The direct alternative for wind power that everybody knows is the old-fashioned windmill, which is at least 2.000 years old. To simplify the process of powering your shed, there are kits available with all the parts you need included. The idea of direct conversion of meccanical energy of a windmill into heat is so simple that it seems impossible it has not been applied on a large scale yet. Posted by: But these don't generate very much electricity, so it will take a very long time to recoup that cost. Second, converting wind or solar energy directly into heat (or mechanical energy) can be more energy efficient than when electric conversion is involved. . The windmill, which had three fiberglass blades, produced up to 8 kilowatt of heat according to non-official measurements comparable to the heat output of an electric boiler for a modest home. Photo by Claus Nybroe. A division of How would it be easily replicable? The Joule Machine has lower weight, smaller size, and lower costs than an electrical generator. [7], Further into the 1980s, Knud Berthou built the most sophisticated heat generating windmill to date: the LO-FA. One option is to use source heat that does not have to be maintained and a storage tank. How would the economics or environmental considerations be affected if you were to move a lightweight windmill during the course of the year, in order to have windmill spend most of its time where the wind is blowing or the climate is cold? Good question. Again, also here things dont change much from the conventional. However, energy losses (self-discharge) should also be taken into account, and this explains why the Danish heat generating windmills usually had a storage tank holding ten to twenty thousand liters of water. The Calorius type 37 which had a rotor diameter of 5 meters and a height of 9 meters produced 3.5 kilowatt of heat at a wind speed of 11 m/s (a strong breeze, Beaufort 6). BULETINUL INSTITUTULUI POLITEHNIC DIN IAI. kris de decker | Arturs | Image: Water brake windmill developed by O. Helgason (left), water brake with variable load system (right). Even the International Energy Agency doesn't mention direct conversion of wind into heat when it presents all possible options for renewable heat production. Would the amount of water in radiators be reduced or increased based on how hot or cool you'd want? Beneath a critical wind speed, the compressor will lack the rotational speed to compress the heat transfer fluid back to liquid. Due to friction among molecules of the water, mechanical energy is converted into heat energy. The printed archives now amount to four volumes with a total of 2,398 pages and 709 images. You note from the way the discussions go that you managed to motivate many people to a point where they are willing to really get hands-on rather than just admire the concept. Having trouble reading this image? Subject: To build a water brake windmill from scratch. It was found that the torque-speed characteristics of wind rotor and impeller must be carefully matched to achieve maximum efficiency. The heat medium would be work done inside the house by the electricity. For the off-grid system, directly coupling a mechanical windmill to a mechanical heat pump is the cheapest option, while the combination of a wind turbine and an electric boiler is two to three times more expensive. 1 J = 1 Nm. Still, thanks for expanding our horizon of the possible! No reviews. metals), no generator, fewer controls necessary (associated with frequency control, transformation etc), turn rotational motion directly into heat (especially if all you want is the heat from the wind). 3) Coal bed fire pit. , The Rise of Modern Wind Energy: Wind Power for the World. > Has anyone out there done any experimentations of their own? 1 15. September 28, 2020 at 10:19 PM. Posted by: If you need to plug in a computer and mobile phone, the inverter would need a continuous power rating of 150W + 600W = 750W. the generator is not up on the tower (requiring a stronger tower). All Rights Reserved. I built a water brake using a paint can and spun it with my drill press. Another model could be to run an air compressor from the turbine. Like being commercialised by high view power. To use a heat pump and avoid using grid power we would have needed quite a large PV array or we would have had to operate it from our battery which would reduce our overnight reserve power. If you only need hot water for washing in an off-grid household then maybe it could be more interesting to combine. The simplicity of direct mechanical heat production by wind brake is alluring. To make a comment, please send an e-mail to solar (at) lowtechmagazine (dot) com. There is much more to win on the demand side than on the supply side, and the habit to heat the whole space of a building can indeed be questioned. So I experimented a bit toward creating more concentrated heat at a high temperature. 7 Many were built with used car parts and other discarded materials. Direct heat production is cheaper, can be more energy efficient, and is more sustainable than indirect heat production. But that's because you heat people, not spaces. February 28, 2019 at 12:49 AM. I think I would like to experiment with this idea and build a mini Water Brake Windmill with the intent of heating a small off grid house. February 27, 2019 at 11:45 PM. The windmill, which had three fiberglass blades, produced up to 8 kilowatt of heat according to non-official measurements comparable to the heat output of an electric boiler for a modest home. Posted by: I have no commercial relationship with them other than as a customer. March 03, 2019 at 05:45 PM. Brendan Howell | I think that moving the electric generator inside is the worst of both worlds. I just wanted to comment in relation to the article and the use of heat pumps. Build a large box with six sections with a sheet of plywood and 11 wood strips. , Real-world tests of small wind turbines in Netherlands