Basic Components Of A DIY Wind Turbine
Find out what you need to make your own diy wind turbine.
I am often asked what parts are required to make a DIY Wind Turbine. This has led me to create this page so you can purchase the parts you require to make a DIY Wind Turbine suitable for charging 12V batteries.
Any questions, please do use the commenting form at the bottom of the page so others can learn from your questions.
Basic Components Required For A DIY Wind Turbine
-
30V - 90V DC Permanent Magnet Motor
- 18V - 40V 40A Blocking Diode
- 12V Charge Controller
- 12V 40A Dump Load
- 36V 40A Double Pole DC Rotary Isolator
- 40A Ammeter (Optional)
- 12V Deep Cycle Batteries (Or Configurations To Suit)
- Suitable Turbine Hub For Blades
- Turbine Blades
- Suitable Cable to connect your components with
Please look at the schematic below to see how each component is connected. The Ammeter is optional but will give you a good idea of how much power you are making at any given time.
Component Explanations
30V - 90V DC Permanent Magnet Motor
The PMDC (Permanent Magnet Direct Current) Motor is the powerhouse of a DIY wind turbine, when you rotate the motor it produces DC power.
The purpose of a blocking diode when used in conjunction with a wind turbine is to allow the motor to charge the batteries when the wind blows but more importantly it prevents the batteries spinning the motor when the wind is not blowing. Think of it as a one way gate, it will let electricity flow one way only.
The charge controller controls charging voltage and current supplied to the batteries and when the batteries are fully charged it will divert the power to another source, in this case a dump load. Without the dump load in place the motor will over speed and self destruct!
The dump load is a resistive load that can be either a filament lamp or a water / air heater, it takes the excess power from the wind turbine and dumps it. See above.
36V 40A Double Pole DC Rotary Isolator
The Isolator is essential for complete electrical disconnection for maintenance and safety. In this instance it is very important that the isolator is rated for DC (Direct Current) use and is suitably rated.
The ammeter shows you how much current is flowing to the battery bank, from this info you can calculate how much power in W (Watts) your wind turbine is making.
12V Deep Cycle Batteries (Or Configurations To Suit)
The batteries store the electricity you generate for later use. Batteries are often overlooked. Remember there is little point in spending lots of money on the best components you can purchase for your wind turbine installation if the batteries are not up to the job. The power you will be generating is precious and you should purchase the best batteries you can afford.
Any further questions please use the debate form below.
Andy Mahoney - 16th April 2010