Wind turbine with bicycle wheels

Step 5 Fix the bucket to the wheels and the wheels to the top and bottom frames.

Attach the wheels to the bucket. I used two 50mm self tapping screws into each of the four pieces of timber screwed to the wheels in step 2. Take care here to centre the base plates on the axles. This is where the marked lines on the base board help in alignment.
If you intend to use the rear wheel cogs to drive generator or pump etc make sure the bucket rotation is correct. If it isn't correct turn the bucket upside down and it should be turning in the correct direction.
Bolt the end frames on to the wheel axles.

Comments

[bbion]

dear engineers please design a portable windmill so i can take a wheel...of my bicycle ...duriiing nite ...to recharge... battery....at nite---10 lbs extra? with a bike wheel windmill

[alaskanbychoice]

How about a genertor attached to the wheel while you ride so that it is charging on your way to your destination ?

[mahesh.ganpate]

how much energy produce this wind mills

[DanLoney]

This is a really cool idea, does that get spinning very fast in the wind? i was thinking of using that design for mine, i was just going to use 1 bike wheel for a horizontal design, instead of a VAWT. i wanted to just screw in a hub on top of the piece of wood across the wheel and put blades on it but i wasnt sure all that weight would make it spin very fast. Great works that looks very cool ~DanLoney

[frednerk]

Mine only spins relatively slowly but if you use smaller diameter bike wheel with the same height blades it should spin faster. I did try this with one bike wheel and vertical blades when I was getting under way. I used cardboard for blades in testing. It went fairly well. If you use a horizontal design it may be more important to "balance" the wheel. ie after it is built spin it slowly and adjust the weight distribution of the whole construction. Have fun I just like to "Try it"!!!

[bhunter736]

True. Also, when the time comes, you can probably just use a treadmill motor as the generator. The torque should be pretty good, even with only one tier it should self start too. : )