Copyright

2012 - Clément JOULAIN

Metric version published in September 2012.
Thanks to Hugh PIGGOTT for his help, his advices and the original concept of his
wind turbines.
Thanks to Jonathan O’toole for translation.
[email protected]



1 – Introduction
3 – The Nacelle
4 – The Permanent Magnet Generator
5 – Electrical wiring
6 – The Controller
7 – The Guyed Tower
8 – The Maintenance
9 – Performance
10 – Material list

1 – Introduction
This manual explains a method to build a small 100W wind turbine from scratch.
This turbine design is mostly based on the design of Hugh Piggott models.
However, this wind turbine, called the “One”, incorporates some differences with
Piggott’s turbines, as I will explain throughout this document. I call it One because
its diameter is 1m, and power is rated at 100W.

Figure 1 : Wind Turbine One

Rated power output is reached at a wind speed of 12 m/s. Such speeds are
infrequent at most locations, so the design has been optimized to harness low
wind speeds, between 3 m/s and 7 m/s. You can find more details on One’s
performance towards the end of this manual.
Before you jump in the building process of the One, I strongly recommend you
first read Hugh Piggott manual “A Wind Turbine Recipe Book” available from his
website delow. This manual describes from A to Z a number of manufacturing
steps that are not detailed in this manual and has sought to explain some of the
underlying theory behind wind turbines.
www.scoraigwind.co.uk

Figure 2 : Hugh Piggott Manual

The One uses the same design philosophy as Hugh Piggott, and which has been
the basis of his very successful and durable turbine designs.
Manufacturing simplicity
Robustness
Low cost, and
Good performance in low winds
However, the model detailed in this manual includes the following variations :
Five blades instead of three, to start earlier in lower wind speeds
A four phases alternator, to save a bridge rectifier (two instead of three) and
the use of only six magnets
Two small waterproof bearings instead of a car hub assembly to start earlier
in lower wind speeds and reduce friction losses.
No furling mechanism, unnecessary with such small swept area (0.785m²)
One’s small size and its low manufacturing costs make it an ideal project to learn
about wind turbines. Perfect for enthusiasts, do-it-yourselfers, professionals or
renewable energy student. The resulting energy yield is sufficient to power a sail
boat, a small shed, or even an off-grid house in a developing country. Its average
production is normally higher than a 50W solar panel in temperate latitudes, for
sites where the average wind speed exceeds 4 m/s.
Table 1 shows the expected energy production at different wind speed:

Table 1 : Expected energy production

The One has been designed to be easily constructed with minimal costs. Its small
dimensions allow the use of salvaged or recycled materials such as scrap wood,
metal, or electric cable. The four-phase generator limits the amount of magnets
needed to six instead of eight and only two bridge rectifiers are needed rather
than three. The tower has been very simplified, and designed to be more portable,
if required.
The total cost of the wind turbine, including a 6m tower and wiring to the battery
has been estimated at around 250 USD, depending on what recycled materials
are available. Refer to the material list at the end of the manual for common
prices.
The One has only been designed at 12V version, because its low power output
would not justify the use of 24V or 48V. Please get in contact with me if you
require a special output voltage.
Only basic tools are required to build the One so it can be constructed almost
anywhere by anyone. However, don’t think it can be built without a minimum set of
equipment!
Measurements are very important, so you need a ruler, measuring tape, a
square, callipers, a pair of compasses, a level and obviously a marker and a pen.
You will also need a drill with a set of wood and metal bits. Expendable items
include : sandpaper of various grades, saw blade, tape, glue, etc. I have provided
a consolidated list of required tools at the beginning of each chapter. You may not
have some tools in your workshop so it’s a good opportunity to ask for your
neighbours or friends.
But enough talks, let’s jump in the building process and go through the various
steps of fabrication.
2 – The Blades
Tools: Drawknife,(or saw, chisel, hammer and plane), screwdrivers, jigsaw.

