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Advantages of Low RPM Generator

October 20th, 2011 aboutgenerator Comments off

Traditional generators need to revolve at 1800 revolutions per minute to generate power. This requires a great expenditure of energy to produce a feasible amount of power. With low RPM generators, there is the advantage of power production at low revolutions per minute. The low RPM generator starts producing power at a single RPM. There are several advantages associated with a low RPM generator in terms of performance, reliability and life of the equipment. The low rpm permanent magnet generator uses powerful neodymium magnets that create a permanent magnetic field around the conducting coils. Here are some advantages of low RPM generators:

advantages-of-low-rpm-generator

Low cost: These generators not only provide higher efficiency than traditional alternators but they also have low cost structures reducing upfront capital costs. The lower weight compared to DC generators reduces the cost of materials.

Low maintenance: The permanent magnet generators don’t require extensive maintenance as these are designed to operate in an optimum manner. The neodymium magnets used in these generators have a high working temperature which ensures that these magnets will not demagnetize very soon and continue to provide services for a long time to come.

Reliable Power Output: The permanent magnet generators are a highly reliable source of power as they work at low speeds which leads to less wear and tear of various parts of the generators. As there are no slip rings used in these generators, these are simple to maintain and ideal for power production for a longer duration of time.

Simple Design: These generators have a simple design which makes it easy to produce them and also helps in proper maintenance and repairs in future.

Different Sizes: These generators are available in different sizes and capacities that allow users to choose one that meets their requirements and budget. Whether a permanent magnet generator is coupled with a wind turbine for a small business facility or for power needs of a small house, these generators are perfect for all applications.

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DIY PVC Wind Generator Blades

October 20th, 2011 aboutgenerator Comments off

When you’re first starting out with a wind generator I recommend DIY PVC wind generator blades. The reason being that they are quite easy to build and they can be built fairly cheaply as well.

diy-pvc-wind-generator-blades

When I was building my first wind generator I really didn’t have the money for a nice set of blades, so I had to find a way to make some decent blades. After doing quite a bit of research I found that PVC is widely used to make decent quality wind generator blades.

You may be asking “why not wood?”. Well, I did make some wooden blades once which worked very well. The only problem is that they would always get a little chip in them which would pierce the watertight coating. The blade would start to absorb moisture and the wind generator was very unbalanced. I have heard of people letting this go on to long and the blade would snap off. For this reason I don’t recommend anybody build wooden wind generator blades… they’re just too dangerous.

Back to DIY PVC wind generator blades though. These blades work pretty well for wind generators with a diameter of less than 6′. That means that each blade is 3 feet long or less. I’ve found that if you try to go any bigger the blades bend and wobble to much.

The PVC is actually cut off centered. What I mean by that is a centerline is drawn down the pipe and the blades are off centered from that. After quite a bit of experimentation I’ve found that they are quite a bit more efficient with this design.

After your blades are cut you do need to sand them down. If you smooth the blade and the edges so that they’re nice and rounded they will move through the wind better (which will produce more power). It doesn’t take that long to do, but the results are worth it.

Before you can mount your blades you will also need to apply a couple coats of UV protective paint (Tremclad works good). Pretty much any paint will work fine as long as it’s rated for exterior and has the UV protection. Why do you need this paint? Well, PVC is strong, but the suns rays make it brittle. After a long time your blades are liable to break (I know this from experience); however, by applying this coat of paint you solve this problem.

Now you can mount your blades to your hub. It’s a fairly straightforward job… simply drill a couple holes and bolt everything together.

Before you mount your blades on your motor you should balance them first. I usually mount them on something that spins (steel rod with some pillow block bearings) and just spin and mark which blade is on the bottom. If it’s consistent I’ll remove a little weight and repeat the process.

Categories: Wind Generator Tags:

Maintain Your Generator With Genuine Honda Generator Parts

October 20th, 2011 aboutgenerator Comments off

People buy Honda generators because they trust Honda to produce class leading products. The main reasons people give for buying and using Honda generators are:

maintain-your-generator-with-genuine-honda-generator-parts

• They are reliable - Honda’s reputation for reliability is unmatched. These units offer dependable starts and can be counted on to keep on running for years.

