I'm building a HAWT

[rcavictim]

Following with interest, yes.
Yours is a self monitoring. self-correcting "upwind?" turbine.

A local fellow here built an actual downwind turbine. Got real cranky after suckered on dumping a few hunderd grand into his project for a the feed-the-grid for $'s Myth.
They did not want his power. He could not force this no matter how long he tried, and how many $'s hurdles he would jump over.
I've alway'd been curious how this thing turned itself for protection with changed wind directions and forces. I've actually seen it head direction rotating recently. Haven't seen it ever spinning/producing though for years. Locked rotor. It never looked like it had blade feathering? capabilty at the small center hub.
Ah . . . he does not respond to questioning. Greets would be visitors with a shotgun now. Bitter, bitter man now. He'd be a happy man now if he'd just been building smaller with far less bucks out for just personal self-sufficiency power.
What I have discovered also in the woogassing area also - - Why and for Who a fellow is developing/building if far more important than the actual system for sucess satisfaction.

Thanks Mr Rob. Now I know how it's doing this rotating turning.

Regards
Steve Unruh

People really ought to learn that the government has deteriorated into a massive POS that is only there to sucker punch them.  Many farmers in Ontario got burned trusting in the government's promises about their FIT program.  I have a friend who sells and installs small wind, or make that tiny wind, and solar systems.  As far as having a grid tied system, his favorite line is "Anyone who spends $80,000.00 on solar panels and has no electricity when the grid goes down is a special kind of loser!"

As you know, downwind turbines are inherently self tracking.  It would take a motor to pull them around out of the wind.  This would take energy to do.  Big problem with downwind turbines is the shadow of the tower causes significant thumping stress on the blades as they move in behind and then back out of the shadow of the tower.

[mobile_bob]

i have a long history of stating point blank

"i would never produce a single solitary watt of power for sale to the grid"

it has far higher value to me, even if i don't need it just then.

utility companies produce power very inexpensively, even if they charge a higher amount.
and they don't like messing with inputs from other sources, and they really don't like competition from any source, big of small.

the only way a small producer can make a dime in this game is with government subsidies of some sort, and as we all know, what the government gives it surely can take away.


bob g

[Tom Reed]

You've got some real kinetic art there! We've got one of those 8' decorative windmills in the back yard and I've spent hours (perhaps to many) watching which way and how fast the wind is blowing.

[rcavictim]

You've got some real kinetic art there! We've got one of those 8' decorative windmills in the back yard and I've spent hours (perhaps to many) watching which way and how fast the wind is blowing.

Thanx.  yes, I think this is a pretty neat looking piece of yard sculpture!  Looks more advanced than the big pile of cow manure that my neighbor across the road has in his yard after clearing out his barn with a bobcat and then leaving it there for months.  This would be the same neighbor that physically assaulted me because I do not waste my precious time and energy cutting my front lawn.

[rcavictim]

Well, been quite a while since I posted an update.  Have not been at all well this spring and summer.  Haven't been able to engage in any work at all.  Thank goodness I got the nacelle and active azimuth platform built last winter and then installed and up this spring with the help of friends!  I have been puttering away as able for several months trying to get the electronic control system that will manage the turbine over different wind conditions built.  I have finally finished this mission critical component.  I went with basically relay logic and various DIY function modules that plug into octal relay sockets.  Some provide TD functions, another is a PWM speed controller for the AZ drive gearmotor, another senses windspeed and points the turbine proportionately out of the oncoming wind.  When storm strength winds are detected it stows the blade 90 degrees to the wind and applies a two stage short to the generator output. I don't wish to overtorque any weak links in my powertrain trying to slam on the brakes. If the wind direction changes during stow, the system actively keeps the blade pointed 90 degrees to the wind.  I gave the logic 12-1/2 minutes after a stow to 'take another look' at windspeed.  If the storm front has passed by then the system resumes normal operation.  If dangerous winds are still present it stays stowed for another 12-1/2 minute cycle.

This would have been better served with a PLC, but I am old school and haven't learned this newfangled stuff yet.  At least I didn't employ vacuum tubes!  Ha ha. 

Only had one wiring error that was easily discovered. Remedy was to move one wire on a relay socket to a different terminal on the same socket.

A week ago I placed an order for some commercially manufactured fiberglass composite wind turbine blades (made in China) and they are supposed to arrive at my door by end of today.  The DIY blade I made so pretty out of steel reinforced PVC pipe worked like gangbusters but would have littered the yard if it had been allowed to overspeed.  Additionally, it was not capable of spinning as fast as I need this turbine to spin to make full power.  I'll sleep better knowing my blades are speed safe.  I had the luck of selling some Hi-Fi gear recently which was able to fund my blade acquisition.  It was quite a large chunk of change, because I had to ship in from the US.  The border doubles the cost of anything I buy from the US.  Free trade my ass!!!!

Need to make a new hub once I have the blades in my hands.  Maybe I'll finally be making power within the week.

This has been three long years in the making.