The blades are the engine of the wind turbine, the energy net. They are carved
from wood, which is easy to source, shape, and offer strength and durability.
Wood is a kind of composite material with fibres which results in excellent
properties to make small scale wind turbine blades. The minimum sizes of a piece
of timber necessary to carve a single blade are:

Table 2 : Piece of timber minimum sizes

It’s better to use a light wood, without knots, and important to carve it when it is
dry. It’s frustrating to finish a blade and see it slowly twist while it dries.
Always be careful and gentle when finishing the blades because they are very thin
and fragile. A small error when manipulating a tool can cause permanent damage.
Try to work with sub-millimetre accuracy.
The blades are small enough that they can be manufactured entirely with a
drawknife. You can also use a small plane or a scraper and sandpaper, but be
careful not to push too hard or you will create “waves” on the surface, reducing
the aerodynamic performance.
Start by selecting an edge on your piece that is perfectly straight. If your board is
bent, create a straight edge with a planer and select this as your cutting edge.
Divide the blade into five stations, as shown in figure 3 below:
 Figure 3 : Dimension of blade stations

Complete the following steps like in the usual Piggott carving method. Refer to
Table 3 below for dimensions:
Cut out the width
Draw the trailing edge
Carve the windward face (the front face shown in figure 3)
Draw the thickness lines, below the cutting and trailing edge
Carve a parallel plane to the windward face, with the correct thickness
Carve the aerodynamic shape to finish the blade
 Table 3 : Width, drop and thickness dimensions

The blade width is a straight line between 27.5mm width at tip and 70mm width at
station 5.

Make five identical blades to ensure equal aerodynamic performance.

The blades are assembled between two disks of 6mm marine plywood. The
simple front disk is drawn in figure 4 below, however it can take on various forms.
 Figure 4 : Shape of blade disc and locations of holes

The back disk should be a ring with 245mm outer diameter and 160mm inner
diameter.

Each blade is fixed to the disc by four stainless steel screws 4 x 30mm on the
front and two on the back. Ensure that the curved side of the blade profile is
attached to the back disc.
Before you finalize the blades, you need to check three points that are crucial to
balance the rotor:
The distance from the tip of the blade to the centre of the disc (the radius)
must be identical for each blade. If necessary, adjust the position of the
blade on the disc to obtain the correct measurements.
The distance between each blade tip must be equal. Adjust accordingly if
 this is not the case.
The blades must all spin on the same plane. If you detect a planarity
misalignment of the rotor when it rotates, correct it.
You can finish the blades with wood paint, a stain or varnish. A mixture of linseed
oil and turpentine will provide light wood treatment, ecological and cheap, but you
will need to reapplied on a regular basis. For an aesthetic and very resistant
finish, apply a polyurethane varnish, as on boat’s deck.
3 – The Nacelle
Tools: Portable grinder, welding machine, hammer, wrench, 12mm die, die holder.

The nacelle is the assemble that holds all the components together on the top of
the tower. Itis made out from standard steel components sections, commonly
available. The most complex step is the construction of the bearing assembly. I
chose this solution to reduce friction at start up, allowing power generation at
lower wind speeds. The blades of the One are generally not powerful enough
to overcome the friction of a small car hub below a certain speed.
It is fairly simple en cheap to make the bearing assembly by yourself, but you
need to do it with great care to achieve good durability. Figure 5 shows a cut-away
view of the bearing assembly you will build. The rotating parts are shown in blue,
and the two ball bearings in red.

Figure 5 : Cut-away view of the bearing assembly

To start the bearing assembly construction, find a piece of tube and aset of
bearings such that the bearings fit inside tightly. You will also need to find a steel
rod that will fit tightly on the inner diameter of the bearing. There are many
different possible sizes for the bearings which are appropriate and they are readily
available almost everywhere at a cheap price. The One has been designed with
bearings of 12mm inner diameter, 28mm outer diameter and 8mm thickness.
Don’t use smaller bearings than this.
It is critical that the bearings hold tight in the tube and are not able to rotate or
slide to ensure durability.
It could be necessary to smooth the welding bead inside the pipe, depending on
what pipe is used. A conical grinder on an electric drill will be most appropriate for
this work. If you are unable to find a tight combination of tube and bearing, and
the one you have is a bit large, it is possible to glue the bearings in position with
Loctite 648.
The ideal solution is to machine the tube using a metal lathe to the correct size to
guarantee a tight assembly. The result will be a very resistant and durable
assembly. Machining ensure a perfect alignment of both bearing rotation axis.

A spacer prevents the translation of the bearing along of the shaft, when the nut is
tight.

The shaft should be a 12mm, or larger, diameter rod. You can order the linear
shafts from Radiospares, for example. Another good option is to buy a motorcycle
front wheel axle or get one from the scrapyard. The wheel axle is also already
threaded which will save you time later.
Thread the shaft at one end over about 10mm, to bolt a 12mm stainless steel nut
that will hold the complete assembly in place.

