VAWT Blade design

Found a good scalable design for a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine, will be posting pics on the site. Built the first blade, used an old Venitian blind , some dowels, plastic, and hot glue. Will have turbine operational by weekend.

Just as a footnote, saw the first turbine in Mahanoy City completed today, that thing is a monster! stands well over 300 foot, saw it from a few mountains over. Will keep ya posted.

Under the weather.

I've been under the weather a bit lately, and have not been as active as I should have been. However, I'm looking into hydrogen fuel cells, and how to make them at home. Seems a closed system with a PV source for water electrolysis will create a closed loop system. I'm still looking into it, so stay tuned...

Preparing for Winter, Part 2

One of the nice things about an old house is that you really don't have to look far to find a project. When I first moved in I bought a roll or two of spackle tape, the heavy paper kind with the fold down the middle. Didn't have to use much for the spackle, but it has come in handy for insulation purposes. I removed the trim from between the main and screen doors, slipped a folded piece of the paper tape behind it, then put them back up with enough room to slip some weather stripping in. I used the self adhesive foam type, 1/4" x 3/16" x 17', which is enough to do one door with.

From an old garage I helped clean out I have several more windows in frames. Eight of these will fit nicely on the 4 windows on the second floor, but I will have to make a wood frame for them. They will each fit without having to remove the aluminum frame from them, so they will be safer and easier to handle.

I had previously commented on the kitchen work that I did, and I can say that so far, the kitchen is holding nicely at about 70 degrees. I do not as yet have the heat on, but I am keeping water hot in the furnace (the home's hot water heater). There is a 'stack' on the furnace exhaust pipe, which blows air over the heated interior of the stack, which helps to heat the house.

I have a little over 1/2 tank of oil, let's say about 140-150 gallons (235 gallon capacity). Last season I went through 2 full tanks, and topped off this one in March, adding another 20 gallons in May. This will last until mid November, possibly December if the winter starts mild.

So much to do, so little cash...

I've started with the window wrapping, found some old windows, pulled the glass out and built tight frames for them to go in front of my windows making them double paned.
I set it up so that they can be removed individually for nice days, and I won't have to keep using double sided tape and plastic. So far only the kitchen windows are paned, so I have a ways to go, and may just build frames for plastic wrap for the others.

I definitely have to replace the basement floor all the way to dirt and I think I'll replace with concrete and subfloor heating when I do. I should be able to have a hot water heater running off hybrid power to supply both water and pump power, so it should be pretty cheap to run. But that's at least a year away, maybe more.

Gratzel Cells

Seems that there is a way to make homemade photovoltaics using a bit of tin oxide, titanium dioxide, berry juice, iodine, and graphite. Sandwich all that between two peices of glass, add wires and a small load, and you're all set... Of course, that's the simple recipe. What's simple is not usually easy. Personally, I'm betting on better juice from VAWTs than PV, But I'm covering as many bases as I can. I even figured that I can use Hydro by directing the rain water through a downsloping pipe, through a turbine, and out, but I don't think the basement downslope from me would like it...

But I'm looking into these Gratzel Cells, I'll report on what I find out, and see what can happen from there...

Shine on...

Got the first solar nightlight going, set it up this afternoon, probably too late to charge the battery, but it's a start.

I was also doing some research into solar and wind, have started finding info on how to make your own solar panels, using a silk screen method... HMMM, did I mention I screen Tee shirts?? Screen Panels? what chemicals do I need?? I'll letcha know... and how it works...

As for the wind... I've identified the bushes that are gonna take a transplant... I hate to do it to a plant, as I have killed any plant that came my way, I'm unable to even grow Zucchini... However, I need to make the room...

Gotta run now, Stay Tuned...

Life jumped me a bit.

Had to take care of some nagging points the last few days, namely laundry, pets, house, friends, family, and food. But I have been researching various VAWTs, namely the Savonious and Darrious models, and found a pretty good compromise in a small lift type, about 4' tall by 3' around. Designer says it will generate from an alternator at 6-9 mph winds, which is fairly low. I have 2 locations, er, 3 locations that I can put one in, so I'm busy scrounging parts this week. I need to figure how to bend some aluminum, or tin, into an airfoil. Then I'll have to scrounge the alternators. (Alternators will generate at slower speeds.) I'll also want some sort of auto braking system, incase of severe winds, and it will have to be automatic. This is gonna take some time.

It'll be fun, though...

Rain Rain...

Keep it up... We can use it, and at least we don't have to shovel it yet... Been working on a few PCs lately, gotta get up the cash for the improvements... long days, busy, see the Time blog on http://462df.com ... I'll have time to do more research this week, and I want ot design a nice vertical mill that will be able to regulate it's speed, since Ernesto came through today...

for now...