Horizontal Double Helix Wind Turbine

This is my first instuctable, so bear with me. This instructable will show you how to build a horizontal double helix wind turbine.This generates 100 percent green electricity. This is my own design. I've tested this design and found that it works well. This design similar to this is a vertical double helix wind turbine. This wind turbine is easy to build and anyone can do it. So lets begin by going to the first step.

Step 1: Things you will need.

Parts list:
1. A long pipe with an interior diameter no smaller in interior diameter than 3 inches (the bigger the interior diameter of the pipe, the better)

2. 8 bolts or screws that can reach the radius of your pipe (these will be used to hold your ball bearings in place (see item 6))

3. A rod 1foot longer than your pipe

4. Fasteners to hold the forms of the wind turbine blade in place

5. Three Forms(These are made by taking the interior diameter of the pipe (in inches)-subtracting 1/2 inch to get the length of the form, adding 1/2 inch to the diameter of the rod to get the width,and by cutting the diamond shape out of 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick wood).

6. 2 ball bearings, 1for each end of the pipe. (The diameter of the inner ring of the ball bearings should be the same or slightly larger than the exterior diameter of the rod).

7. 2 small pieces of pipe that fit snugly around the ball bearings.

8.Some 1 millimeter thick foam

9. Something to mount your wind turbine mount to (I used a tripod made for mounting large satellite dishes on).

10. Something to mount you wind turbine on (I used PVC pipe, zip ties, and rubber strips to mount my wind turbine.

11. A DC motor or alternator to generate electricity with. ( I used an RC car motor)

12. Something to connect your rod to your generator (I used a wooden dowel with a hole drilled through the center).

13. Some wood to make the tail fin for the wind turbine and the three forms.

14. PVC pipe to attach your tail fin to your wind turbine pipe.

15. Duct Tape (to hold certain things together)
(Its the best stuff in the world):-)

16. Something to attach your generator to the wind turbine tube with ( I used wood and zip ties).

Everything mentioned here can be bought at Home Depot except for the generator/ DC motor/ alternator, the tripod, and maybe the foam.

Tools You Will Need
1. A Hack Saw

2. A drill

3. A drill bit the same size as the bolts or screws used to hold your ball bearings in place

4. A drill bit the same size as your rod.

5. Utility knife for cutting the foam.

6. Measuring tape or ruler.

7. Wrench(s) if you use nuts as fasteners.

8. Stapler/ Staple Gun for stapling the foam to the wood forms.

8. Table Saw (optional--- it just makes life easier).

Comments

[Kitsune13]

Not a double helix wind turbine...
http://www.alternativeconsumer.com/2009/06/ = a double helix wind turbine

[Johnwayne]

Check your camera---it is set to underexpose your photos, which are all bad.

[Ultra Computers]

You are absolutely right about how the the wind turbine works My camera is a funny thing. When i take a picture of most light colored objects, the image gets fuzzy or goes dark. AKA I need a new camera

[buteman]

So we know who you are answering click on the word REPLY which you see on the bottom right of each comment. When you do reply it will appear under the comment but slightly to the right as you will see from this reply.
Thanks.

[joegeek]

It would also be very helpful if you would remove all the stuff from the scene and surounding background area that's NOT related to the Turbine. The current pictures are cluttered with backgroung shop items that may confusing to the readers - keep it simple. Thank you for sharing.

[Kiteman]

_{(I guess this is a reply to somebody, possibly me. It would be easier to know that if you used the "reply" button at the bottom of a comment.}

[rimar2000]

You can enhance the photos with some free photo editor. You must touch Bright, Contrast and Gamma.

[buteman]

This looks like it could be an interesting idea.
I am finding it hard to work out what your instructions are telling me to do.
Please can you post photos which I can see, they are all so dark.
If I could see the photos I might be able to work it out.
Thanks.

[gmyers2112]

I would think that a funnel of about 36 to 48 inches and a main tube of about 6 inches inside diameter could product some power. Of course, ones always bumps up against the available horse power in a given area of wind. The only wind turbines that I've seen that seem to produce more work than the wind would indicate are wing type VAWT's. Even in a low wind, the lift on the wings really gets those spinning at high RPM and they can generate enough torque to turn a gear set to up the genny output.

[gmyers2112]

how much torque are you generating on the turning shaft? does it create enough to gear up to a useful generator or was this just to sorta see if it would work. It actually reminds me or a Davinci waterscrew used to pump water out of mine shafts.

[Kroner78]

If you made the funnel rigid and pivoted it from the front of the funnel you could do away with the fin.... this does make it a little trickier to connect the electricity bits! Just a thought!

[DIYfer]

Hey UC you had a good design going on ...what happened? A double helix turbine would work in more places and easier to place than a fan turbine. I would try to redo this instructable with better pics and the votes will surely come in. More and more people are looking for this particular turbine. You have given me ideas to go forward on mine, thanks for that much. Good Luck if you redo this....

[macrumpton]

It sounds interesting, but without clear pictures or video or drawings it is hard to tell what it is.

[Ultra Computers]

Please vote for me :-)

[professorguay]

As you've shown me how this can get unstable, fast, might I suggest your reshooting the pixs -- but this time, have a sheet as a background or draping a lot of the stuff in the pictures. Had I not been there myself, there wouldn't have been parts -- like the tripod -- that I could have picked out. Maybe that's a way of showing off your work better to folks to garner more votes, eh?

[dchall8]

It would be nice to have captions in the photos so I knew what I was looking at. The first picture looks like a long pipe connected to a plastic bag, but I don't see a plastic bag in your lists of materials so I must be seeing it wrong. Can you take pictures of the pieces as you assemble them and then the assembly of the device so we know what direction everything points as it goes together? Did you make the rotating part out of foam? In the 4th picture in step 7 it looks like you blocked the flow of air out the back of the device. Am I seeing that right?

[Ultra Computers]

The back of the device is not completely blocked off. If I had a bigger piece of pipe (in Diameter) there would be less blockage. I took photos of all of the components and placed them in the order of mentioning, shown in the first step.

[Kiteman]

You need more detailed explanation and clearer photos.

I think - after much re-reading and head-scratching - that the big fin points the funnel into the wind, wind blows down the funnel, and through the tube. Inside the tube is a spiral of foam, which spins as the wind blows down the tube.

Is that correct?

[Ultra Computers]

what do you not understand? I will try to clarify

[odiekokee]

This looks very interesting, but I don't understand it. The pictures are pretty hard to see. Thanks

[lemonie]

Can you take this outside and photograph it - it would look better in daylight? L