Super Genius
Posts: 1,352 
Location: Calgary
Location: Calgary
December 9th, 2007, 04:09 PM
Quote:
http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/26/m...rmal-windmill/ Maglev wind turbines 1000x more efficient than normal windmills
Posted Nov 26th 2007 3:31PM by Nilay Patel
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
We've seen a couple innovative wind power solutions pop up, but none that claim to offer the benefits of maglev wind turbines, which use full-permanent magnets to nearly eliminate friction by "floating" the blades above the base. According to developers, the technology is capable of scaling to massive sizes, with a proposed $53M turbine able enough to replace 1000 traditional windmills and power 750 thousand homes. Additional benefits include the ability to generate power with winds as slow as three miles per hour, operational costs some 50 percent cheaper than windmills, and an estimated lifespan of 500 years. That all sounds great, but the real proof will come when these things get put to use, which may happen sooner than you'd think: Development is proceeding rapidly in both the US and China, with Chinese power company Zhongke Hengyuan Energy Technology currently building a $5M factory to produce the turbines in capacities from 400 to 5,000 watts.
Posted Nov 26th 2007 3:31PM by Nilay Patel
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Hawkings former plumber
Posts: 7,935 
Location: RR1 Distopia 666 Discordia Drive Apt 911
Location: RR1 Distopia 666 Discordia Drive Apt 911
December 9th, 2007, 06:41 PM
That's beautiful, I built a verticle axis machine with plastic barrels and plywood it functioned for two years, it failed in the last big wind. I always wanted to try the same but to float the rotor in fluid as a bearing, the magnets are better.
That's beautiful, I built a verticle axis machine with plastic barrels and plywood it functioned for two years, it failed in the last big wind. I always wanted to try the same but to float the rotor in fluid as a bearing, the magnets are better.
Hawkings former plumber
Posts: 7,935
Location: RR1 Distopia 666 Discordia Drive Apt 911
Location: RR1 Distopia 666 Discordia Drive Apt 911
December 9th, 2007, 10:13 PM
Quoting Lester
Check out the price of rare earth magnets Lester.
That is sweet, now i wanna build one - They can't be that expensive either, power companies aren't going to like that i could build one to power my own home and sell the excess to them.
Clever Clogs
Posts: 539
Location: Ardrossan, Alberta
Location: Ardrossan, Alberta
December 14th, 2007, 03:20 PM
Quoting darkbeaver
DB - gotta link? - gotta make a prototype first
Check out the price of rare earth magnets Lester.
Hawkings former plumber
Posts: 7,935
Location: RR1 Distopia 666 Discordia Drive Apt 911
Location: RR1 Distopia 666 Discordia Drive Apt 911
December 14th, 2007, 05:46 PM
http://www.scoraigwind.com/
http://www.scoraigwind.com/
Quoting Lester
I bought his little book, it was worth the twenty-five bucks Lester.
DB - gotta link? - gotta make a prototype first
Hawkings former plumber
Posts: 7,935
Location: RR1 Distopia 666 Discordia Drive Apt 911
Location: RR1 Distopia 666 Discordia Drive Apt 911
December 15th, 2007, 10:41 PM
My verticle axis machine was built with plastic 45 gallon drums and mounted on top of a Subaru Justy. I used the cv shafts to connect the differential from the same car that stepped down the speed about 3.5 to 1 and changed the transmission direction from verticle to horizontal, my plan was to drive a water pump with it. I used the old car as a base and a shelter for the pump and it's drive. It was cobbled together pretty quickly with about thirty bucks spent for the barrels. I'll build a better and bigger one someday soon. The little alternators are easy to build and all you have to do is scale up or down depending on your available capital and or requirements. The one I built is three phase, so you've got three wires coming off the turbine into your panel accross a couple of rectifiers and into your battery.
I'am after torque and even with the four blades made from two barrels you got quite a bit of torque which you can step up for some decent generator speed. I drew up a verticle axis job using 200 gallon oil tanks split diagonally along the long axis sort of like raison scoops only bigger, that's quite a bit more sail area than the 45 gallon barrels, I'll get arround to scrounging some shafting and heavy bearings for it this coming spring. And I'll have to pour a base for it as well. From my point of view bigger is better and verticle is the way to go to avoid the towers, if you get ten or fifteen feet off the ground in an unobstructed area with a little natural rise it should produce some very decent torque. good lucke it's lots of fun and the power is there in the wind.
My verticle axis machine was built with plastic 45 gallon drums and mounted on top of a Subaru Justy. I used the cv shafts to connect the differential from the same car that stepped down the speed about 3.5 to 1 and changed the transmission direction from verticle to horizontal, my plan was to drive a water pump with it. I used the old car as a base and a shelter for the pump and it's drive. It was cobbled together pretty quickly with about thirty bucks spent for the barrels. I'll build a better and bigger one someday soon. The little alternators are easy to build and all you have to do is scale up or down depending on your available capital and or requirements. The one I built is three phase, so you've got three wires coming off the turbine into your panel accross a couple of rectifiers and into your battery.
I'am after torque and even with the four blades made from two barrels you got quite a bit of torque which you can step up for some decent generator speed. I drew up a verticle axis job using 200 gallon oil tanks split diagonally along the long axis sort of like raison scoops only bigger, that's quite a bit more sail area than the 45 gallon barrels, I'll get arround to scrounging some shafting and heavy bearings for it this coming spring. And I'll have to pour a base for it as well. From my point of view bigger is better and verticle is the way to go to avoid the towers, if you get ten or fifteen feet off the ground in an unobstructed area with a little natural rise it should produce some very decent torque. good lucke it's lots of fun and the power is there in the wind.
Clever Clogs
Posts: 539
Location: Ardrossan, Alberta
Location: Ardrossan, Alberta
December 15th, 2007, 10:46 PM
I was just musing about wheather or not you could get rid of the transmission and generator as I think a lot of energy is wasted powering them, around fifteen percent I think(Vague memories of Physics Class), if you could incorporate it directly into the design it stands to reason it should be more efficient, - or not have any thoughts on how? maybe get the magnets to counter-rotate thereby effectively doubling the speed.
I was just musing about wheather or not you could get rid of the transmission and generator as I think a lot of energy is wasted powering them, around fifteen percent I think(Vague memories of Physics Class), if you could incorporate it directly into the design it stands to reason it should be more efficient, - or not have any thoughts on how? maybe get the magnets to counter-rotate thereby effectively doubling the speed.