Figure 6 : Bearing assembly dimensions

Before assembling all the elements, you need the build them one by one.
Start with the shaft. After having cut it to the correct length (see figure 6) and
threaded the end, weld it on the nacelle L section (a 30mm angle of 600mm
length).

Cut the stator flange from a 3mm metal sheet with the dimensions shown in figure
7.
 Figure 7 : shaft flange dimensions

Drill the holes. This flange will be used to mount the alternator’s stator.
Insert the stator flange’s central hole in the shaft and clamp it in position against
the L section as shown in figure 8 and following the dimensions shown in figure 9.

Figure 8 : shaft, flange and nacelle assembly

.
 Figure 9 : Nacelle assembly dimensions

Weld the stator flange to the shaft and the nacelle’s L section, but only on the
back side of the flange. Keep the other side clean to have a flush surface for the
washer and bearings.
A standard 33.7mm diameter tube is welded on the L section, as shown in Figure
9, which will act as the yawing mechanism. The tower top will fit inside this tube to
allow the wind turbine to yaw into the wind direction. A hole in the L section will
allow the electric cables to run down tower to the ground.
Two small holes in the front of L section will allow you to bolt the heat-sink on,
which will accommodate the bridge rectifiers (see Figure 24). Two additional holes
at the end of the L section will allow you to attach the vane. See Figure 10.

Figure 10 : Nacelle L section holes

On the tube used for the bearing housing, weld the rotor flange with dimension as
per Figure 11. The position where to weld the flange to the tube is shown in Figure
13. The central hole size will depend on the tube size you found.

Figure 11 : rotor flange dimensions

Take care to ensure the rotor flange and the tube are perpendicular, otherwise the
rotor and blades will not rotate in perpendicular to the wind. Be very precise at this
step.

Figure 12 : The bearing housing

 Figure 13 : Rotor flange location

On the rotor flange, you will be able to bolt a front break disk from a car. I will
explain this further on the manual.
Perform and check all the weldings without the bearings inside the tube. The high
temperature reached during the welding process would certainly damage the ball
bearings.
Now, assemble the bearings and spacer tube inside the housing:
On one side of the housing tube, start by pushing one bearing inside with a
small hammer.
On the other side insert the spacer tube and hammer in lightly the second
bearing until the spacer tube is lightly squeeze between the two bearings.
Then, assemble the different parts on the shaft:
Slip first a washer on the shaft, until it touches the stator flange.
Then the bearing housing (with the bearings and the spacer tube)
The second washer, and
Finally bolt the 12mm stainless steel nut on shaft threaded end.
Put Loctite on the nut to ensure it will remain in position. For a clean and nice
finish, close the tube with a cap.
Last part of this chapter, the vane is made out of 6mm marine plywood. It can
have whatever shape you wish, as long as the area is close to 0.09m², for
example a 200 x 450mm rectangle would do the trick nicely. The vane shape is a
good place to express your creativity and personalized your artwork!

4 – The Permanent Magnet Generator
Tools: Cutting pliers, soldering iron, weigh-scale, portable grinder, jig saw, screwdrivers, wrench and
voltmeter.

Similar to Piggott’s wind turbines, the alternator is built from scratch. This allows
you to get the performance suitable for your needs (output voltage, cut-in speed,
power). There are two main components: the rotor and the stator. One’s alternator
construction is the same as that for the small 1.2 meter diameter Piggott turbine,
with one rotor and one stator, and four bolts hold the stator by the centre.
The stator is made of enamelled copper wire coils, also called “magnet wire”. This
wire is used bin electrical motor windings. You can easily purchase this wire from
electrical retailers.
The wire is wound around a template with the shape of a magnet i.e: 46 x 30mm
and 10mm thickness. The thickness is the critical dimension aimed in the finished
coil. The coils then are connected together and cast in polyester resin to
obtain the final piece as per Figure 14.

Figure 14 : Stator form.

You must build a custom tool (see Figure 15) to wind the coils manually. You will
find the detailed procedure to make the coil winder in Piggott’s manual.
 Figure 15: Coil winding machine

Table 4 gives all the data you will need to make the coils for One’s stator.

