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Old 12-12-12, 06:34 PM   #4
randen
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Default Wind turbine for hydraulic or air pump

Both have been done to death. This has been such a problem with wind turbines some tinkerer's investing so much time and effort without studying the true dynamics of wind/power production. Then to top it off trying to sell their new found energy producing machine with dismal performance to some poor unsuspecting soul.

I don't mean to be cruel.

Hydraulic's two huge things. The close fitting components required in the pump itself cause so much friction the wind turbine maynot even start to turn unless in hurricane type weather. Not to mention the other end, the internal drag of a hydraulic motor. TOO MANY LOSSES.

Temperatures on the oil or hydraulic fluids. Really cool weather will make the fluid viscus preventing the turbine from turning. Even grease for the bearings needs to be special to reduce drag in cold weather. Not to mention the lubrication in those turbines with gear-boxes.

You had mentioned water. What about freezing.

VAWT do some homework on this one, One blade going down wind with the other blade coming up wind only with twice the apparent wind speed. The resultant power is marginal just enough to make it rotate no real world power.

The HAWT is the machine that will produce horsepower but its an engineers definition of compromize. The turbines blades need to operate well in a specific wind speed envelop. Outside this envelope the blades need to be protected from overspeed. In the case of an average wind speed for the location of the turbine the blades must exceed the amount of torque imposed by the alternator (or whatever your driving). If there is too much torque the blades will just stall and not produce any useable power.

What about the power you produce?? AC single phase,three phase,DC ?? What about the voltage window 12-48volt 100-300volt. Batteries or grid tie?? Did you know you just cannot disconnect the power. The windings must stay loaded. What will you do If your batteries are fully charged and its going to blow hard for the next week. You don't want to over-charge that expensive battery bank.

The poor under-appreciated tower. This peice of steel 40ft. minimum high. standing straight up must counteract the torque and gyroscopic gymnastics of a whirling blade ducking back and forth in strong gusts of wind year upon year. It maybe fun the first time you raise the turbine but what about 6 mnts to a year after, the bearings could use a shot of grease. The wood blades you carved could use some more oil and or the fiberglass blades need the bolts re-tightened or the buggs cleaned off.

There is so much to these systems and anything less than a well thoughout system would be heart-breaking. But there are those who have done it with great success. Wind turbine producing electrical energy, heating water with elements. Although maybe not the best utilization of the energy but greater in self regulating.

Check-out otherpower.com guys.

Again I appologize, but there is so much more to this than it would seem than just hoisting a turbine in the wind.

Randen
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