Use three screws (steel roofing screws work well) to affix the tail to the nipple. After the fin is cut out, lay it on top of one of the 12-inch nipples and drill three pilot holes through the bottom of the tail fin and into the side of the nipple. If you’re using corrugated metal, be sure to cut the fin so the corrugations run horizontally. You can cut a fin that’s about 1 foot high and 2 feet long out of old tin siding or roofing with tin snips or a cutting torch - a right-angle-triangle shape works best. Here’s a list of the pipe fittings you’ll most likely need:Ī tail fin must be attached to the 12-inch nipple at the back of the bracket to spin the generator around and line it up with the wind’s direction. The bracket assembly can be put together with 1/2-inch galvanized pipe and fittings. I used 1-inch square tubing for all the bracket pieces and a 2-foot-long piece of 1-inch pipe for the rotating stem that fits inside the pole. If you have a welder, making a bracket is simple. Bracket Assembly for Mounting the Alternator Attach the fan clutch assembly to the bolts now protruding from the alternator, and tighten the nuts with lock washers in place. The large nut will hold the union in place. Then, reattach the alternator fan and nut onto the shaft, leaving the pulley off. Slide the union that you made from the washer and four bolts over the alternator shaft, with the bolts pointing away from the alternator. Unscrew the alternator pulley nut, and remove the pulley and small fan. Measure the length along the two shafts from the back of the alternator fan to the back of the fan clutch hub. To determine the length of the bolts you’ll need, stack the fan on top of the alternator with the fan pulley resting on the alternator pulley and both shafts in line. Drill four holes into the washer to match the holes in the fan clutch, and then cut threads in the holes using the 1/4-inch tap. (4) 1/4-inch-by-1-1/2-inch to 2-1/2-inch bolts with corresponding nuts and lock washersĬreate a union using the 3-inch washer and the four bolts, which will fasten the fan clutch and alternator together.Drill bit that corresponds to specific thread tap.5/8-inch-by-3-inch washer, 3/16 inch thick.If you don’t have access to a welder, you can connect the fan clutch to the alternator using the following materials: Also, make sure the alternator’s built-in wire plug-ins are located on what will be the bottom of the generator. To attach the blades to the alternator, you can weld the fan clutch hub directly to the alternator hub - just make certain the fan is perfectly in line with the alternator shaft. The blades for the wind generator are repurposed from a vehicle fan clutch. Pfft!) Fan Clutch to Alternator Attachment (And they said the transition from fossil fuels to renewables would take years. I used 8-gauge, 3-conductor cable pilfered from the oil patch. You’ll also need some electrical cable or wires to hook the alternator up to your storage batteries. If you’re a Ford guy or a Mopar gal, that’s fine - just make sure your alternator has a built-in voltage regulator. The four major components include a vehicle alternator with a built-in voltage regulator, a General Motors (GM) fan and clutch assembly (I used one from a 1988 GM 350 motor), a tower or pole on which to mount the generator (15 feet of used 2-inch tubing cost me $20), and the metal to build a bracket for mounting the generator on the tower or pole. If you can turn a wrench and operate an electric drill, you can build this simple generator in two days: one day for chasing down parts, and one day for assembling the components.
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