Table 4 : Coil specifications

Figure 16: Finished coil

The finished coils are then wired in star connection. Make sure the wires in each
coil all turn in the same way, either clockwise or counterclockwise.
The four input wire (protruding from the centre of the coil) are all connected
together at the same point. This will be called the « Neutral ». See Figure 23 for
stator connection.
To make a good connection between all the wires, firstly completely remove all the
enamel on the end of the wires by sanding. Twist all wires together with flat pliers,
and solder them with tin using a powerful soldering iron (80W or more). Protect
the connection with a piece of thermo sheathing, or some electrical tape.
The four output wires (protruding from the outside of the coils) are each soldered
to a length of 1,5mm² electrical wire, about 50cm long. These wires are then
connected to the bridge rectifier. The solders are cast in resin for a good
protection.
The stator mold is built with three pieces of 10mm plywood: the bottom, the edge
and the cover. They are screwed together to get the desired shape of the stator.
The mold must have cambered release angles, to be able to remove the stator
when the resin has set. The detailed way to build the mold is fully explained in
Piggott’s manual.
The bottom of the mold is a 400 x 400mm square piece of plywood. In the centre
of the bottom, screw an island with 50mm diameter and 20mm thickness. Make
sure the cambered release angle of the island is big enough to remove easily the
stator.
Use the dimensions shown in Figure 17 to cut the edge of the mold.
The cover of the mold is also a 400 x 400mm square piece of plywood. Cut in the
centre a 90mm hole with a 45° angle, still for easy removal of the stator when
resin has set. This place between the island (50mm diameter) and the hole in the
cover(90mm diameter) will be filled by resin and create a thickness of 20mm
instead of 10mm.
 Figure 17: Stator front dimensions

Figure 18: Stator thickness dimensions

Place the coils in the stator mold, they must fit inside their limited space. Make
sure there are no wire crossing through the areas where holes will be drilled. The
coils must stand precisely inline with the path of the rotating magnets to get the
maximum magnetic flux. A misplaced coil will get less magnetic flux and lower the
voltage. Be very careful on this point when you cast the resin because after it will
be too late. Draw with a thick marker on the bottom of the mold the exact place of
each coil so you can check their position through the resin before closing the
cover.
Cut two layers of fiber glass with the stator shape. Smear the mold with wax for
easy removal. Now you are ready to pour the stator.
Pour a bit of pure resin inside the mold, spread it with a brush and put the
first layer of fiberglass.
When fiberglass is impregnated, place the four coils over it and pour a mix of
resin and talcum powder until you reach the top of the coils.
Add the second fiberglass layer and impregnate it with pure resin. You must
have the electrical cables in your hand to maintain them vertically.
Close the cover and screw it to the mold to squeeze the coils and the resin.
The goal is to have the stator thickness as thin as possible. Make sure the
electric cables remain vertical while the resin sets. Check that the resin
reaches the same level than the cover top.
After about half a day, remove the stator from the mold and clean out the edges.
Drill four holes to fix the stator to the nacelle’s stator flange with the threaded
rodes. Use the stator flange (Figure 7) to mark the precise place of the holes.
Counter bore the holes on the front face (on the rotor magnet side) to hide the
bolt’s head inside the casting (see Figure 19 below and Figure 18 above for
dimensions). The stator is 20mm thick instead of 10mm at this place to be able to
counter bore the nuts safely.

Figure 19 : Connecting bolt in the stator

Bolt the stator on the nacelle with 6mm stainless steel bolts of 50mm length (see
Figure 20). The use of stainless steel is essential because it is not attracted by the
magnets.

Figure 20: Stator connected to stator flange on nacelle

The alternator rotor uses a car front disk break, with six permanent magnets glued
to the surface. In my design, I chose a Peugeot 205 break disk, but any disk can
be good if the diameter is larger than 230mm. A different disk than mine would
require a few adaptations on the shape and the position of its mounting flange.
Instead of using a break disk, you can cut out a 230mm circular disk from a 6mm
steel sheet. Don’t use an other material than steel. In the USA, Otherpower sell
laser cut 230mm disk. In UK, Wind Turbine Supplies provide the same disk.
www.otherpower.com
www.wind-turbine-supplies.co.uk
You need six neodymium permanent magnets of 46 x 30 x 10mm. The grade
should be at least N42. The permanent magnets are really dangerous! They are
very powerful and can easily attract metallic objects, so take care not to have your
hand between the magnets and metal objects. Keep all magnetic sensitive
devices (like memory card and credit card) well clear. People are generally very
surprised by the strength of neodymium magnets.
Clean out with a grinder a smooth and flat surface on the disk before putting the
magnets in position. Locate the six permanent magnets on one face of the break
disk, the same distance from each other (as shown in Figure 22). A thin plywood
jig makes a good job to hold the magnets in the correct position (Piggott’s manual
explain how to make a magnet jig). Glue the magnets on the disk with epoxy
resin. Alternate the poles (North, then South, then North…). Take your time to
ensure the pole alternate, holding the magnet in your hand and pass over the
magnets on the disc: one should attract your hand and the next one should repel
(see Figure 21).

