Wind Power Question

[Dan-O]

I know of people using wind generators when they are stationary but moving.. hmmm I dunno. Firstly, they are kinda large, I think if I was going for a renewable energy source I would be looking at solar. With this you could have the system active while on the move.

Secondly, one of the more common options I have seen out there is using a battery Isolator, that way you can charge your battery bank off the engines alternator while you're on the move... now there are issues of the isolator not providing a Full house battery charge, but if you had solar or wind power.. you could just top them up once you set up camp.

There are many other options out there, but the key with getting power in your rig is versatility... being able to draw power from more than one source... Sun, generator, wind, handcrank, treadmill... whatever.

Any other thoughts on this?

[lapeer20m]

The problem you'll find is a big lack of efficiency. You will waste more energy in fuel (diesel or gas) trying to push the wind turbine throug the air than you will gain in electricity produced by the turbine.

I agree that using an alternator to charge the batteries while moving is a much better idea.

If i were to have my choice of spending = amounts of money on either solor or wind, i think i would choose wind. You can get a lot more watts per $$$ in wind power than you can with solar.

Air X seems to be the wind turbine to have for rv's/skoolies

[busone]

another possible problem would be height. A low bridge could take you generator off the roof.

[Roasting8]

Hi Newbie,

Lapeer20m is right, the only way you'll generate more energy form a wind turbine, while rolling down the road is by always going down hill.

If you want to generate electricity, while travelling, use an alternator or solar.

Now, if you want to generate power while parked, a wind turbine would be just the thing.

One individual hooked up a system on a GMC Fishbowl and it worked very well for him. His web site is: http://www.metamorphobus.com/

[Eric von Kleist]

If you want info on building your own wind generator for a fraction of the cost of a commercial one (or info on other homepower - solar - steam - etc) check out http://www.otherpower.com . Lots of interesting info there, and good boards like this one.

Everybody's right about running a genny on a bus going down the road. Besides efficiency, you'd have clearance issues, too!

At least a couple of the guys at the otherpower board have built their own solar panels from industrial seconds solar cells that you can buy by the pound for a lot less than you can buy a commercial panel, so that might be something you could explore.

[Eric von Kleist]

There was one guy on the Otherpower board who had a hamster turning a wheel to generate electricity, too... Gotta think outside the box...

[Steve]

Originally Posted by Eric von Kleist

There was one guy on the Otherpower board who had a hamster turning a wheel to generate electricity, too... Gotta think outside the box...

But think about all the power that it took to gather and ship the hampster food to him!

[Firearm]

They don't eat too much...

[Griff]

Originally Posted by Eric von Kleist

Gotta think outside the box...

Box?...Hmm...Box?...Yeah...I think I ran over and destroyed the box when I was driving my bus home for the first time!

[noahyay]

so if you have a wind generator then do you have to take it down and stow it somewhere when you are not driving? Also, i have some friends in AK that have a wind powered straw house and sometimes they get so much power that they have to turn their microwave on and stuff or they will blow up their house...

[lapeer20m]

if you have the air x wind generator, it is self regulated and requires no human intervention as far as electrical circuits are concerned.....


google the air x and you can read all about it. it's a handy user friendly efficient wind genrator