It is installed as a hub in bicycle, car or scooter wheels and drives these vehicles into motion. There are two main designs:
- driven
- geared
Drive models that have a lower noise level and are devoid of bearings, gears and other elements that pose a certain risk of failure seem to be more successful.
From a design point of view, the wheel motor is a ready-made generator, requiring only a source of torque to begin generating electricity.
Wind generator from a motor-wheel
It is not difficult to obtain electricity using a wheel motor; you just need to ensure rotation to switch the device into generator mode. Rotating the wheel motor to generate electric current only makes sense if the source is very accessible. It is irrational to use a gasoline or diesel engine for this, since the cost of the energy generated will be prohibitive. If the drive is carried out from homemade device, the source of rotational energy for which will be wind, then the resulting electricity will become quite profitable and cheap.
How to make a wind generator
For the manufacture of a wind generator First of all, you need to make a windmill. To do this, you need to make an axis of rotation, and to lift the device above the ground. Many different types have been invented constructive solutions, some of them are very elegant - for example, sometimes a bicycle motor-wheel is used in tandem with a regular one with spokes, on the rims of which blades made of halves of polypropylene pipes are installed.
The solution is simple and effective, but it also has some disadvantages - so, for the most efficient work you need to raise the device to a certain height. If any repairs or maintenance are required, you will have to climb to the device at a height.
Selection of design type
One of the questions that arises before the master when creating a project is choice of design type- horizontal or vertical. It should be taken into account that the motor-wheel provides some resistance to rotation, so it will become more convenient, when creating which you can space the blades at a sufficient distance from the axis of rotation so that it becomes possible to even start rotation.
This can be important if fairly large wheels are used, for example from a car, which have a fairly large starting torque. Typically, broken scooters or bicycles are used, failed devices are purchased, restored and used as the basis of a wind generator design.
Many companies manufacture wind generators with screw propeller motors. This allows them to achieve efficiency (efficiency) of up to 45-50%. This is very good! But if this is your first time deciding to make your own wind generator, then you should start with a more simplified version. For the first time, you can make a wind generator from motor wheels with your own hands. Here is an illustration of the final version:
What is the purpose of creating a wind generator
If you ride an electric bike, you know that you need a motor with a power of 500 to 1000 watts. When driving down steep hills, the motor automatically recharges the battery. And if you have an idea to get your own electricity generator, then this part (motor wheel) can be reused for creation without significant rework.
Such a windmill can go along with factory generators, delivering current and charging the battery even at low speeds.
Stages of manufacturing a wind generator from a wheel motor
- Engine selection. In our case, this is a motor wheel. It is worth taking into account all parameters (Watts, volts, revolutions per minute).
- Let's make blades! You can choose the material for manufacturing - wood (needs painting and varnishing), fiberglass (a very long and painstaking process), or PVC pipe (the simplest option).
- We make a Hub (a place where parts are connected, where we make holes for fastening in accordance with the number of blades).
- Rotating mechanism (preferably the material is steel, then your wind generator will withstand any bad weather).
- We buy a controller that will measure our power. (you can take a controller from a car).
If you want the wind generator to work efficiently and for a long time, then you need vertical design– Savonius rotor. It consists of two semi-cylindrical blades and an overlap, from which the axes of rotation of the rotor are obtained. The Savonius rotor operates at a low rotation speed, always oriented towards the wind, and is practically independent of turbulence. In cooperation with the blades and air flows, the rotor's efficiency increases.
Features of a self-made wind generator
- The current is supplied immediately after installation (even if the wind speed is 1-2 m/s).
- The rotation speed of our wind generator is equally proportional to the rotation speed.
- You can reduce the power using windings (they need to be short-circuited).
- And increase - just connect the same windings.
- As practice shows, most often the windings are connected in a star pattern, while on a standard motor wheel the connection is in a delta pattern. Please take this into account. It’s better to finish it on time, then the work will be done better.
- Wind generators can produce different power levels. It depends on the initial weight of the motor wheels. A weight of 4-6 kg gives 500-1000 W and an efficiency of about 80%, 8-10 kg - 1500-2000 W, weight more than 20 kg - 8000 W.
