The best engine for the best machine

As for bikes Harley Davidson is a reference, due to its simplicity and reliability, so is Fisher and Paykel (F & P) direct drive washing machine motor for small wind turbine world.

However, what makes an engine become an icon? First, to be widely available at a reasonable price. But, over all, to be easy to repair, easy to fine tune, easy to adapt, easy to customize, easy, easy, easy… Furthermore, to be robust, simple and to last forever.

Maybe in the future people will be using the same old F & P layout in their restored, swap met rescued old wind turbines as cars shown in Fast and Loud TV show. By the way, did you notice the rusty wind turbine in the Tom Cruise’s retreat in the film Oblivion.

 

Upwind, downwind, what's the best?

Upwind is the name given to wind turbines when their rotor faces the wind, so when in operation the rotor stays in a front position. In the same way, downwind means that the rotor adopts a rear position, so wind reaches first the turbine body and then the rotor. As seen before Aerotek is upwind and Skystream is downwind.

 

Which is best? As usual it depends on several questions. Upwind generators have turning axis near the rotor, thus allowing the rudder to apply enough torque to properly orient the turbine. Downwind generators accordingly have a turning axis not so close to the rotor, which acts as orienting device by its own air drag, thus getting rid of any rudder. Upwind turbines are more common than downwind, because of its simplicity. But getting rid of the rudder is a desirable feature not so easy to achieve.

Old bikes, new custom design

Rondine by Medaza Cycles is a good example of best custom design, which, as can be seen, does not mean banality or lack of taste. Custom Design applies equally to old and new machines, using original or new parts to achieve the materialization of the designer’s idea.

We bring this example here to illustrate how we feel about designing wind turbines. We want to squeeze the essences of mechanical beauty from several fields, such as airplanes and motorbikes, to get the right guidelines for designing and building avant-garde or vintage looking wind generators. We even consider taking a regular model and radically changing its image for exigent customers that want something else, just like Medaza has done with the legendary but old fashioned Guzzi Nuovo Falcone 500.

For example, some ideas of design can be borrowed from custom bike world, such as decorative ventilation grilles as shown in the head light of Libertad by Hot Dreams Barcelona.

Spinners and propellers

Propeller planes give an endless source of inspiration to design wind turbines. A lot of propeller planes are also vintage machines, that retain the glory of the early days of aviation, as we are in the early days of domestic wind generation. Obviously its shape and materials are not directly suitable to be transferred to small wind turbines. Without abandoning Mc Donell Douglas vintage airliners it can be equally admired DC-3 and DC-7 series spinners. While DC-3 have a charming old fashioned mechanical design, DC-7 belongs to the wide streamlined family of modern spinners.

In first picture a DC-3 spinner can be seen, and Red Bull has its own shiny and flawless vintage airliner.

Some of this stuff are well priced collectors items. A vintage propeller in good condition can sell from 1000 to 10.000 USD. 

What is cogging?

Cogging is the resistance of the Smart Drive rotor to turn freely from the stationary position. This means that to start turning you may need a wind speed of about 30km/h (10m/s). To achieve a good starting at low speeds the stator must be decogged. This operation should lower the starting wind speed down to 5m/s or less, depending of size and torque of the rotor.

The picture shows decogging operation in a F & P stator.

See also this link: Fisher and Paykel washing machine motors
for electricity generation

Prototyping nose and blade

We have 3D printed the nose with our Prusa i3 in five parts, as its size exceeded maximum printed volume available. Everything worked out nice and we were finally able to build the entire nose gluing the five parts.

 Then we painted it silver to get some kind of metallic looking.

We cut the blade from PVC tube, and painted it the same way.

And that is the progress so far. Waiting for the F & P gear to come.

Do hot rod planes really exist?

Just like cars, or maybe in a smaller number, some enthusiasts enjoy restoring and flying old aircraft, usually propeller ones. Brigth chromed surfaces, shiny paint schemes and lots of style make these planes actual works of art.