• They are fuel efficient - Honda has designed their engines for increased fuel efficiency and longer run times. Features like Eco-Throttle and Auto Throttle prove their worth by allowing users to get maximum benefit from each gallon of gas.

• They are quiet - Honda generators use four-stroke engine technology to provide needed power with incredibly low decibel levels.

• They are portable - Honda provides lightweight, easy-to-carry models for many uses. They also offer wheeled transport kits for larger units.

• They deliver clean power - Clean power means that you can run sensitive electronic equipment without worrying about unexpected power spikes and interruption.

The unit you choose will depend on your intended use. For example, if you need a generator to use in your RV or at the campsite you will probably want to get one from the Super Quiet series. These units are designed for optimum portability, reliability and convenience, with power output ranging from 1,000 watts to 6.500 watts.

Other options include: the Deluxe series that features many enhanced functions and provide 4,000 to 6,500 watts of power; the Industrial series - long-time favorites in the construction and rental industries; and the Economy series which provides excellent reliability and a no-frills approach.

Honda advertises that its generators can be used for home backup power, for work or for play. Many people get Honda generators to provide backup in case of power outages at home, but they use them for other purposes as well. No need to allow the generator to sit in the garage gathering dust. When you acquire a Honda generator you get a unit that is designed to give you excellent reliable service.

But, even the best designed generator requires appropriate maintenance and repair. Over time you will find that you will get more benefit from your unit by adding certain accessories, such as a good generator cover or a parallel kit that allows you to run generators in parallel for even more power.

Depending on how hard you run your generator you will also find that certain parts need to be replaced in order to keep things running smoothly. You may be tempted to try to use parts or accessories that are cheaper than those offered by Honda. After all, we all like to keep our cost down where possible.

The reality is that using anything other than genuine Honda generator parts and accessories is false economy. You may save a little money at first, but, over time, you will probably get less overall value from your generator. Honda prices their items competitively so your initial savings won’t be that great anyway.

When you buy a generator you plan to be able to use it for a long time, possibly as long as twenty to thirty years. Given that long time frame, it makes sense to spend a little more now to protect your investment. You can get expert advice and guidance regarding the capabilities of Honda generators from your local Honda dealer. Honda only selects dealers who are knowledgeable and customer friendly. Take advantage of their expertise.

Categories: Generator Parts & Accessories Tags:

Magnetic Generator: Great For Scrap Yards

October 20th, 2011 aboutgenerator Comments off

 all units to serve an increased level of safety. This has been an issue in the past, where lives of workers were put in danger. Although, with the quality of power these machines have, these units are more durable and potential hazards such as power failure will no longer be a problem in the field.

magnetic-generator

Units like these are built ergonomically, making it easy to manoeuvre the machine on the yard. These are very easy to attach to working equipment, and the pilot has full view of the equipment. Something like this holds an immense load of power, and knowing how to operate it is crucial.

A magnetic generator is ideal for working with scrap metal in terms of hauling and moving. Something like this is safer than the traditional equipment. When in need of metal lifting, getting a piece of equipment like this is the sure way to go.

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Wind Generator Plans

October 20th, 2011 aboutgenerator Comments off

Build a wind generator to supplement the power produced by the solar panels. Finding plans that were easy to read and complete turned out to be quite a bit harder than I expected. After trying out a bunch of different plans and finding them all to be garbage I decided to make my own wind generator plans.

wind-generator-plans

The first thing that I decided to do was set out my own requirements for the project. The first step was to figure out how much power I wanted to produce. I kind of went overboard and decided on a 1kw wind generator. There is also the option of a vertical or horizontal axis wind generator (I chose horizontal because it’s simpler… they’re the ones on top of towers that have 3 blades).

