250ml Can Wind Powered USB Generator

thingiverse

This is a lightweight wind powered generator that can fit in a backpack. Designed for a contest sponsored by Esso fuels, this compact device allows you to set it up anywhere where the ground is soft enough to stake into. The design is simple and requires minimal additional parts (and looks cool). Ideally, this will charge a power bank which can be used later to charge various devices. There are 7 pieces in total to print, along with a few additional parts that can be purchased easily online. You may need to adjust the size of some parts by +/-1% depending on your printer for a snug fit. I also recommend using small amounts of glue to make it super solid. It's possible to print without supports but the print will need some clean-up. I used very light support structure during the print mainly to help with where the large gear attaches to the body using a skateboard bearing. While a 250mL can is great for drinks, it's not the largest wind-catcher, so my design goal was to maximize power output from the windmill by using gears. The small gear which is attached to the DC motor spins twice for every one spin of the larger gear, without adding too much resistance to the main windmill. The following parts are all that is needed in addition to the printed parts: * (1) Skateboard wheel bearing * (1) Small DC Motor: I used http://a.co/c5qgQ75 * (1) USB power converter; I used http://a.co/g9crvt6 * Scrap Wire * Glue (I used Krazy Glue) I am still doing some testing to see what kind of power it actually generates, but hooking it up to a multimeter you will see that it generates a current! Quick tips on putting it together once parts are printed: 1. The "lower arm" for the can holder has a hole through the middle so it can be aligned with the top of the larger gear and glued in place. Simply put a small screwdriver or thick wire through the hole and then through the hole in the top of the large gear, glue in place. 2. The smallest piece helps 'lock-in' the USB port. It was designed to exactly fit the adapter I listed above. It snaps in below the USB port, I added a few drops of glue to make sure it stays put. 3. First attach the wires to the USB adapter, then put the wires through the body and up through the top. Once the USB port is in place, attach the wires to the motor and then place the motor through the top hole, and put the small gear on it. Once I was sure all electronics were attached and working, I glued the stake in place to finalize it all. 4. I used a dremel cutting tool to cut the can in half.