Comments on: Maker Workshop – Wind Power Generator on MAKE: television http://blog.makezine.com/2009/02/13/maker-workshop-wind-power-generator/ DIY projects, how-tos, and inspiration from geeks, makers, and hackers Thu, 23 May 2013 17:27:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: massey harris http://blog.makezine.com/2009/02/13/maker-workshop-wind-power-generator/#comment-827422 Wed, 09 Jan 2013 01:15:22 +0000 http://makezineblog.wordpress.com/2009/02/13/maker-workshop-wind-power-generator/#comment-827422 good

]]> By: Anonymous http://blog.makezine.com/2009/02/13/maker-workshop-wind-power-generator/#comment-273913 Sat, 26 Feb 2011 11:54:00 +0000 http://makezineblog.wordpress.com/2009/02/13/maker-workshop-wind-power-generator/#comment-273913 All true and I’m all for the whole concept of RRR. If you have junk laying around and can re-purpose it that is awesome. My point is that it’s difficult to understand when doing something is better or worse than doing nothing. If we looked at his shop, how many RRR projects does he have to complete for the resource investment in tools, electricity, and oil creates a positive outcome? I’m a big fan of drastic population reduction combined with less consumption per capita. This is, unfortunately, not likely to happen so recycling is the next best thing.

]]> By: Anonymous http://blog.makezine.com/2009/02/13/maker-workshop-wind-power-generator/#comment-273912 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 23:35:00 +0000 http://makezineblog.wordpress.com/2009/02/13/maker-workshop-wind-power-generator/#comment-273912 All true, but if not recycled into something useful it all goes landfill, except maybe for the pvc which might be burned for heat at a concrete plant, where do you think old tires go when they die? PVC= poly vinyl CHLORide, nasty nasty.
If it makes a couple of hundred watts for 10 years, that’s a fair pile of coal right there.

]]> By: Anonymous http://blog.makezine.com/2009/02/13/maker-workshop-wind-power-generator/#comment-273911 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 12:30:00 +0000 http://makezineblog.wordpress.com/2009/02/13/maker-workshop-wind-power-generator/#comment-273911 Very cool but hardly ‘free electricity’ or even necessarily ‘green’. Lots of tools made of metal running with electricity probably derived from burning coal. PVC (oil based) plastic for the blades. Cutting oil. Lead/acid batteries.

I really wish there were more detailed analysis available to determine which technologies are actually beneficial and which just move the problem further away.

]]> By: Anonymous http://blog.makezine.com/2009/02/13/maker-workshop-wind-power-generator/#comment-273910 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 11:50:00 +0000 http://makezineblog.wordpress.com/2009/02/13/maker-workshop-wind-power-generator/#comment-273910 Home Wind Turbines, solar collectors, super insulation(see straw bale on net), gardening, composting, aquaculture, coupled with a large shift in life-style will get you an early retirement of modest yet secure means, and will insulate your personal economy from the violent shifts happening as we speak.

]]> By: Mike http://blog.makezine.com/2009/02/13/maker-workshop-wind-power-generator/#comment-273909 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 07:49:00 +0000 http://makezineblog.wordpress.com/2009/02/13/maker-workshop-wind-power-generator/#comment-273909 Having several low voltage high amp/hour rated batteries provides the best of both endurance and reliability. Wiring batteries in a series bank to attain the target voltage then wiring several banks together to get the desired amp/hour endurance. There is also the advantage of not being stuck without juice because of one bad battery. The other advantage is that your generator won’t have to generate the full operational voltage to charge the system, only the rated voltage of the individual batteries.

]]> By: Rob Ledoux http://blog.makezine.com/2009/02/13/maker-workshop-wind-power-generator/#comment-273908 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 03:56:00 +0000 http://makezineblog.wordpress.com/2009/02/13/maker-workshop-wind-power-generator/#comment-273908 that’s pretty cool…. Now I want to build one. Love the recycled motor as a generator.

Your choice in batteries got me thinking. I wonder what other types of batteries would work well for this application, other than golf cart batteries? You were generating well over 12V so it’s a shame to waste the excess (or is it being transformed to a lower voltage by the rectifier?)

I assume that the reason you’re not using an automotive battery is because they are designed to be kept almost fully charged all the time (1% to 5% from full charge), as opposed to equipment that is made to be plugged in, charged fully, and then used and discharged completely.

A 24V electric forklift battery comes to mind since they are also designed to be “deep cycled”, or discharged down as low as 20% of full charge (80% DOD, or Depth of Discharge). Or, I wonder if there is an advantage, maybe in charging, to use multiple batteries of smaller capacity.

Regardless, I look forward to building something like this one day.

]]> By: t-rav http://blog.makezine.com/2009/02/13/maker-workshop-wind-power-generator/#comment-273898 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://makezineblog.wordpress.com/2009/02/13/maker-workshop-wind-power-generator/#comment-273898 All of the MAKE videos seem to be relatively quiet in terms of volume. Do you implement any sort of audio compression in your audio chain before the final video is made?

just wondering

]]> By: Andrew http://blog.makezine.com/2009/02/13/maker-workshop-wind-power-generator/#comment-273899 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://makezineblog.wordpress.com/2009/02/13/maker-workshop-wind-power-generator/#comment-273899 I am digging and finding nothing. Where can I learn more?

How many of these would be needed to power a house?

Can you run an ‘average’ home off of energy stored in batteries, or would you need to hook these up to the house directly?

Can car alternators be used instead?

At what MPH(wind) or RPMs(device) does the device need to spin at and for how long to charge one of those batteries?

Any good links where I can read/learn/expand more if I need/want to take this to the next level and ‘live off the grid’?

]]> By: Andrew http://blog.makezine.com/2009/02/13/maker-workshop-wind-power-generator/#comment-273900 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://makezineblog.wordpress.com/2009/02/13/maker-workshop-wind-power-generator/#comment-273900 After asking the above questions I found a link in the PDF that is to accompnay the video.

http://www.velacreations.com/offgridsystem.htmlWind

I want to correct it for people reading and say it -should be-

http://www.velacreations.com/offgridsystem.html

I hope most people realize this.

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