I thought about this a while back and was just wondering if it was feasible. I know old car electric cooling fans will generate some electricity if turned on their own by wind power but this idea has me interested.
1. Because I would think it would generate 120 v ac, or would it?
2. If it would at what speed would it need to spin to actually make any usable amount of electricity?
3. Just how would you store it?
4. Hell they come with their own blades so you don’t have to worry about making them.

Is this a feasible idea or am I just nuts as usual?

Steve

------------------
Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't.

Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

Depends on what you're wanting to do with it. If you're just wanting to play around, the motor might be capable of generating a small amount of power, however it would not be near enough to be usable as anything more then a toy.

For anything usable you need to bear in mind that wind generators, even the cheap/crappy ones, use permanent magnets in their generators, something your ceiling fan is not likely to have.

quote Originally posted by 84fiero123: I thought about this a while back and was just wondering if it was feasible. I know old car electric cooling fans will generate some electricity if turned on their own by wind power but this idea has me interested. 1. Because I would think it would generate 120 v ac, or would it? 2. If it would at what speed would it need to spin to actually make any usable amount of electricity? 3. Just how would you store it? 4. Hell they come with their own blades so you don’t have to worry about making them.

1) Depends on how its wound/wired.
2) Wind generators in general need wind speeds of at least 10-25mph, preferably around 20.
3) Use what you need and use the excess to charge a bank of batteries or feed it back to the grid.
4) A typical ceiling fan blade (particle board) would fly to pieces in a sustained wind.

For more information on DIY projects I'd recommend lurking around @

http://www.builditsolar.com

or go here to go directly to the wind power section:

http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Wind/wind.htm

[This message has been edited by OKflyboy (edited 02-08-2012).]

+1

No (almost)

it wouldn't be too happy being exposed to the elements
it wouldn't be too sturdy when the wind comes and when the rain comes, and the cold...
it wouldn't like being turned on its side and having gravity do its thing on that shaft (and bearings and whatever)

Oh well back to car alternators.

Steve

------------------
Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't.

Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

quote Originally posted by 84fiero123: Oh well back to car alternators. Steve

NOPE....permanent magnet motor (MEH, OK alternator would work too), and one HECK of a reduction drive to spin it up (think 2" pulley on the motor and bycicle wheel on the windmill end). Gear drives eliminate the belt slippage, but are $$$ to build.

Right, those wont work as generators. They just aren't the right technology.

Oh I can make gear sets, remember who this is. The thing is what would be better?

Steve

------------------
Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't.

Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

I only know what I’ve read.

Haven’t tried it.

But online they usually use old treadmill motors since they have permanent magnets.

http://www.ehow.com/how_770...-wind-generator.html

quote Originally posted by 84fiero123: Oh I can make gear sets, remember who this is. The thing is what would be better? Steve

Any type of reduction drive would be better...and the more agressive, the better (gets the alternator/motor turning faster= more power). Belt drives tend to slip a little with changes in wind speed/ load or at start-up (not counting Gates belts) while gear drives dont slip.

Steve--btdt. But for an ornamental 'windmill" only.
1. To begin with, in a high wind load, ceiling fan blades are too flexible--they cup on ya, meaning they bend back toward the motor, even the outdoor variety. (yes, they do make weatherproof ceiling fans--I have one, and they are about $50 more than an indoor rated cieling fan.

2. The little brackets that attach the blades to the motor are too weak. They aren't strong enough to turn very fast and have heavy flex loads applied to them. One set just bent back on me, then the replacements set I used, cracked from flex and fatige and eventually it started slinging blades off.

3. Made my own brackets and they held, but the bearings in the fan gave out. Had one hobbyist tell me ceiling fan motors have the wrong kind of bearings--they aren't made to be mounted with the shaft horizontal, and you are likely to see shaft rpms much higher than any ceiling fan normall turns.

4. It was NOISY when the wind got up to or over 15 mph. Blade shape is wrong--it needs to be tapered out toward the ends. Sounded like a UH1E helicopter. I'm guessing it was turning 4-5X what it turned when on 'hi' and used as a ceiling fan. You couldn't even begin to see the individual blades--it was just a blur. I was afraid to get around the dang thing.

You can make blades from sch 80 pvc--the instructions are available in several places on the web. What isn't so easy to find, is exact instructions for a furling mechanism, to turn the shaft perpendicular to the wind, but if you remember my old "jousting with windmills" thread, you already know this.

