a tail rotor out from an R22 helicopter that had crashed. It sort of worked ok, probably would have worked a lot better if the engineering hadnt been quite so 'agricultural' and the tail rotor didnt have a 'set' in it from it kissing the ground. Base was a tripod arrangement made from 50mm drill pipe.

 

[kbs2244]

A little known fact is the windmill companies offered 3 or 4 leg towers.
They sold mostly 4 leg, even though they were more expensive, just because everybody was more comfortable with the shape.
The 3 leg use 25 % less material and was stronger.

Two things to think about.
I would guess the well pipe is galvanized, pretty tricky to weld safety.
And rebar is not all that strong for it’s weight.

 

[Clogking]

I work on a windmill before.Does that count?