Source for permanent magnet dc motors?

[Nickathome]

Hey guys, need your help..I've been intrigued for some time now by the idea of building my own small wind turbine. From all that I've read so far, I will need some sort of DC permanent magnet motor which will be used as the generating source....I tried the web without luck. I know Ebay may have some, but I do not buy anything from Ebay, just my personal choice. What I was wondering though, are there any surplus military electric motors that can be adapted for the purpose of building a wind turbine? I'm not looking to power my whole house, just something that can run maybe a few lights, or a small appliance or two during a power outage. Figuring maybe two to three car batteries wired in parrallel to store the juice. Any leads appreciated. Thanks.

[HingsingM37]

Nick,

Check out www.baldor.com and www.leeson.com.

If you see something that suits your fancy shoot me a PM and I will get you pricing.

[Carter]

Try looking at the Surplus Center's selection, here is one that might work for you Nick, 15 amps could be just what you need for charging automobile. type batteries, other motors are also available from them, this is just what I found doing a quick search of their site.

http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?U ... e=electric

[Nickathome]

Thanks fellas. I will check these sites out.

[Nickathome]

Try looking at the Surplus Center's selection, here is one that might work for you Nick, 15 amps could be just what you need for charging automobile. type batteries, other motors are also available from them, this is just what I found doing a quick search of their site.

http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?U ... e=electric

Carter;

No dice on that motor. Way too many RPM's required just to make 12 volts(6000). For a wind turbine I will need something that can produce 12 volts at a low RPM of say around 350 to 400 max.

[poor rich]

Duh, how about a generator like whats in your truck, it will easily keep 2, maybe 4 batteries charged.
Rich

[Nickathome]

Duh, how about a generator like whats in your truck, it will easily keep 2, maybe 4 batteries charged.
Rich

No good. Automobile generators and alternators usually require too many rpms to produce the needed voltage. If using an engine to run up the generator, fine, but when using wind power, normally you can only get a few hundred RPMs out of the turbine unit, so its got to be a generator capable of producing 12 volts at lower rpms than say a combustion engine at high idle. Something on the lines of a dc motor that produces say 30 V at 1250 rpms would most likely work. Using the right pulleys and belt, one could probably get a turbine going about 250 -300 rpms, to turn a motor fast enough to get about the 450 to 500 rpms required to produce 12 volts. Even in the stongest winds you're not going to get more than probably 400 rpms out of the turbine, if that much, so the generator has to be able to produce the required voltage at low rpms. This is why most car generators and alternators won't work .

[refit1701]

I'd think that with most of these motors you'd need some sort of geared drive to increase the speed of the shaft vs. the turbine blades.

Maybe there is something like that available that won't rob all your power.

[Nickathome]

I'd think that with most of these motors you'd need some sort of geared drive to increase the speed of the shaft vs. the turbine blades.

Maybe there is something like that available that won't rob all your power.

There are geared motors out there, but I don't want to spend the kind of money they're asking for them. Supposedly there are motors out of old computer drives, you know those large refrigerator sized usits from like the 80's that are perfect for this application. Trouble is Ebay is about the only place to find them these days, and I just simply refuse to buy from Ebay. I'm going to peruse the fleamarket circuit while on vacation and see if I come up with anything. No hurry for this, I'll find one someday.

[chris olson]

I have found that most of those cheapo chinese electric scooter bikes have permanent magnet motors.. you could likely find some cheap at garage sales etc....

[Lifer]

Duh, how about a generator like whats in your truck, it will easily keep 2, maybe 4 batteries charged.
Rich

No good. Automobile generators and alternators usually require too many rpms to produce the needed voltage. If using an engine to run up the generator, fine, but when using wind power, normally you can only get a few hundred RPMs out of the turbine unit, so its got to be a generator capable of producing 12 volts at lower rpms than say a combustion engine at high idle. Something on the lines of a dc motor that produces say 30 V at 1250 rpms would most likely work. Using the right pulleys and belt, one could probably get a turbine going about 250 -300 rpms, to turn a motor fast enough to get about the 450 to 500 rpms required to produce 12 volts. Even in the stongest winds you're not going to get more than probably 400 rpms out of the turbine, if that much, so the generator has to be able to produce the required voltage at low rpms. This is why most car generators and alternators won't work .

Actually, back in the '50s, my grandpa had a 6-volt automotive generator hooked up to the windmill on his farm. It did a great job of keeping his tractor battery fully charged and powered the electric fence around the feed lot to boot.

[Josh]

some of the newer garage door openers are DC. I know Genie has a unit with a DC drive motor in it thats still made in Eaton Rapids, MI. I know, because we buy our starter motors from them as well. Come to think of it, look at a starter motor for a Kohler Courage twin enigne. That's a 12V DC motor. It spins at around 3600 RPM... I know you dont want to do a stepup box, but, I dont think you;re going to have much of a choice. Use a differential out of a truck to get the step up ratio... soething with a deep ratio to it... like, say a 5.83:1 M37 axle...

Weld one axleshaft to the tube, then connect your turbine blades to the other axleshaft.... point the pinion input flange down at the ground, and connect your motor to it. Now, your turbine blade speed will be multiplied at an almost 6 to 1 ratio.