So it's not completely new, but I would want to design my own homemade wind turbine. I've seen a couple people on the EVOKE network give it a shot, and I've found a couple website that have plans such as
My DIY Wind turbine,
TheBackShed.com and
Instructables.
Where my idea would differ from these plans would be cost and safety. While these site advocate finding junkyard or secondhand parts, I would want to see if there is something inherent in the design that can be made simpler and cheaper. Second, on most of the plans I've reviewed, I haven't noticed features like overspeed control (making sure the wind turbine doesn't spin so fast that it damages itself) or some kind of brake to stop the rotor if need be. These two things would make the turbine much more reliable and safe, even if they did add some cost.
As far as being cheaper or more sustainable than my current power source, in Pennsylvania about 50% of our power comes from coal and another 20-30% comes from nuclear. Especially if I use scavenged parts, it's no contest that the power is more sustainable, and considering my biggest personal energy uses are lighting and charging my laptop and cellphone, such a wind turbine might be all I need for the day. My house as a wh*** still needs heating, cooling, refrigeration, etc., but one thing at a time, haha.
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