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Permanent Magnet Generator



Permanent Magnet Generator

Build a wind or water power system with around a PM Generator

wind | hydro
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While it is possible to build your own alternator from powerful Neodynium Magnets and coils of enamelled wire an amateur should consider purchasing a ready made and tried and tested Permanent Magnet Generator for their Wind Turbine. Wind turbine blades (for example, home made DIY PVC or carved wooden blades), a waterwheel (connected through a gear box), or even a bicycle can then be attached to spin the generator and produce AC electricity.

The generated electricity must then be passed through a suitable Bridge Rectifier (35A rectifiers available for sale here from £1.79 each) to produce DC electricity which can be stored in batteries and/or passed through a power inverter for domestic use.

1kW Permanent Magnet Generator from FuturEnergy

Pictured above is such a Permanent Magnet Generator (used by Dick Strawbridge in BBC2's It's Not Easy Being Green on his Waterwheel) available in 12, 24, 36, and 48 Volt configurations. Gearing wastes energy and generates nuisance noise, so PM-Generators for wind (and waterwheel etc) applications are designed to produce high power outputs at low RPM.

This Futurenergy model weighs in at just 7kg and the main body is just 18 x 7cm. The 12V model generates 662 Watts at 380 RPM, and 53 Watts at just 260 RPM. The 48 Volt model generates just 42 Watts at 380 RPM, but 1472 Watts at 610 RPM.

Higher voltage generators are more suited to locations with high average wind speeds and strong gusts, and the lower voltage generators more suited to locations with lower wind speeds on average and limited gusts.

Buy a Permanent Magnet Generator

The cheapest place to purchase a permanent magnet generator suitable for use in renewable applications is usually eBay. Click here to search eBay now for Permanent Magnet Generator, or here for Permanent Magnet Alternator. (Far fewer results are usually returned when searching for alternator rather than generator although these devices are all technically alternators since they output AC electricity.


Article Last Modified: 16:43, 6th Apr 2010

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Page Last Updated on 2nd September 2010 at 02:24:32pm

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