PVC pipe blades and rotor for HAWT from scrap.

Step 7 Attach the blades and add the bearing cage.

I clamped the blades in position on each arm and drilled the blade for the outermost holes first.

Once all 3 blades where attached I lined up the first blade and drilled the hole for the second bolt.  i then used the the tape measure to make sure the tips of the blades where at equal distances. Once all the blades where set i drilled the rest of the holes and bolted the blades on to the rotor.

I was now able to test the rotor to see if the blades worked. They worked very well, so well that I decided It would be much safer mounted on a test stand than me just holding the bearing casing.

The blades will need some sanding here and there to make them perfectly balanced, I will do this in the tweaking stage before I mount the turbine on a pole.

I hope you like my idea for a scrappy solution to the problem of making a rotor for a wind turbine.

Comments

[pleabargain]

Please post updates when you get it connected to a generator under load! Very clever reuse of 'garbage'!

[Dr Qui]

I will do an Instructable on how I build the rest of the turbine.  and maybe one on building a flux type generator too.  Dont worry any projects I do will be documented and posted.

This Instructable was posted just to show others that you could use this washing machine part for building a turbine.

[jhampa]

Sounds great, thanks for the postings. Now I'm looking for a dead washing machine, lol

[xarlock667]

Your inginuity is impressive! Please post updates as you make progress!

[gogutu]

Foarte igenios chiar am aceste piese si ma gandeam sa le arunc dar le voi refolosi ,astept sa vedem cu ce vei realiza generatorul de curent,poate va fi ceva simplu si usor de procurat. Foarte igenios

[dezertdude]

wouldn't you mount the hub on the motor / generator shaft and not on a bearing?

[Dr Qui]

The end of the shaft has an internal thread, so the magnet rotor can be bolted on to the shaft, I most likely will go with a home made alternator for this build.

[MechEngineerMike]

a homemade alternator sounds like a nightmare project to me, perhaps you could find an old vacuum or drill motor you could use instead?

[scraptopower]

It helps save the generator bearings from premature death, especially if they are not designed to take the kind of forces a windmill might put on them.