If you are seriously thinking about making a motor wheel, then our Sporte online store offers alternative option for everyone. A powerful wind generator can be made from a 48V1000W rear wheel motor,
Many people are looking for a ready-made generator for making a wind generator, and there is such a generator, this is a bicycle motor wheel, there are also more powerful ones for scooters and electric vehicles. Motor wheel is ready three phase generator on magnets, the rated power of which in generator mode is achieved already at 500-700 rpm; there are also higher-speed ones, depending on the specific model.
For example, a motor wheel (TM Volta bikes 48vv1000w), the rotation speed of which is at idling in engine mode 460 rpm at 48v. In generator mode, it will produce 1 kW at approximately 600 rpm on a 48v battery. A 12-volt battery is of course smaller, but the charge will begin at approximately 100-120 rpm, and the maximum power with a good three-bladed propeller will be no more than 400-500 watts. With a 24 volt battery, the maximum power will be better, but the battery starts charging from 200-250 rpm.
The motor wheels also have a problem, this is quite noticeable sticking, so it will be difficult to start in a weak wind, but this already depends on the starting torque of the propeller. The propeller is a separate issue and I have not yet come across windmills with motor wheels and good propellers, but here is what I was able to find on ready-made wind generators.
>This wind generator has wooden screw 4 meters in diameter. The motor wheel is chain driven and has a gear ratio of 1:2, that is, it rotates twice as fast as the propeller. The maximum charging current for a 12 volt battery reached 30A. I think the design is clear in the photo below
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The wind generator seems to be made well, but the propeller has too large a diameter, and because of this the speed is low, and the 1:2 reduction does not really help to increase the power of the wind generator. Therefore, charging starts a little late and the speed is low. But I think the creator of this wind generator will understand this in the future. The propeller itself is also made unknown how and has no twist, so most likely it has a low KIEV and speed. IN general design good except for the screw.
Wind generator with wheel motor 1 kW
and original fastening
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The design of this wind generator, in my opinion, is more thought out. The motor-wheel has a weak axle, the diameter of which is only 12 mm, and besides, it is hollow and wires pass through it. Therefore, if you attach the blades to the body, and the generator by the axis on one side, then this is a very weak fastening and such a thin shaft can easily break. Here an adapter is made with a bearing, which bears the entire load of the screw.
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The propeller here is three-bladed, has a direct drive to the generator, the propeller itself has a diameter of 2.7-3 meters, and has good speed and KIEV. The power of this windmill with a wind of 4-5 m/s is 150-250 watts, which is already very good.
Wind generators based on wheel motors
Below are links with descriptions to other articles on the site that describe windmills with motor wheels as a generator. 
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Wind generator from a 900 watt wheel motor
A bicycle wheel motor is used as a generator in this windmill, the maximum power is fixed at 900 watts, this is 30 volts and 30 amperes, the wind generator runs on a 24 volt battery 
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Wind generator from a motor-wheel
Some photos of a small vertical wind generator. The wheel motor from a scooter was used as a generator; torque was transmitted to the generator by a chain, the ratio was approximately 1:2.5. Rotor dimensions are 1*1.6 meters, mast height is 9 meters. In an average wind, this windmill produces up to 3A and 17v to charge an alkaline battery.In general, the wheel motor is a good generator, but its cost is not that low, it costs about $200-250 per 1 kW, this is its main disadvantage, but it is a godsend for those who cannot make a good generator themselves. Also, as I already wrote, the sticking of the motor wheel is quite noticeable and three-bladed propellers will start poorly in light winds. I myself have not tried to make a windmill using such a generator, but maybe someday it will work out.
Every year people search for alternative sources. A homemade power station from an old car generator will come in handy in remote areas where there is no connection to the general network. It will be able to freely charge batteries, and will also ensure the operation of several household appliances and lighting. You decide where to use the energy that will be generated, as well as collect it yourself or purchase it from manufacturers, of whom there are plenty on the market. In this article, we will help you figure out how to assemble a wind generator with your own hands from the materials that any owner always has.