Figure 21: Fixing the magnets to the brake disk.

 Figure 22: Final position of the magnets on the brake disk

Magnet4less.com in the United States sells the necessary magnets at a good

price. Obviously you can order directly from China at a better price but you will
pay more for delivery and importation taxes. In the UK, Wind-turbine Supplies sell
neodymium magnets as well. For magnet suppliers in other countries, please refer
to Hugh Piggott website.
www.scoraigwind.com
You will need to protect the magnets from corrosion to ensure a long life of your
alternator. Magnets also represent a big part of the total wind turbine cost, so it’s a
good idea to invest in a good protection. Some people choose to set the magnets
in epoxy resin, which is the best protection but a bit expensive. A good option is to
glue the magnets on the break disk with epoxy and t do a nice paint job on them
with high quality anti-corrosive paint. Bitumen epoxy paints are proven to give the
best results for the long term. Renew the paint as frequently as needed.
Bolt the finished rotor on the housing’s rotor flange with four 8mm stainless steel
bolts of 50mm length. The alternator is now nearly finished!
Set the gap between rotor and stator at 2mm by adjusting the stator connecting
bolt. They should never touch each other.
Attach the blades to the alternator sing the connecting bolts. You need to balance
the blades and the alternator assemble. A well balanced assembly is very
important to eliminate the vibrations that are very damaging for both the wind
turbine and tower. A well balanced wind turbine improves the starting up as well.
Take your time to do this step carefully.
To balance the assembly, screw small lead pieces near the blade roots at varying
distances from the centre. Bear in mind that the centrifugal force can be
important, so make something strong and use this galvanized screws. Wind
turbine should never spin unbalanced.
You will know the assemble has been balanced when the rotation does not favor
any one blade, i.e. if there is a heavier side that will always rotate towards the
lowest point.

5 – Electrical wiring
Tools: voltmeter, cutter, cutting pliers, flat pliers, screwdrivers, wrench.

The One has two bridge rectifiers (diodes) of 20 amps to rectify the alternating
current produced by the generator. The maximum current produced by the wind
turbine is about 10A, but it’s better to keep a comfortable security margin. A diode
failure can lead to a major failure on the wind turbine if it happens in high winds.
Each bridge rectifier has two inputs for the alternating current, and two outputs for
direct current: one positive and the other negative. Take a look at the Figure 23
below to figure out how to wire the stator cables:

Figure 23 : Electrical wiring of the turbine

Use good quality lugs to connect the electric cables protruding from the stator to
the bridge rectifiers. Make sure the lug is tightly connected on the bridge rectifier
end. If you want, use silicone grease to protect the connection from corrosion.
You will have two positive and two negative wires coming from the bridge
rectifiers. Connect them to the cable going to the battery with wire nuts or by
crimping them into small copper pipes.

At this stage you can check the output voltage produced by the alternator. Spin by
hand the rotor at 60 RPM using a watch second hand (on rotation per second),
and measure the DC voltage (after the diodes). The reading should be:
 Table 5 : Alternator DC output at 60 RPM

If the measured voltage is too low, move the stator a lite bit closer to the rotor (still
maintaining an appropriate gap). If the voltage is too high, move the stator further
away from the rotor. A 10% to 15% difference of measured voltage from target
voltage is acceptable
Bolt the two bridge rectifiers to a heat-sink fix them to the nacelle. A piece of
aluminum angle can do the job. Put Grover washers in the bridge rectifier’s bolts
to keep a good tightness. Spread a thin layer of thermal paste between the bridge
rectifiers and the heat-sink to get a good thermal transfer.

