Worth as an altenator?

[Wolvenar]

I have been looking at various smaller motors to convert lately, something in the sub 1kw area for a smallish tower. I hope to get at least some kind of wind power going again to compliment the solar power installed.

One of these is a motor out of a front loading washer.
I found this in a local junkyard
The pickup for speed/direction on this one was damages, might be why the entire machine was junked.
 It's specs are rather low, and its wound in copper clad aluminum, so output it likely limited.
With some low strength mags, maybe it could do something to get that wind power coming in the short term? Or is it just not worth it at all?

[dang]

If you do a search at the other site for "variable reluctance motor conversion" you'll see a test of that exact motor, actually part two of the diary and part one is linked from within part two but yields "URL /story/2005/7/14/42640/9511 was not found on this server".  Also search for "How many 8 mag - 12 coil wiring configurations?" as title - that may be the missing part one section?

On these types of motors the rotors are pulled into position, not pushed away so it's meant to have torque ripple - and also no resistance to turning when not connected / open-circuit, and ability to lock into position with just a little current.

I just added  N38 1"x 1/2"x 1/4"s into the rotor w/o modifying the laminated rotor - cogged as hard as trying to unstick magnets humped on each other, wiggled and quaked inbetween cogs like a chihuahua drinking coffee, gave 55VAC and 3A at 800rpm. Also it would almost shock one silly holding it and spinning it fast - there's some unique warning labels on the drive circuit and on the motor. Beware a leaky coil for sure.

I just tore that motor up to get the magnets back and scrap the copper - looking at the windings an aluminum magnet rotor with the correct skew might eliminate cogging and rewiring the stator could give some results. The bearings are weather protected, two years laying outside here did no harm at all to the insides but it is an open frame motor - I though it could be a good micro-hydro candidate.

[Wolvenar]

I thought about twisting the current stator, welding it that way in a couple valleys.
Then I could cut down the tops to about 30 of its hight, then glue mags in the valleys.

Any thoughts on those ideas??

[dang]

My thoughts were either the frame or rotor had to go - PVC stator loom or pvc/aluminum rotor -  if you're keeping the rotor weld the entire soft iron laminations, they want expand apart, like when trying to insert the mag rotor into the frame, which is for sure an almost dangerous mag suck moment.

We must work on your timing! Two days ago I snapped the neo mag epoxy bonds on the 1/8" iron bar stock I'd mounted them on so they laid up nice in the rotor grooves. If you want another rotor frame and two end caps they are yours for parcel post price, they are waiting to go for scrap.

Cut down the rotor teeth, flatten them and mount magnets there - still mega-cog though.

I wanted to try micro-neos, little 1/16 or 1/8" thick and maybe put four on top of each tooth to see how efficient the stator frame & coils were at amplifying flux into voltage...

And - there is exactly two pounds of copper wire in those twelve coils... ($6.16USD at todays scrap price)

[Wolvenar]

Yours was copper wound? Or did you rewind yours?
This is certainly copper clad aluminum.
Yeah gotta work on my timing I guess, might be heading your direction soon not sure yet.
I will know in next 48 hours though.

[dang]

Only difference on the label is the motor I'm holding has a date code of E99A9 vs. F99A9.

[Wolvenar]

Yeah any way to make stuff lighter and cheaper these days huh?

[ghurd]

48 hours is up... progress?

Might be worth a try to make a new armature?
Or put a iron sleeve on that one to hold round neos.
Then stagger them.

Reconfigure the coils (like Jerry's garbogen) to get double the amps, half the VOC.

Seems like a lot of effort for the likely output.
G-