Windmill Project - help required

[Richarda]

We are a civil engineering group that are currently organising the build of a windmill. Teams of children will design the windmills and we have a current output of 35mV rms from the pilot design. How can we increase that voltage (electronically, or do we need to) to trigger a microswitch that would then make another circuit? The other circuit would have another supply and drive a Kinex cable car. The idea is simply to try to get the low power windmill to trigger a seperate dc circuit. Suggestions please.....? Thank you.:

 

[markus.dnd]

increase voltage with more rpms from mill or step up converter.

Markus

EDIT: not sure about rpm thing...

 

[(*steve*)]

I recommend that you get some electrical engineers

Please explain what you're using for a generator and what speed it's turning. Do you have any other options that will generate a higher voltage at that speed?

 

[Richarda]

Thanks Guys
Basically we will be using some construction material to build the windmill. The Rotor will have magnets attached at the back. As a hairdryer blows the vanes and rotor coils on the stator behind will pick up the emf. This is then fed to a "Circuit" which we we hope will do a number of things (possibly) (1) light some LED's (2) using an electronic switch bring in a more powerful dc circuit that powers a cable car (they built last year). (3) achieve both?

PS this is all in the Alps whilst skiing...the groups (last year 65 children) build their constructions etc in the hotel (at 7,000ft)....we ship all kit out there. see http://icecooleng.ning.com/

 

[(*steve*)]

Are you winding the coils and sticking magnets onto things to *make* a generator then?

In that case I would suggest you go for small rare earth magnets and spin them as close as possible to stationary coils. If you use many turns of fine wire you should get sufficient current to trigger a reed relay. that you have wrapped in another coil of wire (with *lots* of turns).

You should be able to get the reed relay to close briefly as each magnet passes a coil.

There are many other ways to do this, but I think that involving electronics to amplify a small voltage is probably more akin to pulling a rabbit out of a hat than showing the power generated actually doing something.

You will probably need to try this out a few times to see what number of magnets and number of turns are required.

If you use small flat rare earth magnets you can stack them to increase their strength. It's a simple way of increasing the output.