subject: Green Living Kit - DIY Wind Turbine Blades [print this page] Nowadays, a large chunk of our monthly expenses goes to our electric bills. Fortunately, one could already not be too dependent on utility-generated electricity. There are a number of alternative electricity sources and one of those is through a wind turbine. But before you start constructing DIY wind turbine blades, you have to know several important things first.
The blades are the most important aspect of your wind turbines to be able to generate electricity. It is therefore a must that you devote a lot of time and energy in choosing the right design and material used in order to be able to efficiently and economically generate electricity for your own home.
The first thing that you should determine is the size and length of the DIY wind turbine blades that you are planning to construct. Your decision will have a dramatic effect on how efficient you could use your wind turbines in generating electricity. The rule here is that use shorter blades in windy areas while longer one in less windy areas.
Another important aspect is the material used in constructing the turbine blades. The early versions used mats, sail cloths, and reeds. However, they are not advisable because of its durability especially during strong winds. The most preferred material used is either wood or PVC pipe. Both are durable although it usually takes more time to build a wooden wind turbine compare to a PVC one.
Finally, the last aspect of DIY wind turbines that you need to focus on is its axis placement. You could either place it in a horizontal or vertical axis. Wind turbine blades on a horizontal axis are known to give the best balance and rotor speed. On the other hand, those on a vertical axis were found to turn more consistently regardless of wind direction as well as can be utilized on a much lower ground compare to a horizontally placed turbine blades.