Figure 24: Bridge rectifiers connections

Don’t forget to protect the rectifier from the rain. You can use a small plastic bottle
upside down or some sort of cover. Don’t seal the bottle at the bottom because
water can be locked inside and cause a short circuit. Leave the bottom open to
allow air flow and humidity to dry.
The electric cable connecting the wind turbine to the battery conducts the 12V
current which can be up to 8 amps. Use a 2x1,5mm² copper cable, but if the
distance is greater than 20 metre (6m tower + 14m to the battery), use a
2x2,5mm² cable.
You can stop the turbine whenever you want with a simple short circuit between
the positive and the negative wire, but take care to disconnect the battery first or
you will start dangerous fire works in your hand!
You can wire two switches such that the first one will disconnect the wind turbine
from the battery, and the second one will short circuit the positive and the negative
wires of the wind turbine. The danger of this type of wiring is the risk to reverse
switching between the first and second switch. A simple solution would be to use
a knife switch to connect the wind turbine either to the battery, or create a short
circuit between the turbine wires. Refer to blue square on Figure 24 to check the
appropriate wiring convention.
You can easily build such a knife switch by using two bolts tighten on a plywood
board and connected to the battery terminals. Connect the negative cable from
the wind turbine permanently on the negative bolt. The positive cable of the wind
turbine can be connected either to the positive bolt to charge the battery, or to the
negative bolt to stop the turbine. A lug at the end of positive cable and a wing nut
will help to switch the connection quickly.

Figure 25 : Start/stop switch wiring

It’s a good idea to wire a voltmeter onto your system, and if possible, an ammeter.
They will give you precious information to monitor your system’s status. You don’t
even need very accurate instruments, but having a general idea of key
parameters such as: battery voltage (state of charge), wind turbine output. It will
help you diagnose operation and problems.
6 – The Controller
Tools: voltmeter, cutter, cutting pliers, flat pliers, screwdrivers.

The controller’s role is clear and simple: watch the battery state of charge and
avoid overcharging it. The wind controller works always with a dump load, to
dissipate excess electricity and protect the battery. A wind turbine should always
stay connected to a load, either a resistor (the dump load), the battery or in short
circuit. A turbine with no load, in open circuit, will start to free-spin and can result
to important failure !
The battery connected to the turbine should be 12V, with a capacity between
50Ah and 100Ah. For low wind sites (3 to 4 m/s average) a 50 Ah battery will
store around 480Wh, so two to three days of production. On good wind sites (5 to
6 m/s average), a 100Ah battery is necessary to store at least two days of
production.
The advantage with a big battery is that you can easily manage over-charge and
undercharge, by either consuming less power or stopping the wind turbine.
Overcharge and undercharge will easily damage the battery which is why a wind
controller is important. For a wind turbine like the One, a commercial controller
has a heavy impact on the system’s budget, but if you can afford it, buy it to
protect your battery. The 300W model from APRS World in the US is a good
choice, with the dump load included. In the UK, the small controller from Karasouli
is a low cost solution that can regulate power up to 600W.
www.aprsworld.com/dl300/
http://www.karasouli.com/

Figure 26: The APRS 300W wind controller, with built in dump load.

A more economical solution is to build a simple controller with some common

electronic components. Below is the electrical wiring diagram:
Figure 27 : Wind controller wiring diagram
The relay is a single pole double throw (SPDT) controlled by a 12V coil. You need
to set the relay to switch on at around 14V battery voltage (depending on battery
manufacturer recommendations). A small power resistor creates a voltage drop to
set the voltage level when the coil attracts the contact. This voltage is close to
8.2V, so the voltage drop in the resistor should be 5.8V. A potentiometer is
another option to set precisely the relay trigger.
When the relay switches on, the wind turbine feeds directly to the dump load and
disconnects from the battery. All produced energy is converted into heat. When
the turbine slows down, the voltage will drop. If it goes under the value of 4.5V, the
coil will release the contact and the wind turbine will charge the battery again.
This solution has several advantages. Firstly, it is very simple and low cost.
Secondly, the fact that the wind turbine feeds directly to the dump load efficiently
protects the battery. In case of strong winds, the wind turbine will remain connect
to the dump load for a while until the wind speed slows down. In case of low winds
(and a full battery), the dump load will stall the wind turbine quickly, which will
release the relay and the turbine will charge the battery again to allow maximum
energy production.
The dump load should be sized for such utilization. Neither too powerful to stall
the wind turbine sharply, o too weak to leave the wind turbine rotating to quickly.
The resistance of the dump load must be close to 1.8 Ω. When the relay switches
on, the current is 7.8 amps which is a reasonable value.
When running directly on the wind turbine, the dump load will draw the following
power, depending on alternator RPM:
Figure 28 : Dump load power profile
In real world, it means that the dump load will consume different power at different
voltage, so at different blade speeds. If wind is not strong enough to give the
power to the blades, they slow down and stall. If, at the opposite, the wind get
stronger, the blades will accelerate, the voltage raise and the power consumed
will be greater.
You can build this dump load on your own with resistive wire, an alloy of nickel
and chrome. You should get a resistance of 1.8 Ω but bear in mind that the wire
must handle the power hence the heat generated. Thermal load on the wire
should never be higher than 5W/cm². If the wire is to thin, go for several in parallel
with longer lengths. You can also buy power resistor from Farnell, Radiospares,
etc.
This simple controller consumes current as the coil relay and the resistor
generating the voltage drop are permanently powered. The total resistance of the
circuit is 510 Ω, so power consumption at 12V is 0.28W.
I like to connect the dump load to a LED or a DC12V bulb to give visual
information of the controller status. The light informs that the controller is dumping
power so you can consume more power from the battery or manually stop wind
turbine in case of high winds.
Table 6 gives the prices of controller’s components (prices from radiospares.fr in
March 2012):

