Re: Windmill types?

>
> Advantage (aside from you already have them) - you don't need to get
> them up to 3600 rpm - they are DC, you want DC, and since you don't need
> 110V DC (I'm guessing based on the inverter you are looking at 12, or
> perhaps 24V max for the battery). The variable speed is a problem for
> ANY type of wind generator (Hmm, go whack one of those little cars with
> a CVT?). If you want efficient you futz with a converter that will make
> more amps at the voltage you happen to be getting from the generator, if
> not you ignore that.
>
> Otherpower has tips for making generators from Volvo brake disks (and
> magnets).
>
> One downside the the VAWT's you mention is that the classic lift version
> is not self-starting. Some variations that have been worked on over time
> are, by various means. Experientially, the reason that most of the ones
> you see now are horizontal axis is that those generally live longer, or
> at least have as implemented up to now.
>
> I can't find the site right now, but there are some nice pictures of
> elegant, counterbalanced, hydraulic tilting, self-supporting towers
> welded up from drill casing or similar tube out there somewhere - same
> guy also was doing some ambitious machining for the prop units (HAWT).
> Big advantage there is not having to climb the tower to futz with the
> turbine - just bring it down to you.
>
> Here is one commercial (which seems to be better thought out than some
> others I've seen) VAWT of the self-starting Savonius flavor (drag, not
> lift) - there are plenty of MUCH lower-tech versions of that flavor
> easily found by searching.
>
> http://www.windside.com/
>
> This place is "redesigning" so they don't have much (better than the
> last time I tried to look them up, when they apparently hadn't paid the
> net bill and were gone), and has a combined rotor - lift and drag
> (Darrius/Savonius), seen in the rightmost picture.
>
> http://www.aerotecture.com/
>
> --
> Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by