I have solar panels to put up next and need a summer to build a tracking frame for them.  Doesn't look good for this year now.    Then I need to get back to finishing the larger BGT VAWT.

Cheers,
Rob

[rcavictim]

I was able to get the custom hub fabricated over the past couple of days and yesterday was able to install the new set of blades.  There was a period of break in the total calm where a small wind came up and the blades took off running.  Looking good so far!   

Had problems with a tower lifting winch that was dead in the water.  I don't have much luck with electric winches.  Every single one that I have located outside gets fuck*d up and dies from all the rain we get.  This one was no exception.  I managed to figure out that the brush gear has gone to poor contact and by whackiing the end of the motor I was able to get the tower to the seat backs in the upright position.  All the brand new galvanized wire rope I bought and have had exposed to the elements is starting to rust badly in less than a year.  WTF? 

Anyhow, I am an old fart now but here's proof that I can still get it up! 

Just a bit of work now on the completed controller to shake out a glitch (occasional false trigger of the braking sequence from a circuitry surge) and then I can install it once we get a suitable work day.  Today is a nasty, hot and sticky humid stormy day so this will be a good opportunity to work on the controller in the comfort of the lab. I hear lightning cracking on the AM radio right now getting stronger.  To tame this glitch I think I need to sprinkle a few ferrite core donuts here and there.  Maybe a bypass cap as well.

Almost there!

Rob

[rcavictim]

Here is a close up of the business end with the new blades installed.

[mobile_bob]

Beautiful work!  my hat is off to you and all your efforts on this project.

i do have a question though, mainly because i can't tell on my little netbook screen

it relates to the blades... the side facing the wind...

are the blades mounted where the convexed side is facing the wind? or the concave/flat side facing the wind?

bob g

[rcavictim]

Beautiful work!  my hat is off to you and all your efforts on this project.

i do have a question though, mainly because i can't tell on my little netbook screen

it relates to the blades... the side facing the wind...

are the blades mounted where the convexed side is facing the wind? or the concave/flat side facing the wind?

bob g

Thanx Bob.  On the previous DIY PVC blades the concave side was facing the wind.  On these commercial blades they are truly formed like an airplane wing and that which would be the convex shaped upper side of a airplane wing is pointed towards the oncoming wind.

[Henry W]

That is some project. That thing is huge. Great work! I am at total amazement what you built there.

Henry

[rcavictim]

Thanx for the support Henry!

The control cabinet at the bottom of the tower operates on a 12 volt AGM 50 A/hr storage battery.  The relays and contactors, as well as the azimuth motor brake release solenoid required 28 VDC to operate, so a 12 to 28 VDC upconverter was included in the design.  Upon opening the control cabinet weather sealed door this maintenance panel becomes accessible.  For example, one function I can access from this panel is to apply the brake and place AZ in manual mode.  Here I can rotate the nacelle either CW or CCW in order to 'polish the brushes and slip rings'.

[rcavictim]

Due to health problems I have been unable to do much of anything this year on the nearly operational HAWT.  The system exhibited destructive tower resonance and was really oscillating like a standing wave on a skipping rope.  Left to run I'm sure this would have collapsed in short order, just like the 1940,Tacoma Narrows Bridge disaster.  Google 'Galloping Gertie'.

I have had to tinker with the new hollow, fiberglass Chinese blades since rain water got into one through a bolt hole through the root and really unbalanced the assembly.  I also had to re-machine the input shaft coupler to the first of the four pancake generators as it was causing a slight wobble (like a precessing gyro), of what is essentially a rotating flywheel and this wiggle was modulating the tower! 

The good news is that I don't think I'll have trouble getting 3kW+ out of this package since it already easily made 2500 watts on a short test in 'not so big wind'.

This summer I managed to get most of the work done to add six more guy wires which will be at 120 degree points and place a much more favorable angle where they attach as close to the tower below the spinning blade as practical.  I did pre-paint the two arms and support members before installation, however I do not possess a ladder long enough to get to the 21 foot long guy wire outrigger arms, so the support weld partway out is not finished nor painted yet on each of the two arms now in place.  Lastly I have to add a 13 foot extension pipe to the 8 foot arm that is out to the right at the tower tilt point as seen in the attached picture.  This will place one more guy like the other 120 degree ones and complete the guy package.  I have done this in such a way as to avoid planting 120 degree spaced guy wire anchors 50 feet from the tower and reducing the practical enjoyment of my field.

No further work at all on the larger BGT, VAWT.  I was held back by not having critical material needed for the blades which I finally scored last summer.

I must apologize that the videos I had linked to from some posts here are no longer available.  I'll have to remove or replace the links.  Those videos are not currently hosted.

I'll post again when there is more to tell.

rca

[vdubnut62]

VERY nice work Rob!! 3kw is pretty significant.
BTW the "Night Crawlers" are new, PM me when you get the chance.
Ron.

[rcavictim]

VERY nice work Rob!! 3kw is pretty significant.
BTW the "Night Crawlers" are new, PM me when you get the chance.
Ron.

Ron,

Pls check your email box.

rca