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Can anyone recommend a decent book on

a)how to build a simple wind turbine for home use, including how to connect them to the house
b) the ins and outs of how they actually work

I would love to build my own wind turbine but don't know the first thing about mechanics/engineering so it needs to be for complete muppets.....

G'Day Sunpuppy,

If you can find 'em -

"Wind and Wind Spinners" and " the Home-built, Wind-generated electricity Handbook" are good. Both by Michael Hackleman (USA) and published by Peace Press back in the 70's.

I will have a look in my library when I get a bit of time (almost bed time now) and let you know. Most of the stuff I have is either local or American. I haven't seen much wind power stuff from UK/Europe over here.

Have you tired a search on the net?

Nev

Thanks Nev,

I haven't tried searching on the net yet, because I was keen to get one that had been personally recommended as not being too technical!

I'll look out for the ones you mentioned....

Ah, a sensible thread. That's not what I expected when I saw title - my puerile mind expected something to do with eating too many beans...

Wulf

sunpuppy wrote:I would love to build my own wind turbine but don't know the first thing about mechanics/engineering so it needs to be for complete muppets.....

That's the sort of project I'd like to have a go at one day. I've just dug these out of my bookmarks:

http://www.scoraigwind.com/
http://users.aber.ac.uk/iri/WIND/index.shtml
http://www.otherpower.com/17page1.html
http://www.andrew.h.lohmann.btinternet. ... dMill.html

If you really have no experience at mechanics, you migh find it a bit of a learning curve, as there seems to be a fair bit of Garden Shed Technology(tm) involved. But don't let that put you off - we need more such technologists.

The trouble with small scale generation is storing the electricity that you don't use. Generators are generally fairly efficient, but sorage devices aren't. The easiest is the lead-acid battery (like a car battery), but it will only store a small amount of the juice you put into it, so much of what you generate is lost.

I'm trying to fathom out a way to use the windmill to pump water from a low tank (possibly underground) to a high tank, and using this to generate electricity through a water turbine. Not at all sure it is a practical idea, though. In the end, that is why most people opt for batteries, I reckon.

wulf wrote:Ah, a sensible thread. That's not what I expected when I saw title - my puerile mind expected something to do with eating too many beans...

Wulf

Heh, heh. Sorry Wulf - thought the post might get a few more reads if I gave it a silly title.... 'Sides, I happen to think personal wind is highly amusing (Mr Sunpuppy doesn't seem to share the same opinion, but it makes me chuckle mightily!)

Blimey, Stew - I'm not sure I'm up to this! Even your post had me a bit technologically confused!

Thanks for the links, I'll have a look through those and see if I can get my head round it. Maybe I need to go back to physics class first - I don't even know what an inverter is....

Oh well, not one to give up easily - I like a challenge....

Hugh Piggott's book "Windpower Workshop" is pretty good.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... 08-3567825

Hugh's website http://www.scoraigwind.com as mentioned by muddypause has lots of info too.

Seems to fit the bill.

Mick

A few interesting books in that link, Mick. Have you done one of his workshops? His seems to cover all aspects of construction.

I suppose the other side of the coin is this one.

Muddypause wrote:I suppose the other side of the coin is this one.

Think am going to get this one! Living with less leccy AND building a wind turbine - the two pronged approach to living more sustainably!

The book on Hugh's site "How to build a wind turbine" is probably the one I'm going to get when my slave wages come in at the end of the month. I like the idea of building it with scrap parts.

A few interesting books in that link, Mick. Have you done one of his workshops? His seems to cover all aspects of construction.

No, Scoraig is about 80 miles from me (as are most things), I have thought seriously about doing the course - it is meant to be very good. Instead I borrowed the book from a crofter who has done the course. Its an excellent book - I may look to build a small turbine next year, this year has been taken up with building a workshop which includes an area for batteries and inverter(s)

Living totally off the grid sounds interesting too - might look into that more, if only to limit consumption and to survive longer on home generated electricity. Being a bit "unconventional" - I'm also looking at building a small stationary steam engine to provide power. But I'm not convinced of how environmentally friendly it could be (in terms of the fuel - coppiced wood and scrap wood etc). Might try it anyway on a small scale just to see how well it can work......

Mick

Do you have much experience with pressure equipment Mick? I am not a boiler operator but have had a bit to do with them over the years and they can do a fair bit of damage if things go wrong. Were you thinking fire tube or water tube?

Nev

Do you have much experience with pressure equipment Mick?

Practical hands on experience...no. I am a professional mechanical engineer, who works in Safety Health and Environment these days.

So I guess that means I know what I don't know and I'm familiar with the hazards of steam and the potential of boilers going bang. In the UK boilers have to be independently tested before use and tested again periodically (and you get a nice certificate) - even for small boilers.

There is a chap I know who scratch builds them so I'm picking his brains and reading up about tried and tested designs but nothing fancy and modern. I have not decided on a design as yet - I'll be researching for a while yet....though I might build a model scale one from a kit for the experience.

Mick

PS. Water tube designs seem a lot safer !

Cool!

I am a professional chemist who now works in Safety Health and Environment! So g'day from one H&S professional to another!

Nev

G'day to you too !

The world can't have enough H&S (and E!) professionals

Mick