How do you build a model windmill for a garden?

Answer 1

To be able to build a wind turbine generator (or windmill generator as its sometimes referred) you will need to obtain a good guide.

The guide should include, but not limited to-

• Step by step video instructions
• Plans explained in simple to follow English
• Diagrams with captions
• Information on components
• Details of considerations before beginning and calculations used to determine size and suitability etc
• Links to government and other governing bodies regarding grants/subsidies/tax relief
• Contact information should you need any further assistance

All this and much more can be found at the following page

http://www.squidoo.com/DIY-WINDMILL-ELECTRICITY-HOW-TO-MAKE-A-WINDMILL-GENERATOR

Thousands of people have used this guide and are now generating their own DIY windmill electricity, saving them $100's on their energy bills.

P.S. For a limited time there is also a bonus guide on DIY solar panels.

2 guides in 1 -

DIY WINDMILL ELECTRICITY, HOW TO BUILD A WINDMILL GENERATOR

DIY SOLAR PANELS, HOW TO BUILD A SOLAR PANEL

Answer 2

What is probably the best way to build a model windmill for a garden is by using some plans. (You didn't specify wood or metal.) If you're handy, you might be able to draw some up yourself, or with the help of some family member or friend who has some knowledge and/or experience. Shop around on the net and see what you want (or find something close to it) and get out your paper, pencils and ruler. If you haven't cruised the web looking for ideas yet, start now. No judgment is passed on anyone, but if you are not as good at web searches as you'd like to be, why not practice with this one? It'll help you refine search arguments. And almost everyone has a family member or friend who has a fair amount of skill with the computer. Not many high school kids can't use them, and use them pretty darn well.

There may be back issues of Popular Mechanics or the like with a project piece already set up, but your local library will have the scoop on that. If you haven't been there lately, you're missing out. The library is modernizing, and they can connect to stuff electronically because of site licenses and institution subscriptions to things you'd have to pay for at home. That card that's been getting dusty in your wallet is still worth something!

If you're lucky enough to be close to an "uptown" woodworking shop, get in there and start asking around. (Take a big bag of M&M's and see what you can buy with it. You may be surprised.) It's a cinch someone at a lumber yard can offer some solid suggestions. That's a lumber yard and not a big box builder's supply. Certainly there might be someone who can offer something of value at a big box, but the smart money is on the lumber yard as a first stop. But don't rule anyone out. If you want to do this project, hook up with any and all individuals, groups or organizations that can, or may, help you.

Use the links to get you started. Good luck.

Answer 3

To clarify here: an alternator and a generator work a little differently. If you want to experiment, you can make an easy wind "generator" using any small Direct Current (DC) motor which uses a permanent magnet to produce its main magnetism instead of the power-hungry field coil that is used on large DC motors. Simply attach some fan blades and stick it in the wind. The type, size and speed of rotation will determine your output voltage. An alternator usually generates Alternating Current (AC), but, for experimental purposes, you could use a car alternator. These already have internal diodes so that their output is rectified to produce DC. If you belt-drive this from a larger diameter pulley and use some large, high volume blades, you will be able to get a more stable voltage from the alternator of around 14.4 Volts DC.

Answer 4

Wind Power Humanity has been using the wind to do work for thousands of years. The kinetic energy of the wind can be changed into other forms of energy, either mechanical energy or electrical energy. When wind fills a sail, its kinetic energy is being used to push a sailboat through the water. Farmers have been using wind energy for many years to pump water from wells using windmills like the one shown on the right. Wind is also used to turn large grinding stones to mill or grind wheat or corn, just like a water wheel is turned by water power. The wind is also used by a wind turbine to make electricity. According to the on-line Illustrated History of Wind Power Development, the first use of a large windmill to generate electricity was a system built in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1888 by Charles F. Brush. The Brush machine had multiple-blades more than 50 feet in diameter. Over the last 100 years, wind turbines have advanced dramatically through newer technology and better understanding of the dynamics of the wind resource. But in order to generate electricity, you still need relatively constant wind speeds in any given location. A wind turbine is very similar to a child's pinwheel or the propeller of an airplane. The blade of a turbine is tilted an angle. The movement of the air is channeled creating low and high pressures on the blade that force it to move. The blade is connected to a shaft which in turn is connected to an electrical generator. The mechanical energy of the turning blades is changed into electricity. Wind speeds typically must be sustained and at least 10 miles per hour to turn larger turbines fast enough to generate electricity. The turbines usually produce about 50 to 300 kilowatts of electricity each. A kilowatt is 1,000 watts (kilo means 1,000). You can light ten 100 watt light bulbs with 1,000 watts. So, a 300 kilowatt (300,000 watts) wind turbine could light up 3,000 light bulbs that use 100 watts. Wind power for your home

Small wind turbines (usually producing lesss than 10 kilowatts of electricity) can be used to generate electricity for a home or small business. A kilowatt is equal to 1,000 watts -- the amount of electricity that can illuminate ten 100-watt light bulbs. Local ordinances, zoning and building codes should first be investigated before considering buying a small wind turbine. The smaller turbines today are fairly efficient, producing electricity in winds as low as 7 to 10 mph. They are also fairly quiet. The wind system usually generates power at the same voltage that your home uses, so the turbine can be wired directly to the home or business' electrical system like an appliance. When the wind is blowing, the turbine provides power for the home. When it is not blowing, the utility company provides the power. Sometimes both sources provide power for the home. If your home is using less electricity than what the wind turbine is making, your electrical meter may actually "turn backwards." This is called "net metering." A typical 10 kilowatt home wind turbine system will cost $25,000 - $35,000 to install. Depending on the amount of wind available, it will produce between 10,000 to 18,000 kilowatt/hours (kWh) per year. Such a turbine has a blade diameter of about 20-25 feet and needs to sit on a tower about 100 feet tall. Homes sitting on a one acre parcel could probably accommodate such a turbine, depending on local zoning restrictions.