Let's consider the operating principle of a wind power plant. Under a fast wind flow, the rotor and propellers are activated, after which the main shaft begins to move, rotating the gearbox, and then generation occurs. At the output we get electricity. Therefore, the higher the rotation speed of the mechanism, the greater the productivity. Accordingly, when locating structures, take into account the terrain, relief, and know the areas of the territories where the vortex speed is high.
Assembly instructions from a car generator
To do this, you will need to prepare all the components in advance. The most important element is a generator. It is best to take a tractor or bus, it can generate much more energy. But if this is not possible, then it is more likely to make do with weaker units. To assemble the device you will need:
voltmeter
battery charging relay
steel for making blades
12 volt battery
wire box
4 bolts with nuts and washers
clamps for fastening
Assembling a device for 220V home
When everything you need is ready, proceed to assembly. Each option may have additional details, but they are clearly stated directly in the manual.
First of all, assemble the wind wheel - main element design, because it is this part that will transform wind energy into mechanical energy. It is best if it has 4 blades. Remember that the smaller their number, the more mechanical vibration and the more difficult it will be to balance it. They are made from sheet steel or iron barrel. They should not be shaped like you saw in old mills, but rather reminiscent of the wing type. They have much lower aerodynamic drag and higher efficiency. After you use a grinder to cut out a windmill with blades with a diameter of 1.2-1.8 meters, you need to attach it together with the rotor to the generator axis by drilling holes and connecting with bolts.
Assembling the electrical circuit
We secure the wires and connect them directly to the battery and voltage converter. You need to use everything that in school physics lessons you were taught to make when assembling electrical diagram. Before you start designing, think about what kW you need. It is important to note that without subsequent alteration and rewinding, the stator is not at all suitable; the operating speed is 1.2 thousand-6 thousand rpm, and this is not enough to produce energy. It is for this reason that it is necessary to get rid of the excitation coil. To increase the voltage level, rewind the stator with a thin wire. As a rule, the resulting power at 10 m/s will be 150-300 watts. After assembly, the rotor will magnetize well, as if power was connected to it.
Homemade rotary wind generators are very reliable in operation and cost-effective; their only imperfection is the fear of strong gusts of wind. The principle of operation is simple - a vortex through the blades causes the mechanism to spin. In the process of these intense rotations, energy is generated, the tension you need. Such a power plant is a very successful way to provide electricity small house, of course, its power will not be enough to pump water out of a well, but it is possible to watch TV or turn on the lights in all rooms with its help.
From a home fan
The fan itself may not be working, but only a few parts are required - a stand and the screw itself. For the design you will need a small stepper motor soldered with a diode bridge so that it produces a constant voltage, a shampoo bottle, a plastic water pipe approximately 50 cm long, a plug for it and a lid from a plastic bucket.
A sleeve is made on a machine and fixed in the connector from the wings of the disassembled fan. The generator will be attached to this bushing. After fastening, you need to start making the body. Cut off the bottom of a shampoo bottle using a machine or manually. During cutting, it is also necessary to leave a hole at 10 in order to insert an axis machined from an aluminum rod into it. Attach it to the bottle with a bolt and nut. After all the wires have been soldered, another hole is made in the body of the bottle to output these same wires. We stretch them out and secure them in a bottle on top of the generator. They must match in shape and the body of the bottle must reliably hide all its parts.
Shank for our device
So that in the future it will catch wind flows from different directions, assemble the shank using a pre-prepared tube. The tail section will be attached using a screw-on shampoo cap. They also make a hole in it and, having first put a plug on one end of the tube, pull it through and attach it to the main body of the bottle. On the other hand, the tube is sawed through with a hacksaw and the wing of the shank is cut out with scissors from the lid of the plastic bucket; it should have a round shape. All you need to do is simply cut off the edges of the bucket that attach it to the main container.
We attach a USB output to the back panel of the stand and put all the resulting parts into one. You can attach the radio or recharge your phone through this built-in USB port. Of course, it does not have the strong power of a household fan, but it can still provide illumination from one light bulb.