 

There are some models that from its very beginning claim to be flying Hot Rods. We must mention here the Pitts Special as the very first one all times air hot rod.

 

 

However one of the most weird flying machine ever built is without any doubt the Gee Bee, created in 1932 as a racing plane.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And if you keep thinking it is just a toy plane check out this video.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vaBUAh4HkU

 

Nowadays racing planes also look amazing, being the modern hot rods of the air. Shukoys and Extras are typical models of the category.

Finally warplanes as Mustangs and Sea Furies also end up as perfect Hot rod air beauties.

And, why not, wildest plane ever, the Curtiss P-40.

Several cassic tunning and customizing companies

Perhaps George Barris is the best known all times car customizer especially in the USA. He simply started modifying his Mercury and someone asked him to make another one. Today it is a healthy sector that is even featured on very popular TV shows, such as Overhaulin', Fast and Loud and American Chopper, to mention just a few.

Here in Europe, Germany is leader, and companies as Koënig o Rieger, have modified commercial cars for decades.

There are also airplane tuners that restore, upgrade and modify airplanes to order or for personal satisfaction.

See more of this restoration in this link.

In the near future we will be selling spare tuned parts for customizing small wind turbines, as well as complete kits for modification and whole new designs.

Old concepts for new challenges

Back in the eighties NASA and General Electric among other companies made research on more efficient engines for airliners. One of them were the so called unducted fans or prop-fans, a combination of a pusher reactor engine and a high speed propeller driven by the reactor.

For strange reasons this configuration, that actually proved to be more efficient, was not finally adopted. In our days, when energy efficiency becomes again of major importance, some old concepts as unducted fans are cleverly recovered.

One of our beloved designs for small wind turbines is directly inspired by this beautiful double propulsion layout. With far less technologic background than NASA and General Electric, our nacelle-propeller combination, though actually fine working, is nothing but a humble homage to best aircraft ingenuity.

Oh so pretty DC-7 engines

When looking for inspiration in new design concepts for wind turbines I can't help but dreaming on legendary propeller airliners. And DC-7s are quite an inspiration. I don't Know if it's me or that machines are bloody cute. Muscles sculpted in shiny aluminium sheet, thunder sound and smoke from hell when they wake up.

Ok, man, come back to earth! Yes, it's true, it may be a dream only at the reach of a blessed few that have the nerve and the money to afford such a hobby, but why not enjoy the experience of owning our own wind generator proudly disguised on a luxury DC-7 suit. 

Have you forgotten that once upon a time these planes were reserved to wealthy people? Or do you think that just for being old they're simply a piece of junk?

This is only for connoisseurs.

Blended design

Just a quick sketch combining GE nacelle with Bram Water wind turbine. It reminds me some wind testing facilities for curtain walling, based on old propeller planes to provide high speed winds over the facade.

The F & P gear has finally arrived

We are now ready to design and build our first prototype. This is not a "do it yourself" tutorial, as you can find it almost everywhere in the net. We rather will be reporting updates of interest for our supporters and potential clients.

Estimated schedule for first prototype testing will be of about six months. Estimated cost will not be declared as the spent human time and ingenuity is invaluable.

Performance target is not a critical aspect, as for us will be enough to reach a decent electricity production in the range of 1Kw, and with special regard to low speed winds start up.

Rotor diameter and blade design will be fine tuned to reach such goals, with a value that spans between 2 and 3m.

Low cost and cooperation activities

Another aspect that really concern us to fuel cooperation with other countries, especially with remote communities disconnected from the grid, and  depending on gas-oil generators.

Patagonia for example is a very windy area, and have a poorly developed grid in a huge region. Some wind mills have recently been installed successfully in several hamlets.

Low cost windmills, in this way will be of major interest for us, without disregard to style, as a legitimate right also for humble people.

Some inspiration from Star Wars spaceships, as Darth Vader TIE Fighter, could end up as a low cost cool design.