Now that I had the requirements for my project I had to figure out how to fulfull them. The wind generator had to be fairly cheap because I didn’t really have a lot of extra money at the time. I found out that you can cut PVC pipe up and it makes pretty good blades so I started on them. They took a couple hours to build (and balance) and afterwards I coated them with a coat of paint (UV protective because PVC becomes brittle when exposed to sunlight for long periods of time).

I had heard that people were using old Ametek motors as generators in wind generators so I decided to use one as well. I mounted it onto my body (piece of 2×4) using something called all-round. The motor still needed to be covered to protect against the weather so I made one cut down some PVC pipe and slipped it over the motor. I broke down and bought a hub because they aren’t that expensive and I didn’t really know how to balance them.

After connecting the blades to the hub and mounting the entire assemble to the shaft of the motor I was almost finished. All that I needed to finish was add a tail and a flange. The tail was made from some steel rod from the hardware store and some plexiglass that I had leftover from building solar panels. The tail actually looks pretty neat because it’s clear.

The last step was to put a flange on the underside of the body and attach some steel pipe to it. This would allow me to drop the wind generator into the top of the tower and would allow it to move as well.

I thought that finding a tower would be the hardest part of the build, but it was pretty easy. I was over at a friends helping him re-shingle his roof and noticed he still had his TV tower up despite having switched to satellite a couple years ago. It looked quite sturdy and it even had a hole in the top that I could use to mount the wind generator on. I asked him if I could have it and he said “sure, I never use the thing anymore and it’s an eyesore”. If only he knew how valuable it was to me!

I got the tower home (it can be disassembled) and promptly built a good concrete foundation and got it up. After mounting the wind generator on top and praying it would work I hooked it up to the charge controller only to discover that I had a huge fan.

That’s when I learned that you need to hook a diode inline with the wires that come from the wind generator so electricity can only move in one direction. After fixing that little mistake of course it wasn’t windy for a couple days. We were out getting groceries though and the wind had kicked up so I rushed home to see if the wind generator was spinning.

I couldn’t believe it! I got home and it was sitting on top of the tower spinning away happily producing power for the house.

Categories: Wind Generator Tags:

Buying a Portable Generator

October 20th, 2011 aboutgenerator Comments off

Working with a portable generator is one of the best ways to ensure that you always have enough power to complete any of your DIY home improvement projects. Rather than depending on your home’s electricity, you will find that having a portable generator making your projects much easier and much cheaper. All you need to do is power up your generator, plug in your devices, and you can get as much electricity as you need at a very low price.

buying-a-portable-generator

Buying a portable generator can be one of the best investments that you can make. The ability to generate power will come in handy in case of an emergency, especially if your home remains without electricity for a few days. In order to be prepared for any emergency, you should consider purchasing a portable one that will be easily stored with the rest of your emergency survival equipment. It will be an initial investment, but you will find that your investment will pay off when you need to use the generator in some disaster or emergency situation.

Portable generators will also enable you to take your electronic devices with you when you go out camping or fishing. Rather than suffering in a tent with nothing to do, you will find that you can always provide entertainment for your family by simply plugging in your family’s portable laptop computer. There will be no need for you to worry about your laptop’s battery running out of power, as you can simply crank up your generator and plug your computer into it.

There are many situations in which you will find generators will come in handy, and there are types of generators designed for every situation. There are large generators that you can use to provide massive amounts of energy, as well as small generators that will provide you with enough power to plug in your laptop or miniature TV.

The size of the generator that you buy will depend entirely on the use to which it will be put. If you want to do actual work with power tools and more energy-intensive equipment, you may need a portable generator capable of producing more energy. If you just want to provide illumination or power for your campsite when out in nature, a small generator should be more than enough to meet your needs.

The best thing about portable generators is that they are not as damaging to the environment as the large generators are. Smaller generators tend to be powered by propane rather than gasoline, and propane is a much cleaner fuel. You will find that working with portable generators makes your life much easier, and you can have as much energy as you need if you consider carefully the size of the generator before you purchase it.

Categories: Diesel Generator Tags: