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kingw

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Joined: 07/03/2010
Location: United States
Posts: 23

Posted: 05:51am 07 Mar 2010

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This is basic as I am a budding learner in this field. I harvested a motor from a treadmill and am doing the math to see the practicality for the turbine (doubt it will be good in this application).

Specs can be seen here.

So if I am doing this right, it will take ~51 RPM to get about 1 volt @ 18 amps for 18 watts. To charge a 12v battery I'd need about 721RPM to get 14 volts @ 18 amps = 252 watts correct?

That seems like an awful amount of RPMs for this little motor. Other than using it to build my first project as a learning experience would there be any good applications? Maybe sell it on e-bay and bank the $$ for a better motor?

Many thanks!

-kingw

kingw

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Joined: 07/03/2010
Location: United States
Posts: 23

Posted: 06:02am 07 Mar 2010

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This is all in theory of course. Application is far away for now. I just ran the work on my second motor I pulled out of a kirkland washing machine (made by whirlpool).

Picture for specs seen here.

I don't think this motor could be used without conversion, but simply going off the spec sheets:

~10 RPM = 1v @ 9 amps = 9 watts
139 RPM = 14v @ 9 amps = 126 watts (enough to charge 12v battery?)
417 RPM = 42v @ 9 amps = 378 watts (getting respectable?)

-kingw

Downwind

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Joined: 09/09/2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 2333

Posted: 02:56pm 07 Mar 2010

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The second motor (Ex-washer) looks like an induction motor and is as good as useless for a windmill.

From my understanding the treadmill motor looks a little high in rpm to make a good windmill, but others might see it different.

Did you keep all the electronic control gear from the treadmill, as it might make it more practical to sell.

Pete.

Sometimes it just works

Tinker

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Joined: 07/11/2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 1904

Posted: 02:56pm 07 Mar 2010

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You might want to put your washing machine motor in the 'too hard' basket for now or use it for what it was designed: a motor.

You treadmill motor has wind generator potential but you can't really use the *motor* specs and expect they work in reverse when its used as a generator.

You need to *drive* this motor (best done on a lathe) and see what voltage comes out at a given RPM.
If you want to use it to charge a 12V battery, connect one (after you have found out which wire is + and -) and see at which RPM current starts to flow into the battery.
Good luck

Klaus

kingw

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Joined: 07/03/2010
Location: United States
Posts: 23

Posted: 05:55pm 07 Mar 2010

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I did save the electronics for the treadmill motor. Goodie box

I think next step before working on wind is going to make or buy a lathe. It seems they are useful for just about everything. And then I can test motors I find.

Any favorite DYI links out there? I'm jumping on google now.

Thanks for the tips.

-kingw

kingw

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Joined: 07/03/2010
Location: United States
Posts: 23

Posted: 03:15pm 09 Mar 2010

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Lathe located. It needs a bit of work to get going, but I will post data once I get it running. I doubt it will be anything that efficient for wind, but you never know!Edited by kingw 2010-03-11

-kingw

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