How to Build Your Own Wind Turbine from Scrap Materials

Building your own wind turbine from scrap materials can be a fun and rewarding project. With some creativity and elbow grease, I was able to build a small wind turbine to help power my home using mostly recycled and repurposed parts. Here is how I did it.

Finding the Materials

The first step is gathering the necessary materials. For the turbine blades, old aluminum sheets or scrap metal works well. I used some sheets I found at a junkyard. For the tower, PVC pipes are lightweight but sturdy. Wood beams, like 2x4s or plywood, can also work.

The base and housing for the generator and moving parts can be made from a variety of scrap metal pieces. I used parts of an old barbecue grill and some sheet metal.

Make sure to find bolts, screws, and fasteners to connect everything together. Old electric motors from appliances or power tools work great for the generator. Wire, electrical tape, and cable will be needed to connect to your battery bank.

Designing the Turbine Blades

The most important part of your wind turbine will be designing efficient blades. Consider an airfoil design that creates lift like an airplane wing. I was able to shape the aluminum sheets into half-cylinder shapes using a bending brake.

Make sure the blades are properly balanced and pitched to catch the wind. The ideal ratio of blade length to turbine diameter is around 1:3. My blades were 36 inches long on a 12-foot diameter turbine.

Having at least three blades spaced evenly around the rotor is optimal. More blades can capture more wind, but also create more drag and resistance.

Assembling the Rotor and Housing

I welded steel rods onto the blades and bolted them onto a center rotor disk that connects to the generator shaft. Make sure the blades are spaced evenly at 120 degree offsets.

The generator needs to be mounted on a stable platform inside a protective housing. I cut openings in the housing for the spinning shaft to connect to the blades and for airflow.

Make sure the generator shaft and rotor assembly spins freely without wobbling. Use ball bearings or sleeve bearings to reduce friction.

Creating the Tower

The tower design has to support the weight of the turbine at the desired height. Use a wide, triangular base and guy wires staked into the ground for stability.

I used 7 lengths of 3-inch PVC pipe to get my turbine 21 feet off the ground. I reinforced the joints with wood blocks and epoxy adhesive. Make sure the tower is perfectly straight and plumb.

Consider adding an access ladder and platform to be able to service the turbine with ease. Don't forget to include lightning protection.

Connecting to Batteries and Inverter

To get usable AC power, you need batteries to store the turbine's DC output, then an inverter to convert it to 120/240V AC. I used a charge controller to regulate the turbine's output safely charging a 24V battery bank.

From there, I connected the batteries to a 3000 watt power inverter that delivers standard household current to my circuit panel. Make sure your inverter can handle the turbine's full output.

With the right safety precautions, building your own scrap wind turbine can be a fun and rewarding way to generate clean, renewable power. Just take your time sourcing quality materials and designing an efficient system. Let me know if you have any other questions!