Table 6 : Specifications and prices of controller’s components

This controller is just a basic solution that can be improved for better performance,
safety, visibility, etc.
7 – The Guyed Tower
Tools: grinder, welding machine, sledgehammer, cutting pliers.

The tower is made out of a length of standard 26,3mm pipe guyed in four
directions with galvanized fence wire. The wind turbine nacelle tube will just fit
over the tower pipe ad will act as a yaw bearing, see Figure 29 below. The
electric cable coming from the nacelle will pass through a hole and down the
inside of the tower tube. There is no device to avoid the cable twisting when the
wind turbine yaws. If the wind turbine does yaw in one direction then the build up
of twists will be gradual and you will need to unwind the twists occasionally during
a calm day. At the beginning, check this twice a month and then adapt the
checking as your turbine needs it. In most cases, you just need to untwist it twice
a year, but sometimes it has to be more frequent.

Figure 29: Wind turbine on top of the tower

A 26,3mm diameter pipe with 2,3mm wall is strong enough to withstand storms
with winds up to 50 m/s. You can use a pipe with thinner thickness but a larger
diameter. It’s important to complete a good paint job on the whole tower and
renew it when needed.
To hook up the guy wire to the tube, use a square flange (shown in Figure 30),
similar to the one used on the turbine’s nacelle. The flange is welded 50cm below
the tower top.
 Figure 30 : Tower top flange dimensions

Figure 31 : Tower top flange

For the guy wires, I like to use galvanized fence wire with a thick diameter, say
2mm or more, to be less sensitive to corrosion. Fence wire is cheap, widely
available and weather resistant. Wrap the wire around a thimble to protect it from
wear. Shackle and turnbuckles can be useful but are not essential. You can also
use traditional galvanized steel wire cable (3 or 4mm diameter) or good quality
ropes to guy your tower.
At the bottom of the tower, weld a piece of 6mm iron rod to allow the tower to tilt
up and down between two pieces of 40mm angles anchored to the ground (see
Figure 32). Weld the rod so that the tower will lower in the same direction as one
of the guy wire. The two guy wires on the side should hold the tower in place
when tilting up and down. Keep enough space at the bottom of the tower to check
the cable twists.
 Figure 32: Tower base

Weld the two angles together if you want to achieve better rigidity, but then you
will not be able to disassemble the tower from the tower feet.
Four stakes will need to be driven into the ground to anchor the guy wires and
hold the tower vertical position. The stakes should be position in the four
directions, at 90° from each other, and at a minimum distance of 2.5m from the
tower feet. The longer the distance, the less stressed the guy wires will be
subjected to, but you might not have enough room to do it. To me, the best
compromise is to place the anchor at 5m from the tower feet, or close to a 45
degree angle.
Some soils are not suitable to use stakes. For soft ground conditions, dig holes
and pour in concrete to act as an anchor, or put something large and heavy in the
hole and fill it up with dirt. On concrete or a good rock bed, drill holes and use rock
bolts as anchors.
At many sites, the existence of vegetation or other obstacle to the wind flow will
required to use a taller 9m, or even 12m, tower. A high tower will also in access to
a better wind resource. On many sites, a tower twice as high make the wind
turbine produce 50% more energy, for minimal investment.
You simple need to add additional lengths of tube to reach the needed height. To
join two lengths of tube together, use an external or internal sleeve with a flange in
the middle. This piece should be designed to hook the guy wires on in a similar
fashion as detailed previously.
 Figure 33: Example of internal sleeve connection with guy wires

