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Here's my 'Mk2' Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT). I've always liked the lines of these, but they really caught my attention a few weeks ago when I realised that I couldn't explain how they work.
I'm now a lot less confused about how a wing works (really good explanation here if you're interested: http://www.av8n.com/how/htm/airfoils.html), and I've learnt a few new tricks with the printer.
This is my second version and it can generate a much bigger turbine regardless of the printer that's used; it's a lot more efficient with filament too.
At the moment I don't have this driving anything, but the plan is to attach a small water pump (printed of course) to lift water into a gravity feed system.
update: I've added a couple of different blades sizes to suit different build volumes. If you're after something different, have a play with the SCAD file or if that's not your thing, let me know and I can generate some.
update 2: Well it's been up for a while now and I've got a better idea of how it behaves in different winds. It takes a fair bit to get it going and unless it's really blowing it doesn't spin too fast. I think the idea of driving something with it was probably a bit hopeful, but as a sculpture, I still quite like it. The next version will probably have a few more blades and a bigger diameter. All this takes is a few different settings int he scad file, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.
**Changes from Mk1**
You can find a copy of my first go…
