Diesel Powered Wind Turbine

[deacon st. john]

Hypothetically, if one has a NIB 1000watt wind turbine and controller that is collecting dust, would it not be possible to strip down the turbine to its AC generator head and couple with a belt drive system to a cheap china Diesel engine? I have access to unlimited amounts of waste veg oil and I already have a small biodiesel setup that I make fuel in for my 300SD Mercedes.

My only out of pocket cost would be for the sub $200 china Diesel engine. And belt/pulley setup. I have the turbine controller and a spare solar charge controller, breakers, wire etc laying around.

Anyone else ever made something like I’m thinking of? Did it work? Thanks!

 

[Rednecktek]

Hit youtube and look up David Poz. He recently did something similar with a harbor freight engine and a treadmill motor.

Basically you'd be doing the same thing. You'll have to do some math and machining to get the right size pullys to convert the low RPM diesel engine into the high RPM the turbine motor wants but it's totally do-able, especially if you already have some of the larger components on hand.

Most importantly would be a photo log of the process so we can live vicariously through you. ?

 

[400bird]

I'd think the set up would be exceedingly more reliable if you let someone else do the engineering and buy a used generator.

I doubt the 1000w wind turbine generator can output 1000 watts for any sustained period of time.

 

[deacon st. john]

I'd think the set up would be exceedingly more reliable if you let someone else do the engineering and buy a used generator.

I doubt the 1000w wind turbine generator can output 1000 watts for any sustained period of time.

I have several generators lol. Just thinking about using some spare parts for a winter project. Turn trash into treasure.

 

[Rednecktek]

It would be a fun project!

 

[wopachop]

Do you smell french fries?

 

[400bird]

Do you smell french fries?

I really hope it's not fish sticks ?

Fun project? Definitely.
Do they make small diesel lawn mowers to salvage an engine from?

1000 watts, derated to something like 600 isn't very much for the effort

 

[deacon st. john]

It would be a fun project!

I hope so, got a few Chinese diesels in my Amazon and EBay carts ATM trying to find best prices lol

 

[deacon st. john]

Do you smell french fries?

Yes! Folks at red lights always give me funny looks lol

 

[deacon st. john]

I really hope it's not fish sticks ?

Fun project? Definitely.
Do they make small diesel lawn mowers to salvage an engine from?

1000 watts, derated to something like 600 isn't very much for the effort

Yes but 600 watts for 24 hours per day starts to add up. Or until I beat the bearings out of an aluminum Chinese diesel

 

[pollenface]

I'd think the set up would be exceedingly more reliable if you let someone else do the engineering and buy a used generator.

That would be exceedingly less fun.

 

[Warpspeed]

Entirely possible.
The most objectionable feature will probably be noise.
That can be overcome by building a hilariously large muffler, and using that to mount both diesel and the generator on top of the muffler.
I did this with an old rebuilt Wisconsin gas engine, an old compressed air tank, and a treadmill motor, a wind turbine should work fine too.
The trick is to fill the muffler up completely with fiberglass wool, and greatly restrict the outlet.
I added electric start and a 12v alternator, 12v battery, and a proper ignition system.
The treadmill motor was not happy running flat out continuously, so I used an e-bay 12v bilge blower for cooling.
Shown here still in the final stages of completion.
It turned a lot of junk I already had here, into something more interesting and useful.
Definitely a fun project.

 

[AntronX]

The trick is to fill the muffler up completely with fiberglass wool, and greatly restrict the outlet.

Would it clog up with soot and unburned hydrocarbons?

 

[Warpspeed]

Would it clog up with soot and unburned hydrocarbons?

It never has.
For best results use a tank with thick steel walls.
Best would be a compressed air tank, then maybe a large 100 Lb propane tank with a hand sized hole cut in it to stuff the wool through.

 

[Rednecktek]

So the air tank is just a muffler?