DIY wind generator from a stepper motor
Device from stepper motor even at low rotation speed it produces about 3 W. The voltage can rise above 12 V, and this allows you to charge a small battery. You can use a stepper motor from the printer as a generator. In this mode, the stepper motor produces alternating current, and it can be easily converted to direct current using several diode bridges and capacitors. You can assemble the circuit yourself. The stabilizer is installed behind the bridges, as a result we get a constant output voltage. To monitor visual tension, you can install an LED. In order to reduce the loss of 220 V, Schottky diodes are used to rectify it.
The blades will be from PVC pipes. The blank is drawn on the pipe and then cut out cutting disc. The screw span should be about 50 cm, and the width should be 10 cm. It is necessary to machine a sleeve with a flange to the size of the motor shaft. It is mounted on the motor shaft and secured with screws; plastic “screws” will be attached directly to the flanges. Also carry out balancing - pieces of plastic are cut off from the ends of the wings, and the angle of inclination is changed by heating and bending. A piece of pipe is inserted into the device itself, to which it is also bolted. As for the electrical board, it is better to place it at the bottom and connect power to it. There are up to 6 wires coming out of the stepper motor, which correspond to two coils. They will require slip rings to transfer electricity from the moving part. Having connected all the parts together, we proceed to testing the design, which will begin to rotate at 1 m/s.
Windmill made from motor-wheel and magnets
Not everyone knows that a wind generator from a motor-wheel can be assembled with your own hands in a short time, the main thing is to stock up in advance the necessary materials. The Savonius rotor is best suited for it; you can purchase it ready-made or do it yourself. It consists of two semi-cylindrical blades and an overlap, from which the axes of rotation of the rotor are obtained. Choose the material for their product yourself: wood, fiberglass or PVC pipe, which is the simplest and the best option. We make a place for connecting the parts, where you need to make holes for fastening in accordance with the number of blades. Requires steel swivel mechanism so that the device can withstand any weather.
Made from ferrite magnets
A wind generator using magnets will be difficult for inexperienced craftsmen to master, but you can still try. So, there should be four poles, each containing two ferrite magnets. They will be covered with metal linings slightly less than a millimeter thick to distribute a more uniform flow. There should be 6 main coils, rewound with a thick wire and should be located through each magnet, occupying a space corresponding to the length of the field. The winding circuits can be fastened to a hub from a grinder, in the middle of which a pre-machined bolt is installed.
The flow of energy supply is regulated by the height of the stator mounting above the rotor; the higher it is, the less sticking, and accordingly the power decreases. For a windmill, you need to weld a support-stand, and attach 4 large blades to the stator disk, which you can cut from an old one metal barrel or lids from a plastic bucket. At average rotation speed it produces up to about 20 watts.
Windmill design using neodymium magnets
If you want to learn about the creation, you need to make the base of a car hub with brake discs; this choice is quite justified, because it is powerful, reliable and well balanced. After you have cleaned the hub of paint and dirt, proceed to arranging the neodymium magnets. You will need 20 of them on a disk, the size should be 25x8 millimeters.
The magnets must be placed taking into account the alternation of poles; before gluing it is better to create a paper template or draw lines dividing the disk into sectors so as not to confuse the poles. It is very important that they, standing opposite each other, have different poles, that is, they attract. Glue them with super glue. Raise the borders along the edges of the disks, and wrap tape or seal with plasticine in the center to prevent spreading. In order for the product to work at maximum efficiency, the stator coils must be calculated correctly. An increase in the number of poles leads to an increase in the frequency of the current in the coils, due to this, the device produces more power even at a low rotation frequency. The coils are wound with thicker wires in order to reduce the resistance in them.
When the main part is ready, the blades are made, as in the previous case, and they are attached to the mast, which can be made from ordinary plastic pipe with a diameter of 160 mm. After all, our generator, operating on the principle of magnetic levitation, with a diameter of one and a half meters and six wings, at 8 m/s, is capable of providing up to 300 W.
The price of disappointment or an expensive weather vane
Today there are many options for making a device for converting wind energy, each method is effective in its own way. If you are familiar with the method of manufacturing energy-generating equipment, then it will not matter on what basis it is made, the main thing is that it meets the intended circuit and produces good power at the output.
If you are concerned about receiving alternative energy, you can assemble for yourself such a simple wind generator. The main part of the spare parts used are bicycle parts. With the help of sprockets and a chain, torque is transmitted to the generator. A part from a bicycle also acts as a generator - it is a dynamo. If you don't have a dynamo, you can use a DC motor.
Regarding propeller, then it is done very simply and also from available materials. On at the moment The easiest way to make a screw is from PVC pipe or similar material, the pipe has suitable profile for the manufacture of blades.
You will also need to find some scrap metal to make a mast, make a base, and so on. Let's look at this topic in more detail.
Materials and tools that the author used to make the windmill:
Materials:
- a piece of PVC pipe;
- metal plates;
- thin galvanized sheet steel;
- nuts, bolts;
- bearings;
- a piece of metal tube (for making bearing housings);
- metal clamps (3 pieces);
- paper, marker, scissors (for making a template);
- glue;
- steel corner;
- square pipe (mast);
- a wheel from a trolley;
- dynamo (or DC motor);
- driving and driven sprocket, chain (from the bicycle).
Tools:
- scissors;
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- screwdriver;
- pliers;
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- multimeter;
- wrenches and other little things.
Windmill manufacturing process:
Step one. Let's start with the blades
The author makes the blades from a piece of PVC pipe. The first step is to make a template from paper and then cut it out with scissors. We attach the template to the pipe and cut out the blades. Each new blade is cut out one by one, resulting in little waste. It is convenient to cut a pipe using.
Mark the beginning of each blade and cut out the pieces as the author did. The remaining parts are needed to attach the blades to the axle. Metal plates with holes are used as fasteners. We apply the plate to the blade and mark the places for drilling holes. In total, the author drills three holes in each blade.
As for the plates, cut them so that there is a free end left for attaching it to the central disk. Finally, trim all the blades with a grinder so that they do not have nicks and so on.
Step two. Making the screw core
The core of the propeller, to which the blades are screwed, is made of three plates, a round piece of sheet steel, and a nut. Mark on the central disk where the blades will be located, and also determine the center. We install a nut in the center; the author glues it with superglue for ease of assembly.
Let's start welding. First of all, weld the nut that we glued earlier. You need to weld it well, since this is the only place where the propeller will be attached. Then weld the plates to the disk to which the blades are attached. They also need to be welded carefully; the author makes a weld on both sides.
Step three. Screw assembly
Assemble the propeller. To do this, you simply need to screw the blades to the core using bolts and nuts.
Step four. Making the base
To ensure that the windmill does not fall and can be secured, make a reliable base for it. To do this, the author cuts metal corner and then welds the frame.
Step five. Prepare the bearing
In order for the windmill to rotate in any direction around its axis, you will need to secure it to a bearing. Such a bearing is a wheel from a trolley, which can rotate 360 degrees. Cut off the excess from it with a grinder.
Step six. Assembling the windmill frame
The windmill mast is made from a piece steel pipe, the author has it with a square section. The height of the pipe is not large; this design rather implies installation on the roof or on another hill. Weld the mast to the base made earlier.
Weld the part that we extracted from the cart wheel to the upper end of the mast. Then a steel plate in the shape of the letter “L” is welded to it; it will be needed to attach the tail.
Step seven. Bushing with bearings
The propeller shaft rotates on two bearings. The author pressed these bearings into a piece metal pipe. Be sure to lubricate the bearings well before installation. In order not to be tricky with the bushing, you can also successfully use a ready-made bushing from the front or rear axle of bicycle wheels.
Step eight. Mounting clamps
The author secures the generator and bushing with bearings using ordinary steel clamps. To secure the dynamo to the machine, you will need to weld an additional plate to the frame.
Step nine. Tail fasteners
Find metal plates and weld them as seen in the photo. One part is welded directly to the rotating plate of the windmill.
Step ten. Sprockets and chain
Take the front bicycle sprocket and cut off any excess from it. Weld a nut to the center. This sprocket is located on the propeller shaft.
Install the dynamo into the clamp and install a small diameter sprocket onto the shaft. This will allow you to get fairly high generator speeds at relatively low propeller speeds. That's it, cut to required sizes and put on the chain.