The Darrieus Disaster
Abstract
Background: We needed to find a location to set up a permanent 2 kW turbine for performance monitoring and we decided to help out our friend Scott. He desperately needed to save money on his electricity bill due to all his wild parties.
Design: An alternate design had to be approached, so we decided to construct a prototype 2 kW Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) using a straight blade Darrieus design. The Darrieus vertical axis windmill was patented in 1927 by the French Inventor Georges Darrieus and is a lesser known alternative to the typical 3 bladed HAWT
Construction: The Darrieus airfoil was traced onto pieces of chipboard (20 inch x 3 inch x 0.5 inch) and cut to shape with a jig-saw and a rasp. Each piece of chip-board was drilled, then glued together using two long threaded rods for alignment. Measuring and cutting took several hours to complete, but was well worth the effort
Testing: At 65 km/hr the turbine was really going!!! I was sort of hesitant to stick my head out of the window at this speed and have a look, so I wound up the window. The load was applied and we were able to generate a few hundred watts for a several seconds then there was a big WOOSHHHHH and the blade came flying off into some poor blokes paddock.
Design: An alternate design had to be approached, so we decided to construct a prototype 2 kW Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) using a straight blade Darrieus design. The Darrieus vertical axis windmill was patented in 1927 by the French Inventor Georges Darrieus and is a lesser known alternative to the typical 3 bladed HAWT
Construction: The Darrieus airfoil was traced onto pieces of chipboard (20 inch x 3 inch x 0.5 inch) and cut to shape with a jig-saw and a rasp. Each piece of chip-board was drilled, then glued together using two long threaded rods for alignment. Measuring and cutting took several hours to complete, but was well worth the effort
Testing: At 65 km/hr the turbine was really going!!! I was sort of hesitant to stick my head out of the window at this speed and have a look, so I wound up the window. The load was applied and we were able to generate a few hundred watts for a several seconds then there was a big WOOSHHHHH and the blade came flying off into some poor blokes paddock.
Keywords: Wind power, Permanent Magnet Generator, Induction motor to PMA conversion, 1kw wind turbine, carbon fiber wind turbine blades
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Tested HAWT Turbine
Design Wind Turbine Blades For Your Generator RPM Using Our
Free Blade Calculator Software
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Free Wind turbine Plans for 500W blades included with each purchase.
Design Wind Turbine Blades For Your Generator RPM Using Our
Free Blade Calculator Software
Free Blade Calculator Software
Free sample chord sections for blades between a radius of 0.70 m to 0.80 m (550 Watts - 710 Watts).
Design custom blades for your generator
Free Wind turbine Plans for 500W blades included with each purchase.
Design custom blades for your generator
Free sample chord sections for blades between a radius of 0.70 m to 0.80 m (550 Watts - 710 Watts).
Free Wind turbine Plans for 500W blades included with each purchase.
1.4 Metre Diameter 3-Blade Wind Turbine Construction
