Homemade Wind Power-IV

When mounting the alternator, you want to make sure you have a way to adjust it from the ground. You will want to disconnect the alternator when the batteries are fully charged to save wear and tear on the alternator. First you need to build a platform. I used a rectangular wooden box of two-by-fours with one inch lumber for the bottom. Leave a six inch gap in the center of the bottom between the one inch boards. Using a screw jack or scissors jack, mount it to the 2x4 that is going to be farthest away from the bike tire. Mount the bottom of the jack to the 2x4 in such a way that the handle attachement device points toward the ground. Now mount the alternator, with the pully pointing up, to an eight inch wide board. Make sure it is an exact fit inside your wooden box and set it directly in front of the jack. Use a couple of 1x2's just above that board to keep it in the box but allowing it to slide back and forth. When the platform is in place, you will be able to use the screw jack to move the alternator. If your tower is next to a bulding as mine was, you can just mount the box on the roof of the building. If not, you will need to find a way to hang the box from your tower. Before you start your alternator, wrap the pulley with a rubber tape or a piece of old inner tube or bike tire glued in place. This will keep the pully from cutting into the bike tire. You may need to make an extension for your jack handle to reach the jack from the ground so you can crank the alternator against the tire and wait for the wind to blow. A little practice will tell you how much pressure you want against the tire. You should have run your wires from the alternator to your batterey(s) so that when the alternator starts up you will be charging them. Now just keep adjusting your alternator and you will brobably always have some power. Sometimes it may not be a lot and you will have to cut back on usage, but you will always have some.

Homemade Wind Power part-III

Next, you need a twenty-six inch bicycle wheel and tire. You will be leaving the tire on the wheel. You can pick up junk bikes at garage sales and auctions for a couple of bucks and that is all you need. As long as the tube holds air, that is all you need. I used a front wheel as they are lighter. This means less resistance. Make sure the bearings are good and grease them. Drill a hole in the exact center of the lid for the bottom bucket. You want the hole the exact size of the wheel's axle. Now insert the axle through the hole and fasten with a washer and lock nut. Now set this unit on the lid and butting your drill between the spokes, drill four equally spaced holes through the lid. These holes should be at least one-quarter inch diameter and three-eighths is even better. Drill as close to the hub as you can. You will now need four bolts, eight lock-nuts and twelve washers. The bolts need to be the size of the drilled holes, longenough to reach through the spokes and threaded the entire length. Put a washer on each bolt and insert through what will be the inside of the lid. Now add add another washer to the outside of the lid and secure with a lock-nut. Insert the four bolts through the spokes and secure with another washer and lock-nut. These will cause the wheel to spin when the vane unit turns. The unit will be mounted on a two inch pipe on top of a building or tower. In fact the entire tower can be a two inch pipe. It needs to be near a building to be able to build a platform on or a platform is going to need to be connected to the tower. Take a pipe cap to fit the pipe and file or grind the top until it is flat. Now in the exact center of the pipe cap, drill and tap a hole the size and thread count of the bicycle wheel axle. Screw the pipe cap onto the bicycle wheel opposite of the lid. Add a lock-nut to the bicycle wheel bolt to help secure the pipe cap. The bicycle wheel should spin freely between the pipe cap and the lid. Next screw the pipe cap, wheel assembly to the top of the pipe on the tower. Place the buckets on the lid and secure tightly. The windmill portion of your wind generator is now complete. Next time; mounting the alternator.