best dc motor for high winds

System
System Posts: 2,511 admin
in Wind Power Generation #1
i live in a high wind area and in constructing my first wind turbine...what is the best dc motor for high wind? ive read about a dc 520 that is allegedly a good one...any suggestions?
· Share on Twitter

Comments

  • trumpets3u
    trumpets3u Solar Expert Posts: 35 ✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: best dc motor for high winds

    Go over here. http://www.otherpower.com/
    They have a good plan for small turbines.
    And read in this forum
    Hugh piggot style wind turbine by halfcrazy. Of what I have read you may want to stay away from the DC motors. Also halfcrazy is testing a controler that works well.
    Brian
    · Share on Twitter
  • n3qik
    n3qik Solar Expert Posts: 741 ✭✭
    #3
    Re: best dc motor for high winds

    DC motors are good to get your feet wet with, but if you need dependable generation the look at something else.

    With a DIY wind mill, pay good attention to the blades and mounts. The blades can and will the most problem area. My blades did not last even a year and I am in a low wind area. So be careful.
    · Share on Twitter
  • halfcrazy
    halfcrazy Solar Expert Posts: 720 ✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: best dc motor for high winds

    I highly recommend building your own turbine based on the axial flux design. check out www.otherpower.com they have tons of good info. the DC motors are a fun thing but i think they have a lot of limitations. The axial flux design is something everyone can do with the help of the people at otherpower they offer each part or a whole turbine and anything in between allowing anyone to have one of these turbines.

    I agree the blades are an area to look at a lot of people make them from pvc pipe and this scares me. I really like the hand carved wood blades and i would say look at the mounting they use on there 17 foot and 20 foot design at otherpower and incorporate that.

    IMHO the 10foot design at otherpower is a very stout machine i would use the 2 inch round discs and i would scrap the blade hub assembly they use and use the style they use on the 17foot machine it is a much stronger design. this 10 foot machine alone is capable of 1000 watts and with some help from the Classic controller it can do 2500-3000 watts real comfortably.
    · Share on Twitter
  • ron17571
    ron17571 Registered Users Posts: 19 ✭✭
    #5
    Re: best dc motor for high winds

    If dc motors arent that good what are the more commercialy sold gen. using?ive been reading about modified car alternators,seems preety good if put together well.wind blue power is the latest one ive looked at.
    · Share on Twitter
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,622 admin
    #6
    Re: best dc motor for high winds

    A DC Universal Motor type (like an old style car generator from the 1960's and earlier)--but they have the problem that they have brushes and commutators--You have to change the brushes and sometimes turn the commutator every year or so... You can also find permanent magnet DC Motors (servo motors) and use them too.

    Also "Generators" and Car Alternators waste energy providing a "field" current (field coil/stator in generator, slip rings and "rotating" stator in the alternator).

    Replace the field coils with permanent magnets--you save quite a bit of power.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
    · Share on Twitter
  • halfcrazy
    halfcrazy Solar Expert Posts: 720 ✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: best dc motor for high winds

    My opinion would be all the professional turbines IE Bergey, Southwest, ARE etc are using custom made assembly's they are not taking car alternators and using them.

    I was just offering my advice as it always seems the small dc motor conversions just don't last and people get discouraged the OP said he was in a high wind area so that leaves out a lot of junk you read and see on Ebay

    The homebrew axial flux design has been tried and true in high winds that is why i recommended it.
    · Share on Twitter
  • jacobs
    jacobs Solar Expert Posts: 72 ✭✭
    #8
    Re: best dc motor for high winds
    blowintrees wrote: »
    i live in a high wind area and in constructing my first wind turbine...what is the best dc motor for high wind? ive read about a dc 520 that is allegedly a good one...any suggestions?

    One big problem with using a DC motor as a generator is the brush timing. Brush timing is totally different between DC generators and a DC motors. Unless your brush holder assembly is adjustable, brush life and commutator life will be very short lived. When using a motor as a generator and the brush holder assembly is adjustable, wire the motor directly to the batteries. Now rotate the brush holder assembly slowly back and forth to where the armature stops turning. Next, rotate it slightly in the direction the unit will be turning as a generator until the armature turns slowly. Lock the assembly in place here. This is where you will have both optimum brush life and maximum output.
    · Share on Twitter
  • ron17571
    ron17571 Registered Users Posts: 19 ✭✭
    #9
    Re: best dc motor for high winds

    well the ones i read about dont have brushes.and what about the one i mentioned on that site wind blue power.
    · Share on Twitter
  • jacobs
    jacobs Solar Expert Posts: 72 ✭✭
    #10
    Re: best dc motor for high winds

    That appears to be a Delco Remy automobile alternator, although probably rewound to operate at lower rpm's. If you live in a high wind area, I doubt the bearings would last longer than maybe a couple of years at most.
    · Share on Twitter
  • WisJim
    WisJim Solar Expert Posts: 59 ✭✭✭
    #11
    Re: best dc motor for high winds

    Many of the legitimate wind generator manufacturers use axial flux style alternators in most of their units now. In my opiinion, any company using a modified DC motor or car alternator is making a unit with many short cuts, not a long lived reliable machine. Look at the generating units in an ARE, Proven, Bergey, etc. One machine of home size that uses a different method is the Endurance which uses an induction generator so it also doesn't need an inverter to connect to the grid (but would be difficult to use to charge batteries). Regarding blades, those blades made from sheet metal or PVC pipe are scary. Those machines are going to require frequent maintenance and repair, and are toys.
    · Share on Twitter

Categories