Wind Turbine #CatchTheWind.

thingiverse

My Entry for the Thingiverse #CatchTheWind Challenge. I've always been captivated by green energy, and I'm excited to share my creation with you. After assembling my 3D printer, a Vertex Velleman K8400 kit in just two days, I started experimenting with windmill designs. I downloaded several models, but none of them met my expectations, so I decided to learn AutoCAD and design my own. I spent countless hours researching and watching tutorials until I came up with a blade design that I was satisfied with. The blades are designed to rotate in the smallest breeze possible. From there, I moved on to creating a body for the wind turbine that could house a DC motor for generating electricity. I added gears and a solar collector on top for ambient lighting. The "shark fin" tail provides extra sensitivity to wind direction and counters the front weight by pushing the tail down. For the generator, I used a small aquarium pump with a permanent magnet and low turning resistance. It's not perfect, but it gets the job done. While browsing Thingiverse, I stumbled upon the #CatchTheWind challenge and decided to enter my creation. I'm hoping for the best, and I'm excited to see what others have come up with. My design is powered by a 3D printed wind turbine that can be attached to a bike dynamo. To assemble this project, you'll need: * 4 x bearings with an inside diameter of 10 mm and an outer diameter of 26 mm * 3 x 5x60 Machine screws and M5 nuts * 13 x 5x25 Machine screws and M5 nuts * M10 filleted rod (50 cm) * 8 x M10 nuts * 2 x M10 washers (bigger than the bearing outer diameter) * Loctite super glue for the blades The upgrade V4 features a bigger blade design, more weight on the blades, and a 6v 3.0w bike dynamo. The housing is the same size as the previous version, but with an extended tail section. To assemble the V4, you'll need: * 2 x bearings with an inside diameter of 10 mm and an outer diameter of 26 mm * 6 x 5x40 Machine screws and M5 nuts * 3 x 5x60 Machine screws and M5 nuts * 3 x 5x80 Machine screws and M5 nuts * M10 filleted rod (50 cm) * M6 filleted rod (3 x 50cm) * 16mm dia. aluminium tube (3 x 35cm) * 3 x M6 nuts * 4 x M10 nuts * 2 x M10 washers * Loctite super glue for the blades You can see my project in action on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPg4jT19caI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daZuXjDLBKo&feature=youtu.be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KThadVf36ZU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbjfVsfENQI