Scrapyard sculpture electrical question
Discussion
Don't laugh 
but do you think something like this would produce any usable electric?
I pondered about making a similar one, I'm not planning to be powering a toaster or electric fire from it or anything like that,
but just wondered if it would power something......
.......Something to decorate itself with perhaps....I'm open to suggestions, maybe some low voltage lights or something a bit more imaginative.
I know it's down to windspeed and largely a case of try it and see and I'm guessing that the amount of voltage is linked to how fast it's turning? Let's say 2000rpm = 6v and 4000rpm = 12v or does it produce zero until xxx rpm is achieved?
but do you think something like this would produce any usable electric?I pondered about making a similar one, I'm not planning to be powering a toaster or electric fire from it or anything like that,
but just wondered if it would power something.............Something to decorate itself with perhaps....I'm open to suggestions, maybe some low voltage lights or something a bit more imaginative.
I know it's down to windspeed and largely a case of try it and see and I'm guessing that the amount of voltage is linked to how fast it's turning? Let's say 2000rpm = 6v and 4000rpm = 12v or does it produce zero until xxx rpm is achieved?
If that's an alternator complete with voltage regulation circuit it'll generate about 14v at anything over about idle speed. What idle speed means will depend on how the belt was geared on the original car. I'm not convinced you'd get it spinning that fast in anything but a hurricane though.
I suspect you'd need a much bigger turbine to generate enough power to overcome the mechanical losses in the alternator, and then you'd probably need to gear it up to get it into a suitable speed range. The main issue I can see is that it is not a permanent magnet device so it won't self-start unless you supply electrical power to it while it's spinning reasonable fast.
Also, the blades appear to be mounted backwards.
Also, the blades appear to be mounted backwards.
Hmm, I don't think it's beyond my skills to put a fan on the right way or make a viscous solid 
The internal switch though, that's interesting. I wonder if some wiring could be changed or bridged to make it give current out regardless, i've got to see a local alternator & starter reconditioner in the next week or two so i'll ask his advice on that.
'Alternatively' heh, I could just use an electric rad fan complete with motor....
If I had the electrical knowledge I could make a weather vane out of it, the N, S, E and W would be made from LEDs which light up depending on which way the wind is blowing.
This time next year Rodders, we'll be rich.
The internal switch though, that's interesting. I wonder if some wiring could be changed or bridged to make it give current out regardless, i've got to see a local alternator & starter reconditioner in the next week or two so i'll ask his advice on that.
'Alternatively' heh, I could just use an electric rad fan complete with motor....
If I had the electrical knowledge I could make a weather vane out of it, the N, S, E and W would be made from LEDs which light up depending on which way the wind is blowing.
This time next year Rodders, we'll be rich.
finlo said:
Pretty sure car alternators have a minimum speed of 2100 rpm so the fan/alt interface would require some kind of gearing to achieve anything.
Yep. I can’t remember exactly what speed it is and it will vary slightly anyway across different alternators. But just look at the size of a typical crank pulley and alternator pulley and you’ll see the alternator is something like 3x engine speed.Megaflow said:
finlo said:
Pretty sure car alternators have a minimum speed of 2100 rpm so the fan/alt interface would require some kind of gearing to achieve anything.
Yep. I can’t remember exactly what speed it is and it will vary slightly anyway across different alternators. But just look at the size of a typical crank pulley and alternator pulley and you’ll see the alternator is something like 3x engine speed.A car type alternator could be modified to remove the field winding and replace it with a permanent magnet, but this would also require a different style of voltage regulation.
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