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Home Wind Turbine
Design Explained |
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When one thinks of a wind
turbine, what most probably
comes to mind is a gigantic
tower with jumbo-jet sized
spinning blades. But, with
everyone becoming more aware of
conserving energy, the
technology has advanced so much
that it is now possible to have
your own small-scale wind
turbine at home. Even better is
the opportunity for us to make
our own, without having to rely
on the professionals.
So, how does a home wind turbine
make power?
A home wind turbine makes power
by spinning a generator. The
generator is attached to the
rotor, made up of three
aerodynamic blades, that is then
attached to a tower. To keep the
turbine facing the wind, the
rotor has a tail, that acts as a
weather vain.
 The generator is basically an
electric motor. As the coils in
the motor spin past the magnets,
an electric current is produced.
The power produced is stored in
batteries, which are connected
to an inverter to change the
direct current to alternating
current, which can then be used
to power your home.
The
advancement of motor efficiency,
is the reason wind turbines have
become so popular for home use.
Depending on your area's wind
conditions, the tower can vary
in length. If you live near the
sea where it is windy, the tower
can be shorter, but in low-wind
areas the tower needs to be
taller to catch as much wind
possible.
Over time the blades have
improved drastically as
researchers developed lighter,
stronger, more efficient blades,
with the capability of turning
even in the lightest breeze.
Back in the day, wind turbines
had five blades, and looked
similar to windmill water pumps,
but recently they have moved to
three blades, taking the form of
over-sized airplane rotors. Like
the tower, the blades vary in
size, according to your wind
conditions and energy
requirements.
 While so far we have been
explaining the typical
horizontal axis wind turbine,
there is another design that is
starting to gain popularity for
small-scale projects. It is the
vertical axis wind turbine or
VAWT. Very different to the
standard horizontal axis
turbine, the VAWT spins on a
vertical axis, and almost looks
like a waterwheel put on its
side.
Since the VAWT tends to
operate low to ground, it needs
far more wind to make it turn
efficiently, so it is not the
ideal option for homeowners or
small businesses. The VAWT has
also been accused by ecologists
of interrupting and harming
various migratory birds, making
it less attractive for green
enthusiasts.
Before going out and installing
a wind turbine, it is best to
ask yourself the following
questions:
- How big is the property?
Wind turbines generally operate
better in large areas that cover
an acre. This is because wind
flow is not deflected by any
nearby buildings.
- What is the average wind
speed?
The recommended wind speed
should be at least eleven miles
per hour, but if that isn't the
case then you may have to use a
taller tower and larger blades
to catch higher altitude winds.
- What else can I use the wind
turbine for?
If you could use the turbine for
other purposes, such as pumping
in water from outside, then it
may be more useful than you think.
This is the reason you see so
many windmills scattered over
farms - they help pump water
from reservoirs to the
farmhouse.
- Does my house need a constant
power supply?
This is why so many people want
to get a small wind turbine in
the first place - to keep the
house powered during blackouts,
and prevent economic losses.
Although the wind turbine may
not power the house all the
time, it's stored power can be
used in emergencies, when the
utilities are just not enough.
Answering these questions will
give you a good idea of how much
power you need, how big the
tower and blades need to be, and
how much it would be worth
investing to start making your
own power at home.
The great thing about technology
is that it is always improving.
So much so that motors have
become smaller, more efficient and
cheap enough for us to attach a
few small turbines right on the
roof, and produce the same power
as a larger turbine on a tall
tower.
Although professional home wind
turbines can run into several
thousands of dollars, it is
possible to make your own for a
tenth of the price, with
components found at home and
your local hardware store.
Furthermore, the U.S. offers
both state and federal tax
credits that you can use to
offset the installation cost. So
not only will you reduce your
electricity bill, but also your
tax at the same time.
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