SOLAR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL HOMEBUILT WIND GENERATORS WORKSHOP GUEMES
ISLAND WASHINGTON STATE USA APRIL 2009
SIX-FOOT TURBINE PICTURES
Setting the six-footer frame up for welding the hub. We used two
pieces of 5/8" bar as packing to provide clearance for the nuts and to
keep the flange parallel to the frame. Then it was just a matter
of being careful about tacking and welding so it did not move as the
welds shrank.
The frame with tail hinge fitted.
same again...
Stator mould for the six-footer.
Keith and Kathryn casting the stator.
Kathryn poses with the stator clamped to the frame ready for drilling.
Keith and Spencer standing,
Kathryn and Mia crouching as Dan explains how to set the air gap.
As with most things there are several ways to set the gap. I like
to start by building a tight pile of nuts on each stud before they go
near the magnets. Then I assemble the alternator keeping the nuts
at the back of the hub loose until the front plate is on. Dan's
method is described in his excellent new book Homebrew
Windpower and here
This was a 12-volt machine, so we put a rectifier box on top of the yaw
head. All six wires went to different AC terminals.
Kathryn and Chris working on blade balance. By this time
the
workshop was pretty much ended.
The six-footer furling out on the truck. We saw well over 30 amps
at times. The tail vane was a bit over-weight and the blades were
shoved on top of nuts that pushed them forward. So I expect it to
furl sooner with the correct weight of tail and a better fit to the
blades. But it was nice and quiet.
