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Roland Burton
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Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 4

Very Small Commercial Windmill/Generator?

11/21/2011 4:45 PM

Can you folks suggest a commercially available, very small windmill/generator that I can stick on my garage roof so that I can investigate the problems of too little wind, too much wind, etc? I have built a 1.4 watt generator but I don't want to build everything from scratch or from instructions. I may have an application if this idea goes anywhere.
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RVZ717
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United States - Member - USA! Hobbies - Musician - Sound Man Engineering Fields - Mechanical Engineering - More than a Hobby Technical Fields - Technical Writing - New Member

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#1

Re: Very small commercial windmill/generator?

11/21/2011 5:21 PM

I have seen many videos on Youtube detailing an easy way to convert an old ceiling fan into a wind generator...

Meh?

They claim it works quite well, and it super cheap/easy to build.

Haven't done it myself, but knowing the little bits that I know, it looked (from the video) to be workable.

Here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/user/muddymuddymuddmann

And another:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlpJBXu1nr4&feature=relmfu

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SolarEagle
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#2

Re: Very Small Commercial Windmill/Generator?

11/21/2011 8:11 PM

Here's a list with contact info for 660....

http://www.allsmallwindturbines.com/

400w for $400.

http://www.amazon.com/GudCraft-WG400-12-Volt-Generator-Controller/dp/B004P8FEEK

Ebay has lots...Here's a kit up for bidding...

http://www.amazon.com/GudCraft-WG400-12-Volt-Generator-Controller/dp/B004P8FEEK

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Roland Burton
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Join Date: Nov 2011
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#3
In reply to #2

Re: Very Small Commercial Windmill/Generator?

11/21/2011 8:58 PM

Thanks for your reference to 400W for $400. I guess what I want is somewhere between 40W for $40 and 4W for $4. I suppose that the power levels I want are best supplied by solar, but solar works so poorly at night! I think a bicycle generator does about 3-6W.
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SolarEagle
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#4
In reply to #3

Re: Very Small Commercial Windmill/Generator?

11/21/2011 9:39 PM

Here is a little $16 kit on ebay...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Learning-Science-wind-turbine-kits-education-GENERATOR-/260843033480?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cbb74d388#ht_2708wt_971

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Roland Burton
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#5
In reply to #4

Re: Very Small Commercial Windmill/Generator?

11/21/2011 11:17 PM

Thanks everybody for your input. There seems to be enough stuff on ebay that I can find what I need without bothering you further.
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Tornado
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#6
In reply to #5

Re: Very Small Commercial Windmill/Generator?

11/22/2011 12:27 AM

Nonetheless, please keep us updated on your findings. A project like this might make a good suggestion for a student exercise, next time someone asks.

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nikolay
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#8
In reply to #3

Re: Very Small Commercial Windmill/Generator?

11/22/2011 2:40 AM

The bike generator could easily give you 10-20W . Tried it with a laptop and works.

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129CBRider
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#9
In reply to #3

Re: Very Small Commercial Windmill/Generator?

11/22/2011 10:09 AM

Ace Hardware has a generic 3w bicycle generator for $9.99 in stock usually.
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ormondotvos
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#7

Re: Very Small Commercial Windmill/Generator?

11/22/2011 1:05 AM

If you are just interested in windspeed and direction, a small remote weather station will actually give you better results. Some of them record, also.

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Users who posted comments:

129CBRider (1); nikolay (1); ormondotvos (1); Roland Burton (2); RVZ717 (1); SolarEagle (2); Tornado (1)

Previous in Forum: Small Vehicle for Pulling Unmotorized RVs   Next in Forum: Test On the Underwater-Current Flow Along the Eastern Coastal Waters of Negros

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