Learning how to build a small wind turbine: part II

I woke up at the usual time after a nice night of sleep. Today would be the day we would hopefully finish our turbine! I first did my physiotherapy exercises, then had a few coffees while reading the newspaper, and then worked a bit on my blog. Then it was time to snap into action! I first went down to the reception to ask if I could perhaps charge my electric car for a bit. And I could! So I retrieved it from the bottom car park and put it in the charger, near where we were at work. Then it was time for breakfast.

After breakfast we first had another hour of theory. And then we were back to our barn! We had our blades to finish, but we also needed to get our coils set in resin out of the mould, and make a disc with eight magnets in it. I first helped to get the coils out of the mould, and tidy the resin disc up. Then I got to do some work on the blade, but not for long; I was then asked to saw a disc with slots for the magnets out of a piece of plywood. That was fun!

Making the disc with slots for magnets

Then everything started to come together. Esther oversaw the selection of the blades, and the process of fixing all three together. Tom was focusing on getting all the other bits together. We slotted the magnets into position, and secured them with a very large Jubilee clip. Then the discs with the coils and the magnets had to be mounted on the same horizontal axis, with the right amount of distance between them. All the metal needed was provided; the pole, the construction that holds the tail, the ball bearings, et cetera. Tom had explained it was not feasible to make these in a weekend course. The fittings of the tail were made the way anyone who can weld could make them; the ball bearings, of course, were not home made. These had been reclaimed from a trailer, I think. 

The final product! 

The course was supposed to end at 4 PM, and people had travel arrangements so we couldn't overrun much. Things got a bit hectic! But we managed to get the whole thing together. It didn't have a tail, but tails are one of the parts that are most open to improvisation. And we didn't have any wind. But if one person spun the blades and another one pressed the wires together, you could feel the resistance. And we did check it worked with a little light attached to the circuit. But then we needed to stop!

I was chuffed with our progress. I also now knew just how much work this was. And it didn't even involve sourcing the materials, making the coil gadget, and doing any welding! So quite a serious investment of time and effort.

I now had to bring two ladies who had initially intended to travel by bus to the railway station. If they would have taken the bus, they would have missed them final moment of assembling our turbine! And after I had hugged them goodbye I could point the nose of my car back north and go home. It had been great weekend!