Author Topic: Big Homebuilt ! (Read 4581 times)

Craig Cook · « **on:** July 09, 2006, 08:37:32 PM »

While out for a drive today, we spotted a very large turbine on a really unusual tower! We stopped to take a couple of pictures and the elderly man who built the turbine came out to talk to us. He told us that he was on his way out for the day, but that we were more than welcome to go into his yard and take some pictures. He then told us that he had built the entire turbine and tower by himself and that it took him seven years! It's an amazing design! We don't know much about it at this point, but we are going to go back to see him in a couple of weeks to talk to him again. Check it out!

fixed your pics next time change the file names to something without the __
Kurt

fungus · « **Reply #1 on:** July 09, 2006, 02:43:56 PM »

Looks quite cool. Very large. The pictures arent working on the post, I think you put spaces in the file names. Tell us more when you can :-)

Scotth · « **Reply #2 on:** July 09, 2006, 03:58:19 PM »

His name is Charlie Laugesen.It's a 30 KW turbine he built totally from scratch.I didn't know it was up as last I heard he was wading through the usual bunch of BS imposed on him by various inspectors and authorities.If you can land some back issues of Private Power magazine there is a good story on the whole project.

Scott

DanB · « **Reply #3 on:** July 09, 2006, 04:18:17 PM »

Awesome!

This disease has no bounderies...

willib · « **Reply #4 on:** July 09, 2006, 08:17:32 PM »

holy smokes !!

how big are the blades?

tell him about this site..

we HAVE to know more!!

skyking01 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 09, 2006, 09:43:21 PM »

WOW' now that's what you call a GREAT engineering work... for a homebuilt machine..

Goose · « **Reply #6 on:** July 09, 2006, 10:12:00 PM »

Kurt,

Can you help him put the pictures in the IRC gallery so we can get a better look at them? They are really blurry.

wooferhound · « **Reply #7 on:** July 10, 2006, 01:32:03 AM »

The pictures are only sized at 320x213 and the "size 80%" tag is is enlarging them to twice the size. Thats why they look blurry.

My favorite part is the 3 Crows Nests spaced up the tower, and the catwalks wrapping around the Turbine itself.

The Crazy Noob · « **Reply #8 on:** July 10, 2006, 01:55:34 AM »

OH MY GOD! What on earth is he doing with 30kW? Is he making some sorth of time-travel device?

What a machine is it? Is is grid tied? If so: is it an induction generator?

hvirtane · « **Reply #9 on:** July 10, 2006, 03:23:44 AM »

It looks really interesting.

If would really like to see, if you could get more information about this project.

This machine reminds me of Finnish wind machine projects. Here pioneer guys built their (big) machines for heating purposes. 15 kW is a normal size.

- Hannu

jmk · « **Reply #10 on:** July 10, 2006, 07:35:58 AM »

30 kw is the cut off point for being grid tied. He is probaly selling power to the grid.

Scotth · « **Reply #11 on:** July 10, 2006, 07:56:50 PM »

OK guys,here's the info you need to know.Anything I overlook will have to be discussed with Charlie himself as the info I'm giving you comes from an article in Private Power magazine.The genny was originally a 25 hp motor of some sort that was custom built for him in Minnesota.The rotor blades are 10' each and and are made by Aerostar in Denmark.They are mounted to a hub that weighs 540lbs.Charlie made the hub out of wood then had it cast at a foundry.The tower is made of scrap high pressure tanks and is 80' tall.The three landings or "baskets"as Charlie calls them are so you can have a rest and a beer on the way up(his own words)The tower weight is approx 40000 lbs.The "Wind Mouse" as he calls it weighs in at approx 2 tons and yes it is grid-tied.

That's all for now I must sleep

Scotth

willib · « **Reply #12 on:** July 10, 2006, 10:54:41 PM »

He must have some wind direction sensors on there , cuz i just noticed there is no tail.

jmk · « **Reply #13 on:** July 10, 2006, 11:12:05 PM »

Were you able to count any rpms?

SmoggyTurnip · « **Reply #14 on:** July 11, 2006, 10:58:23 AM »

Awesome looking machine, but

How can he get 30 kilowatt from 10 ft blades?

dinges · « **Reply #15 on:** July 11, 2006, 11:02:43 AM »

Have you pointed him to this board? I'd love for him to visit here and explain a bit about the things he did, what worked and what didn't, problems, issues, opportunities for improvement, etc.

I think he possesses a wealth of knowledge & experience that I'd love to tap into to.

Peter.

dinges · « **Reply #16 on:** July 11, 2006, 11:04:53 AM »

10 ft each. 20 ft diameter.

I wonder at what windspeed that 25/30 kW gets generated.

Peter.

richhagen · « **Reply #17 on:** July 11, 2006, 01:29:25 PM »

Looking at it from 1/2* mass * sqare of the velocity for the kinetic energy in the wind, it looks like you wouldn't have that energy in the wind passing through the area of the blades until you hit about 11.8 meters per second wind velocity, about 26.4 miles per hour. If your efficiency was 35% at high wind speeds, it looks like you would need about 16.8 meters per second, or about 37.6 miles per hour, unless I made a math error, or his efficiency is a little higher which would be difficult I would think for the high end of the wind scale. Rich

Clifford · « **Reply #18 on:** July 15, 2006, 12:36:16 AM »

Beautiful Machine,

Hmmm... 30 KW required for "Grid Tied"???

I think the USA has laws requiring the local power companies to buy-back from small generators. Of course, there are some "safety" requirements such as 0 feedback when the grid power is down.

fungus · « **Reply #19 on:** August 04, 2006, 07:02:19 AM »

I think the Dans will have to be careful they dont get too much power out of theirs as this is the same size as their newest generator!

News:

Author Topic: Big Homebuilt ! (Read 4581 times)