#CatchTheWind > Charge your Phone > Vertical Wind Turbine Generator

thingiverse

In the Spirit of Competition, I sought to create something useful and began with the goal of harnessing wind power to charge my iPhone. At once, a turbine sprang to mind, which would drive a generator and subsequently charge small DC devices. I aimed to make it portable, enabling me to take it anywhere and charge my phone on the go. The device is magnetically levitated, with repelling magnets handling the weight of the rotor. As the wind turns it, electricity will be generated. Another generator section can be added, featuring a magnet rotor with coils. Several considerations remain: The Turbine: Many different designs are possible; I must decide how many blades to use. Reading up on Wikipedia may prompt me to alter my turbine design. The Generator: The current design employs round coils. Perhaps I should change this to pie-shaped windings instead. Progress updates will be provided as the project unfolds. There is only one company selling Makerbot machines in South Africa - Rectron - and I recently visited their store, which left a lasting impression on me. Makerbot is truly impressive. Update: 2015-07-06 I planned to start building over the weekend but encountered an unexpected problem: my print is not centered, and prints are spilling off the heated bed. This issue needs to be resolved; I will investigate possible causes throughout the week and aim to print the new design this weekend. Update: 2015-07-09 My original design had to be altered due to size constraints. A smaller version has been uploaded, along with new STL files for printing. The base, coil base, and coils have all been printed (uploaded pictures and new STL files). Tonight, I will begin winding the coils by hand. Update: 2015-07-13 Productive sessions were spent over the weekend. The coil design was modified to enable attachment to a drill, which significantly reduced winding time. The magnet rotor's design was also improved; the original version has been printed and completed (picture attached), but a new design will be used. A back cover for the coil base was designed to house wiring and other components. The turbine and six coils have been printed and wound. The project is coming together nicely. Update: 2015-07-14 A new rotor has been printed, but my printer still struggles with closing off top layers (100%) properly. I increased the extrusion rate by 2% to correct this issue; if anyone knows why this happens, please let me know. Pictures of coil winding are also available online. Update: 2015-07-21 My printer has been giving me trouble lately - it prints perfectly one moment and then not at all. It's as if the machine needs a break before functioning correctly again. Printing resumed; the coil base cover was printed successfully (see pictures). The coils are fragile; I keep dropping them or breaking them. The thickness of the print is insufficient for the amount of wire used. If you're printing these components, ensure 100% infill to avoid breakage. Four broken coils were reprinted with 100% infill.