Internet is full of plans, videos, and designs of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT). We selected the best few out of those that will help you generate power in your home without any efforts. In case, you are planning to buy off things off the shelf know that the total power expected from these will be just a tenth of expected output. So, make a close analysis of your power bill and see see how much energy you need to balance your pockets.
The first design comes from Jeff Berezin who built a wind turbine from recycled 55 gallons water drums. The total cost of this project came somewhere around $100. The best thing about this design is its simplicity and easy access to all kinds of parts needed for it. What can be a little annoying is the bearings constant noise and extra efforts required for making one’s own gears. It is advised to use pulley system in case you are unable to make gears. For more details, you can watch out these videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UPe6A_UVPc&feature=player_embedded and https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=24LSnATIZhw.
The next design comes from Lenz2 VAWT who was successful in building a 52 watts turbine with 3ft diameter and 4ft height. The turbine can produce power worth 52 watts when winds blew at speed of 12.5mph. The blades are formed from plywood along with 1-inch wooden strips that are covered with aluminum foil. Small amount of welding is needed to form the cage structure and connecting the generator with it. The basic instructions of the project include instructions on how to modify the blade size in case you wish to alter the size of turbine. You can always use these links for formation of specific parts: http://www.windstuffnow.com/main/alt_from_scratch.htm (DIY alternator), http://www.windstuffnow.com/main/vawt.htm (mini VAWT), and http://www.windstuffnow.com/main/lenz2_turbine.htm (VAWT Blade Designs).
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