At present we are going through an era of enhanced environmental awareness. Never before we were that much concerned about our mother nature, in fact this is the need of the hour, otherwise we are going to face some serious consequences in times to come. As an example consider the case of fossil fuels, all the petroleum deposits are extinguishing at a very rapid rate, and soon we are going to face their shortage. Then how will we be able to quench all of our energy needs? The answer to this question needs to be found quickly as we are running out of time. An alternative to the fossil fuels is the non conventional sources of energy like wind energy which can fulfill all our domestic energy demands. We can reap the benefits of the wind energy by the help of a windmill and with today’s ever advancing technology, it has become a lot easier to install one at your home. Besides being cheap and environmental friendly, the other most important advantage of non conventional energy resources is that we will never run short of them.
Complexity level: Complex
Time required: 1-2 days
Estimated cost: $150-$200
Resources required:1.Saws
2.Screw drivers
3.Hammer
4.Pliers
5.Wire cutters
6.Mallet
7. Adjustable wrenches
8. Drill
9. Drill bits
10. Shovels
11. Bucket or cement mixer
12. Chisels
13. Wire strippers
14. Alternator
15. Battery
16. Pole
17. Wires
18. Propeller
Instructions:
1. Arrange the alternator and the propeller: The alternator or the motor and the propeller are the most important component of a windmill. The function of the alternator is to convert the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. Instead of buying it you can simply take it out of an old car or truck which will be far more cheaper.
A three blade propeller is considered the best for this purpose. You can make it with any material of your choice like fibre glass, aluminum, carbon fibre, wood, plastic etc. Just make sure that the propeller is light and evenly weighted. Now you have to connect the propeller to the motor’s drive shaft so that when the propeller rotates then the drive shaft also rotates.
2. Mount the assembly on the top of a pole: When interconnections between the propeller and the motor are complete then mount this assembly on top of a pole. You can choose any kind of pole but a galvanized steel pole will be the best option as it is resistant to rust and electricity. Also wires can easily run through the hollow space in between it from the assembly at the top to the energy storage device at the bottom. Make sure that the pole is stable by providing it with firm concrete base. You can also use use 3-4 guy wires to hold the pole at its place.
3. Make the connections with energy storage system: Now you have to choose a proper energy storage system which can store the electrical energy generated from the motor. A battery is best for this purpose. It can effectively store the energy and whenever required it can supply your house with electricity. Make the connection of the battery with the propeller assembly through wires.
4. Pass the supply to the house: Once all of the above arrangements are done then the only thing you need to do is to make the connections of the battery with your house. Now your very own indigenous windmill is completely operational, and will provide you with clean electricity for a long time.
Frequently Asked Question:
What are the other energy storage devices that I can use in place of a battery?
There are two alternatives for the battery:
You can store it in the form of kinetic energy by pumping water to a high place and then running a generator from the kinetic energy which the water gives while coming down. However, this method is not very efficient as a lot of energy is wasted and also it is very difficult to store such large amount of water to meet the energy demands of an ordinary house.
Energy can be stored as hydrogen which is collected by the electrolysis of water. Later this hydrogen can be used to run your house or a hydrogen car. However, this method is very expensive.
In totality, a battery is the cheapest and the easiest solution for the energy storage requirements.
Quick tips:
- Add an ample amount of grease to the ball bearings in the propeller so that they can rotate freely.
- Try to make your windmill at a place where wind flows regularly and make sure that a good supply of wind is always provided to the propellers.
Things to watch out for:
- Use ammeters and charge controllers to prevent the overloading of batteries.
- One windmill is not sufficient to meet all the energy demands of your house, so you should try to make 3 or 4 windmills to cover up all the energy requirements.
