1. Home
  2. Hobby Electronics Basics
  3. building microwind and microhydro generators

building microwind and microhydro generators

Looking for some tips on homemade microwind and microhydro generators.

I have a site near the top of a mountain far from any power utilities. It is intended for camping trips and will end up with either a quite small cabin or small motorhome. It is hard to predict what my power needs will be, but much less than a typical home. I am guessing 1-10 kW*hr generation is my goal with intermittant use, like only on weekends.

The wind can be very strong, but variable. There is a creek running through the property. I am told the flow is 144 miner's inches per second, and that this is roughly 1 cubic foot per second.

Here are some questions:

  1. My understanding is that an induction generator would be a good choice as long as I make sure I build up sufficient RPM. Assuming I have access to junk and scrap yards, what is a good source?

  1. Assuming induction generator is good choice, are planetary gear or belt drive arrangements used with these to maintain high RPM?

  2. Assuming total electric need is not great, I have heard of using water pumps. Anyone know if the pump from an old washer machine would work? Seems to me that in their usual config, they pump a lot of water, so I wonder if running water through this would generate enough current to charge, for instance, a couple marine batteries. I do not have sufficient specs handy to make a sane guess.

  1. As for the wind generator, are the powerful neodymium magnetics found in hardware stores a good choice?

  2. Schematics? Anyone know websites with reliable instructions on how to build either of these from scratch on a micro scale?

Dominic

Reply to
Dominic-Luc Webb
Loading thread data ...

I should maybe add to this that as regards the microhydro, I would really like to find out about the the most eco friendly method since this site is otherwise pristine.

Dominic

Reply to
Dominic-Luc Webb

Lord knows where you are getting your info now, (induction generators make no sense off grid) but try

formatting link

Lots of useful info, especially if you take the time to read through "the old stuff" (what they used to do) and learn from what they have changed after experience, rather than re-inventing the wheel yourself.

--
Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by
Reply to
Ecnerwal

Wikipedi, amongst others. My understanding is that it is convenient way to get a stable AC frequency.

Thanks!

Dominic

Reply to
Dominic-Luc Webb

I'm pretty sure that neither are feasible, certainly at the 1 KW power level.

You can calculate the power possible from 1 cf/sec water flow, but you have to know the head (pressure) available. I knew a guy who had a stream on a hillside; he built a small dam uphill and ran a pipe from there down to his house, diverting part of the stream's flow, and ran a pump backwards, spinning an alternator. He had over 200 feet of vertical drop, so got close to 100 psi pressure to work with. I don't think it was worth the effort, and you'd probably have to divert your entire stream to get useful output. Figure under 50% efficiency for a good water-wheel and a good generator, much less if you use makeshift stuff.

If you can't do the calculations, I wouldn't attempt the project.

Pack in propane.

John

Reply to
John Larkin

Someone is finally selling fuel cells. What a joke. :)

formatting link 

--
http://improve-usenet.org/index.html

aioe.org, Goggle Groups, and Web TV users must request to be white
listed, or I will not see your messages.

If you have broadband, your ISP may have a NNTP news server included in
your account: http://www.usenettools.net/ISP.htm


There are two kinds of people on this earth:
The crazy, and the insane.
The first sign of insanity is denying that you\'re crazy.
Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

No. An induction machine is an easy way to put power onto the grid _at the grid's frequency_ without having to either mechanically or electrically synchronize your generator.

Off grid, an induction machine would require some pretty fancy electronics to impose a "grid like" voltage for the generator to work against.

My first guess at a quick & dirty generator would be a car alternator, at least if you just want 12VDC from lead-acid batteries. It's very best feature is that if you pick one that's common then replacement parts can be found at the nearest junkyard (or the nearest neighbor with the right vehicle, if you're not terribly scrupulous).

But I've never done this, so do check what people are really using.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" gives you just what it says.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html
Reply to
Tim Wescott

That's nothing new. Fuel cells have been a joke for 50 years at least.

John

Reply to
John Larkin

To offer a $5000 unit that barely produces 25 watts, along with replacement laptop power supplies they are too small to power is kind of funny. :)

--
http://improve-usenet.org/index.html

aioe.org, Goggle Groups, and Web TV users must request to be white
listed, or I will not see your messages.

If you have broadband, your ISP may have a NNTP news server included in
your account: http://www.usenettools.net/ISP.htm


There are two kinds of people on this earth:
The crazy, and the insane.
The first sign of insanity is denying that you\'re crazy.
Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

Try the energy groups, esp alt.energy.homepower

This one's well considered btw.

formatting link

Graham

Reply to
Eeyore

Define 'eco friendly' !

In one energy group there's a poster who has made his own microhydro using a Pelton Wheel method. He posts often. Look in the archives. As well as the homepower group look at alt.energy.reneweable.

Beware of the 'free power' overunity cranks around esp in sci.energy.

Graham

Reply to
Eeyore

They're pretty inefficient. Permament magnet alternators can do much better.

Graham

Reply to
Eeyore

100% agreed. Beware the shysters selling garbage too.

Graham

Reply to
Eeyore

Never mind the 'hydrogen economy'. Sadly most greens and politicians have no brains, so they think it's the greatest 'new thing'.

Graham

Reply to
Eeyore

Imagine running a methanol fuel cell near electronics. Or stashing one in a briefcase.

John

Reply to
John Larkin

Imagine trying to get it and the fuel past the TSA.

--
http://improve-usenet.org/index.html

aioe.org, Goggle Groups, and Web TV users must request to be white
listed, or I will not see your messages.

If you have broadband, your ISP may have a NNTP news server included in
your account: http://www.usenettools.net/ISP.htm


There are two kinds of people on this earth:
The crazy, and the insane.
The first sign of insanity is denying that you\'re crazy.
Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

Thanks for ideas. I am quite able to do some math, but need to get some tips on reasoning this correctly. My friend now tells me that he made a mistake and the flow is more like

100 liter/s. I do not think we can realistically get that level of vertical drop you mention.

Dominic

Reply to
Dominic-Luc Webb

Thanks!

Dominic

Reply to
Dominic-Luc Webb

I am not yet sure what is and is not eco friendly, but I am not going to dig up the entire area. Ideally, when I leave this world, the generator can disappear without a trace of having been there. This can be done with a wind generator.

Dominic

Reply to
Dominic-Luc Webb

Reply to
Dave Saum

ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.