[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 02-08-2012).]

You might enjoy looking through this site.

http://www.windstuffnow.com/main/gm_alt_mod

Most motors are going to require a lot of RPM to create much power, and a gearbox or belt drive will probably waste a lot of the mechanical power or take too much for it to get started. Maybe if you've got big enough blades on it, but then you're dealing with larger forces that'll break flimsily-made blades...
They do sell 300-600watt windmills fairly cheaply these days on fleabay and you can probably find them locally. That's pointless if it's just an experiment for the heck of it though. If you want to really build something big that'll make some power, you could use an "Etek" motor. Some of those are rated 10hp or more, and a motor like that can generate some juice even at low RPM.

A friend and I were just discussing this the other day. I would use a ceiling fan as just a blade and use it to run an alternator thru gears or pulleys . That would charge a bank of 12 volt batteries. Most things in a house 'can' run or be replaced by a 12volt unit. You would have to build up quite a bit or storage capacity and run inverters for items like a fridge...but then you can buy a 12 volt or gas one. Biggest problem I see is you need to be somewhere there is a constant wind to keep charged. Its basicly calm here more than half the time, so even a roof level fan wont do much. Ive 'ran' most of my house during power outages that lasted days on just a couple of car batteries. 12v tv and dvd player, lights, cmptr, kerosene heater for over a week. I just ran a car a few hours a nite to recharge them.

A couple years ago I was working on a project to convert backyard decorative windmills into backyard power stations for running radios, electric BBQ's, lawnmowers ect. Mechanically/ Technically, it was pretty easy to work out but financially, a little market research showed that for what I would need to charge for them ($1500 to 2 grand) to make anything decent at it, the sales would be zero (funny how that works for a lot of things ) so I dropped the idea.....but if you want to cobble one together for your own use, the concept is very doable.

I've often thought of trying this also as my parents home is out in the open with a constant breeze and at times very windy.
Why wouldnt a couple car batterys for storage using a car alt. belt driven by the fan work?
If you wanted to use it to power a series of 12V items in say your garage.
Like a radio, cordless tool chargers, maybe a string of lights using 12V bulbs.

Thanks all who posted links or to jar my memory about other threads we have had about the subject.

You all know just how bad my memory is. I can remember something from 10 or 20 years ago a lot easier than the last paragraph I wrote or read.

I was really looking for information on the cheapest way to make a functioning electrical generating system at little or no cost. You know me I am all for recycling one thing into something else useful.

The recent show we watched made me think and if I have info I can printout and save then I can build it. I really am a wiz at reverse engineering. One of my downfalls, Melanie is constantly showing me pictures of things she finds on the net that she wants me to build and I just go and make them.

Thanks again and anyone who posts after this thanks as well.

Steve

------------------
Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't.

Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

for real power I would hunt for a generator with a bad motor
but that needs a big blade and chain or gear drive
to make AC you need 3600 rpm or gears or the 60 cycle will be off
DC is way eazyer

for playing a car alt will work with a simple 2x4 carved blade
stika spruce is the best wood
a buddy made them for boats
they work ok in strong winds

I've seen lots and lots (most in fact) oilfield generators that ran direct drive off diesel engines with either a 900 or 1800 full load constant rpm governor.
ac and dc.

It would take a heck of a mast to support those 300-500 kw gens tho.

How bout an old automobile or tractor generator if all one wants is to charge batteries? I know I have an 8v Ford tractor generator here.

I know the starter in Amanda’s golf cart worked that way. It works as a starter when you start it and then as a generator after it hits so many rpms. Not sure how many but I also know those starter generators ain’t cheap ether.

Steve

------------------
Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't.

Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

quote Originally posted by 84fiero123: I know old car electric cooling fans will generate some electricity if turned on their own by wind power but this idea has me interested.

I remember when my car would turn off too fast, the fan would still be spinning and create enough electrical current and backfeed and re-trip the relay and the fan would start back up just as i was getting out of the car. Occasionally i would not notice and wake up to a dead battery.

Bottom line. You can do it. It won't be efficient at all and it won't last. If you just want to play around, go ahead. If you want practical wind energy, move to a place that is so windy that you won't like it and buy a real wind generator. I am a wind energy advocate even though it might not sound like it.