Imagine creating a 3-phase wind turbine from a common, everyday roof ventilator along with some magnets and coils of wire. That’s what we’ve created for your study of wind technology. We chose the Whirlybird TM roof ventilator for several reasons.
First, it has great bearings that simply will not wear out under normal – and even severe – use. Without great bearings your wind turbine is always fighting friction that only serves to slow it down with the attendant loss of power.
Second, it can be easily constructed with common tools and without soldering or drilling.
Third, it can be used indoors and [especially] outdoors where your study of day-to-day and season-by-season wind never stops.
Fourth, it produces 3-phase power just like the commercial wind turbines, which allows you to study this marvelous electrical principle first hand by using your computer and the 3-phase Bar Graph Board to produce computer plots like this.
Fifth, you will be able to modify it in order to study the effects of magnetism and how you can optimize the mechanical components to produce maximum power.
Here is what is included in the Whirlybird TM Wind Turbine Kit:
12 Wire Coils
16 Bar magnets
1 6-position terminal block
1 8” diameter round metal rotor disk
1 8” diameter round Plexiglas stator disk
1 5/16”, 7/8” long threaded rod extender
1 5/16”, 1 ½” long bolt
10 5/16” flat washers
3 1 “flat washers
Roof Ventilator not included
Computer Package upgrade available under Interactive Class
Lomanco Whirlybird TM model B1B-12 roof ventilator purchased separately at Home Depot and other home improvement outlets