How to build a marine wind generator
or
How to build a yacht wind turbine
or
How to build a marine trolling generator
For full article and photos see-
http://www.tongacharter.com/report-wind.htm
By: Scott Fratcher - Marine Engineer/Captain
Today’s fuel prices are forcing many boaties to look for alternative methods of battery charging – ones that don’t use fuel. Scott Fratcher explains how to build your own wind/trolling generator to produce “cost-free” battery charging.
The wind/trolling generator presented here has been the energy producing workhorse of the cruising community for over two decades. It’s compact, has many mounting variations to suit different yacht rigs, and puts out heaps of power.
We regularly see 20 charge amps in 25 knots of wind. Sailing at six knots the trolling generator produces six continuous amps, with a drag load of 15 kg. The wind charger is the quietest I’ve ever heard, and best of all it can be built by any good DIYer in just a couple days.
Four steps to building the generator:
* Finding a motor * Build a propeller * Build a trolling attachment * Put it all together and make power
Finding a motor
The heart of the wind/trolling system is the motor. This is the only component you might actually have to purchase. Because this is a DIY article, we’ll discuss specifications to help you find one of these motors in the scrap bin, or at least know to what to look for at a swap meet.
For years boaties have used old mainframe computer tape drive motors (permanent magnet motors). There are lots of them around, now that computers have moved to hard disks. You can often find them at swap meets, and military surplus stores sometimes have them. You can also search the internet.
Specifications
We want a permanent magnet motor between 18-48 volts, with an rpm range of 200-600. The higher the voltage the more leeway you have on rpm. The idea is to produce over 14 volts at low rpm (200 or so). For an 18-volt motor to make 12 volts it has to spin at 66 percent of its rated rpm. For a 48-volt motor to produce the same 12 volts, it only has to spin 25 percent of the rated rpm.
To identify a permanent magnet motor, look for the smooth case sides, with bearings at each end. There should be no cooling fans or openings to the windings. The sealed case means the windings also last longer in a marine environment.
Testing
When you come across one of these motors, give it a quick “on the spot” test by turning the shaft. If the shaft rotates smoothly and looks to be in good shape, the next step is to cross the output leads. Again spin the shaft and you should feel instant resistance. If you don’t feel the drag it could mean loose or worn brushes, a burned-up armature, the rpm rating may be too high for this application, or it may not actually be a permanent magnet motor.
The second test is to connect an electrical meter to the generator output leads and give the motor a good spin by hand. A quick snap of the wrist should render a short but readable voltage of 10 volts or more. Note: If you attempt to turn the generator shaft an ...
For full article and photos see-
http://www.tongacharter.com/report-wind.htm
Note- I don't build wind generators or sell wind generators. This is a free report previously published in Tradaboat NZ.
Tags: Wind Generator DIY
RSS FEEDS
| BANNERS