Wind Mill Blades

[baxter]

Is there anyone with a program that cuts wind mill blades and would be willing to share??? Basically looking for a air foil. Thanks

[ron brown]

Pretty open question. There are catalogs of airfoils available. There are many criteria for selecting one airfoil over another.

Is this for a water-pumper design, a Vertical axis design, a Horizontal design or?

Possibly we are to use our clairvoyancy abilities to deduce exactly what you need....

Ron

[tmerrill]

BaxterCNC,

I did a google search for windmill blade design and windmill blade shape and got enough hits that should be a good starting point for you with regards to efficient shapes.

As far as software that cuts that shape, Aspire or Artcam should be able to, but you would have to create a 3D shape first. I have done a hydrofoil shape with Aspire and it's 2 rail sweep design tool where the cross section is the same for the entire length of the foil.

If there is a specialized program out there that is more automated, I am not aware of it. More Google searches may find something.

Here is a link to a thread that discussed cutting the hydrofoil:

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/messages/312/36384.html?1228280798

Hope this helps.

Tim

[baxter]

Thanks Tim,
A friend of mine wants to build windmills to reduce his energy bill and asked what I could make for him. I know there are alot of different designs to choose from but thought if someone had one to share it would be a good start for him. So much has been done by shopbotters that I figured there was foil/blade program out there just for the asking. I may even ask james at vectorart if he can make a program and pass the cost to my friend. I do not have a 3d program yet. Working on that. Have a great day

Baxter

[davidp]

Hi Baxter,

We just cut HD-EPS to make moulds for windmill blades. The client designed the blade but we toolpathed it using Artcam. His design is not available for other people. If you want email a design and I will toolpath it for you.

Regards,

David

[baxter]

David,

Thanks. That would be great. I knew all I had to do was ask. Shopbot is a great community of people. Do you have any pictures??

Baxter

[ron brown]

Baxter,

One problem you will encounter is wind turbine blades are matched to the alternator/generator. Until the power curve of the system is known there is no data to fit a blade to. It is like buying tires, sight unseen, for a car to grab an off-the-shelf blade design and apply it to a turbine. Sure, it will work ... but there are probably better options.

Here is the motherload of airfoil numbers:

http://www.ae.uiuc.edu/m-selig/ads/coord_database.html

The UIUC site has all the resources needed for calculating and designing a proper blade-set for a wind turbine. There are also several other places on the web with 'blade calculators' that vary in quality and usefulness.

Here is probably the best site on homebuilt wind turbines on the internet:

http://www.otherpower.com/

They have plans that actually work, unlike what one might find in a favorite auction website.

As a proponent of home-built wind turbines I am apprehensive to recommend designing and building from scratch.Be careful. There is more manure on wind turbines than substance. One is well advised to look for a proven design, especially as a first project. Good intentions do not make good design.

Ron

[baxter]

David,

Thanks for the offer I was wondering if you had pix's of the moulds you made. I will talk to my friend about the design he wants Thanks alot for the offer to make the program.

Thanks
Baxter

[davidp]

Hi Baxter,

As I mentioned the design is a proprietary design so I am not at liberty to diseminate it in any form.

Ron's post has some great information. Our client has been studying and building wind turbines for years and he is just about to commercialise his latest design.

But my offer still stands, if you have a design I will toolpath it for you.

Regards,

David

[brian]

One design that might simplify the process is the vetical axis wind turbine.The airfoil is the same right across the blades.
I hand carved a 7' blade years ago(before cnc)and balancing the blade was the hard part.Nothing worse than a unbalanced blade spinning at high speed

[ron brown]

Brian,

The following is not ment as a 'knock' on you but just good advice.

Please carefully choose a project such as a wind-turbine. Choose a design that actually has been proven. I know of NO proven VAWT (Vertical Axis Wind Turbine). I know Sandia Labs spent many millions of money taken by force from the citizens of the United States analyzing and building them. Now, if a bunch of rocket scientists spending other folks money can't get the job done, what kind of chance does the individual or small company have?

I hope someone can prove a practical size VAWT will work. Ed Lenz has one that is small and claims are it is reliable. I believe him and his claims.

I have also seen hundreds of 'photo shopped' VAWT pictures and there is one in Australia that claims 6kW/h (IIRC). It is stationed within 100 meters of a wind sampling station. If you get the information from both (they are logged on the internet - or were), the numbers don't come close to matching.

Many turbine manufactures live in fantasy land when it comes to output claims. I don't think the public educates themselves before purchasing products. This is often shown by the folks representing them in Congress and other high political offices in the United States.

From my prospective and knowledge, the only style VAWT that might show promise is the Gorlov pattern.

Well, I could rant for hours on collective stupidity or wind turbines... so I'd better stop.

Ron

[benchmark]

Baxter,

Maybe this software can be of use to you.

http://www.routoutcnc.com/bladecalc.html


Paul