Picoturbine project (4/9/2016)
Finally I have a chance to actually make and install a small wind turbine in our house. Actually just a picoturbine. But unlike what is available for sale on the internet, the one I made is based on a small DC motor. Which is still a permanent magnet type. Also, unlike the picoturbine on the net, my project is not just for classroom demonstration but can actually be installed on rooftops. Like I did in the picture above.
For a start, the rotor arm is 2 feet long. As long as the rotor rotates about 1 rev/sec(60rpm), it will start to light LED bulbs. As long as there is a mild breeze, the blades catches the wind and starts to rotate.
As with all my past projects, I used readily available materials, even scraps to make the picoturbine. The blades are made of PET bottles and the pulley and rotor plate are made of tin cans. See pictures below.
For a start, the rotor arm is 2 feet long. As long as the rotor rotates about 1 rev/sec(60rpm), it will start to light LED bulbs. As long as there is a mild breeze, the blades catches the wind and starts to rotate.
As with all my past projects, I used readily available materials, even scraps to make the picoturbine. The blades are made of PET bottles and the pulley and rotor plate are made of tin cans. See pictures below.
I still needed to make some modification to the dc motor so I hacked it. The reason is that ordinary small dc motors need high rpm to produce enough voltage. I also incorporated a small voltage booster circuit to further up the output. The circuit is the same one I used for my LED flashlight project using discarded batteries.
And then the moment of truth. I installed the picoturbine on our roof and waited for some wind. Voila! Once the wind came the turbine started rotating. See the short video below.
And then the moment of truth. I installed the picoturbine on our roof and waited for some wind. Voila! Once the wind came the turbine started rotating. See the short video below.