and the UK, Kris De Decker, The Oil Drum, 2010. The direct approach to heat production is considerably cheaper and more sustainable than converting wind or solar generated electricity into heat by using electric heating devices. Job van der Zwan | kris de decker | No way it's 300% as efficient, but without the source data, there's no way for the reader (or obviously the writer) to calculate. September 02, 2019 at 06:36 PM. This is comparable to the heat output of the smallest electric boilers for space heating. [7] Many were built with used car parts and other discarded materials. For even larger systems, energy needs to be transported in the form of electricity, and in that case direct generation of heat with all its benefits becomes unattractive. [Update: just received a mail that the author, who built one of the first water brake mills, is busy answering my questions -- more soon]. March 02, 2019 at 01:18 PM. The writer of the book chapter may know, but he didn't answer my questions. The scientists calculate that the maximum distance that is cost-achievable under optimal wind conditions is 50 km. I wonder, if heat-generating windmills allow lightweight windmills to be economical, would that mean that they could also be portable? The wind speed you mention is not common indeed but it is not necessary either. Despite a warming climate, the demand for thermal energy is as high as ever. Jrgen Krogsgaard's manual could be inciteful and interesting to look over. YOUR SHED, YOUR WAY. When I asked about anyone out there doing any experimentations of their own, I was thinking more about your "readers" than the Danish tinkerers. The problem is that almost nobody knows this. Interesting to see in this case how industrially manufactured systems for energy generation and conversion are oriented so much around the "generally accepted" energy transfer media (mostly electricity of course) that it becomes rather hard for DIYers to get started. Charles | On a global scale, thermal energy demand corresponds to one third of the primary energy supply, while electricity demand is only one-fifth. February 28, 2019 at 12:36 AM. One could integrate stored wind generated heat into a steam generation cycle. To convert the 12V DC current from your battery bank, you need to route the electricity from the battery through an inverter, which converts the power to AC. In principle, nothing much would change from that of a conventional system water heating system. Positioned between the power source and the battery, a charge controller stops your battery over-charging by regulating the amount of power channelled to it. Posted by: Or is it just controlling the flow rate of the water? In these applications, small wind electric systems can be used in combination with other components -- including a small solar electric system -- to create hybrid power systems. Local heating can also be combined with direct heat production, and then you win even more. That way it would be kept simple. I don't have the answer but I've sent a mail to some scientists who wrote about the eddy current heater. It also features a built-in overheat protection system to prevent the heater from overheating. A 2013 study using a prototype calculated the efficiency of the system to be 91%. Beneath a critical wind speed, the compressor will lack the rotational speed to compress the heat transfer fluid back to liquid. I see a few problems with your approach. Once you have captured the energy from the sun or wind, you need to store it for later use by feeding it into a deep cycle battery or a deep discharge battery. Here it is: http://www.langdal5.dk/energi/info.html, Posted by: The hot water is stored in a tank. Although the Savonius is a low speed windmill which is ill-suited for electricity generation, it turns out to be an excellent producer of heat: the small windmill produced up to 1 kW of thermal power (at wind speeds of 15 m/s). However, solar and wind energy can also be used in a direct way, without converting them to electricity first and of course the same applies to biomass. The most recent and extensive studies to date are from 2016 and 2018, and compare different types of heat generating windmills with different types of indirect heat generation. The convolutions used (and I'm only guessing here) is that 70% efficiency means 30% loss, and that 90% efficient means 10% loss, so 1/3 the loss is the same as a 3x gain. I made a few changes to the article to better reflect the fact that heat pumps are the most energy efficient option. However, larger systems also reveal a problem when scaling up the technology: storing heat may be cheaper and more efficient than storing electricity, but the opposite holds true for transportation: the energy losses for heat transportation are much larger than the energy losses for electricity transmission. Local heating can also be combined with direct heat production, and then you win even more. This involves one less energy conversion, which makes the combination at least 10% more energy efficient than an electric heat pump driven by a wind turbine. Retarders and mechanical heat pumps have the same advantages as Joule Machines, in the sense that they are much smaller, lighter, and cheaper than electrical generators. I see a few problems with your approach. https://www.highviewpower.com/technology/. kris de decker | If your turbine is positioned in the right location, a large amount of electricity can be generated quickly. , also here things dont change much from the turbine shed, there kits... Water heating system much would change from that of a conventional system heating. Reflect the fact that heat pumps are the most sophisticated heat generating windmill to date: the water! Krogsgaard 's manual could be to run an air compressor from the conventional he did answer... Right location, a large box with six sections with a total of 2,398 pages and 709.! 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