The tower is guyed in four directions so it can be lowered down to the ground. It’s
very useful to be able to easily install the wind turbine or perform a routine
maintenance. Raise the tower first without the turbine to understand the process
and to get an idea of the forces at play.
When the wind turbine is installed on top of the tower and the electrical
connection done, raise the tower gently by pulling up the guy wire opposed to the
side where the tower is laid. Pull it up either by hand or with a manual or electrical
winch. Be very careful during the process and make sure no one is in the fall path
of the turbine or tower. Check frequently that the tower is straight and the lateral
guy wires are not too tight or too loose. Don’t act hurriedly; this can lead to a
major failure that will destroy your new wind turbine. You might need help from
one or two of your friends at this step.
At the end, check that the tower is perfectly vertical with a level, and that all the
guy wires are sufficiently tightened.
Release the short circuit, plug the wind turbine to the battery and enjoy seeing the
fruit of your work producing its first kWh !

8 – The Maintenance
The One is quite robust and strong, but it still needs occasional maintenance. In
first few weeks of operation, the wind turbine should be monitor quite closely to
adjust the settings and ensure everything has been put together properly. It is a
“running in” period. Do a general checking after one, three and six months to
ensure everything is as it should be. After that, an annual inspection and
maintenance is enough.
Bear in mind that a wind turbine is not like a static solar panel and should be
monitor on a regular basis. Get used to your wind turbine behavior, sound and
movements. A quick but regular watch will help to anticipate major failure and is
far better than a deep but irregular checking. Think that within a year, the turbine
works during around 7000 hours and turns more than 140 millions times!
The annual maintenance should consist of a visual inspection of the tower
(corrosion, strength of anchor, guy wire tension etc). Lower the tower to the
ground to check:
Blade balance and wear on leading edges
Bolts tightness
Play in the bearings
Lubrication of yaw bearing
Electrical connections
Sand all rusted parts and perform a new paint job. When done, you can then get
the wind turbine back to work.

9 – Performance
The one has been tested with professional tools during two weeks in 2011. Here
is the power curve measured under real world conditions. Each black point of the
curve is an average of 30min of measurements. Red points are calculated with
less than 30 minutes of measurements.

Figure 34: One’s power curve

The cut-in speed is very low (2.5m/s), thanks to the five blades and to low friction
bearings. The measuring time above 8.5 m/s wind speed is too short but
demonstrates that 100W power should be reached at around 12 m/s wind speed.
The One doesn’t have a system to regulate output power. The power is naturally
limited by the blades’ efficiency, which falls when they spin faster. Power peaks
can occur during storms and there is a risk to burn out the stator.
During the test, 150W instantaneous peaks have been measured for 16 m/s
winds. Such power could damage the alternator if maintained for several minutes.
It’s better to stop the wind turbine during high winds to protect the alternator and
moving parts. If a big storm is announced, lower the tower to the ground.
On small towers or on boats, a rope attached to the tail vane allow to furl the
turbine out of the wind. Specialists can realize an automatic protection system to
shut down the turbine, based on coil temperature or on wind speed. You can also
build a mechanical furling system like Piggott’s models. I can give you the plans to
build a furling system on the One if needed.
 Figure 35: One’s efficiency curve

The efficiency of a wind turbine includes the Betz limit (59%, a perfect wind
turbine can never go over this limit). The turbine tested reached a maximum
efficiency of 18%, at a wind speed of 4 m/s. It is a good result for a turbine of this
size. Moreover, the test site, on the roof of a building, was very poor, with a lot of
turbulence, in spite of a 6m tower. We can measure better efficiency on a proper
site, with laminar winds. Piggott’s turbine of diameter greater than 2.4m usually
reached efficiency up to 25%.
The following diagram shows the daily electrical production versus daily average
wind speed.

Figure 36: Daily energy production of the One

Those field measurements confirm the One’s potential for electric supply of small
remote sites. It is an ideal turbine to work with a solar panel in a small hybrid
system, for all basic needs.
The following chart shows an example of electrical appliances powered by a 50W
solar panel, a One wind turbine and a deep discharge 100Ah battery:

Table 7 : Example of appliances powered by a small hybrid system

10 – Material list
The following table lists all the material you need to build the One. Some materials
are necessary in very small quantities so you can easily use salvaged materials.
In fact, almost all the wind turbine can be made out of scrap materials and
devices, except the magnets, copper wire and resin. I built my first One turbine for
less than 130 USD.

Table 9 : Components list to build a One

If you have any further questions, want more pictures or plans, or to even send
me some pictures of your turbine, please contact me at:
[email protected]
Bon vent!