Reed Switch Wind Turbine RPM Meter
Reed Switch Wind Turbine RPM Meter
Find out how to use a reed switch to make a wind turbine RPM meter
wind | electric circuit | educationA
Reed Switch is a very simple device which is very useful in many
renewable energy applications. Within the reed switch are two wires which are not in contact with one another. When a magnet passes close to the reed switch, the two wires are brought together allowing electrical current to flow through the switch.
NEW We are now selling
Reed Switches in the
REUK Shop from just 74p each.
Reed Switches in Renewable Energy
The primary use of
reed switches in renewable energy is in developing simple and cheap RPM meters - devices which detect and count each rotation of a
wind turbine. The speed of rotation (measured in revolutions per minute or RPM) can therefore be calculated. This method is slightly more complicated than simply using a
cycle computer based RPM-meter however a basic RPM meter can be constructed easily for just two or three pounds.
Simple Reed Switch RPM counter
A small
magnet is fitted to a rotating part of the
wind turbine in such a way that it passes close enough to the
reed switch, which is located in a fixed position, that the reed switch is triggered each time the turbine completes one revolution. All that then remains is to find a way to count the number of times the
reed switch was triggered per minute and you know the RPM rotational speed of your wind turbine.
It is not necessary to build a complicated electronic circuit or spend a lot of money to process the
reed switch pulses. The most basic
calculator or
pedometer (step counter) can be used with very little modification.
Calculator RPM Meter
Looking first at the calculator option. When you press a button on a calculator, the underside of the button covers a pair of contacts on the calculator circuit board. When these two contacts are joined together (for example, by the conductive coating on the underside of the button) a signal is sent to the microprocessor to tell it that the button has been pressed.
If a wire is soldered or otherwise connected to each of the two points, and those two wires are then joined together across a
reed switch, everytime the reed switch is triggered by a passing magnet the calculator microprocessor will be told that the button has been pressed.
Most calculators have a repeated addition function. Enter '1+1=' into the calculator and '2' will be displayed as the answer. Press equals (=) again and again, and if the calculator is suitable it will count up 3, 4, 5, etc. If it does not then you cannot use that calculator as an RPM counter.
Simply enter '1+1' into the calculator, start your stop watch and time the spinning wind turbine for one minute. Subtract 1 from the figure displayed on the calculator and that is the average RPM of your
wind turbine.
Pedometer RPM Meter
A
pedometer or
step counter also makes for an excellent RPM meter. Unfortunately each pedometer is different so it is not possible to explain here where the two contacts are to which you must attach the two wires joined by the
reed switch. However, a bit of poking around with the two ends of one piece of wire should result in the displayed pedometer count increasing
.
Inside a
pedometer is a small
counter hammer (pendulum) swinging back and forth in time with walking motion. At the end of each swing it hits a contact - sometimes a small spring - closing the circuit and increasing the pedometer count by 1. Attach the
reed switch between the
counter hammer and the contact and each time the magnet passes by the reed switch the pedometer count will be incremented.
Pedometers have the advantage over calculators that you do not need to enter 1++1 before you start the count each time - you simple press the
reset count button and the device is ready.
Article Last Modified: 08:54, 4th Apr 2007Comment on this Article
If you have any comments on this article, please email them to
neil@reuk.co.uk.
Recommended Related Articles
People who read this article also enjoyed the following articles:
Zener Diode Voltage RegulatorMake a simple zener diode voltage regulator
Article Last Modified: 17:31, 7th Mar 2008electric circuit | educationAdjustable Step Up Voltage RegulatorFind out more about a step up voltage regulator used to output a voltage higher than the input voltage
Article Last Modified: 11:42, 15th Dec 2007electronics | electric circuit | generalMeasuring the Capacity of a BatteryFind out how to measure the capacity of a battery
Article Last Modified: 09:22, 6th Aug 2008storage | electric circuit | generalUse a Cycle Computer to Measure Turbine RPMBuild your own RPM sensor using an off the shelf cycle computer
Article Last Modified: 12:11, 9th Apr 2010wind | educationSolar Battery Charger With LM317TFind out how to make a current controlled solar battery charger using an LM317T
Article Last Modified: 08:34, 30th Mar 2007solar | education | electric circuitWind Turbine Axial Flux AlternatorsLearn more about the design of an axial flux alternator - used in wind turbines and hyrdo power
Article Last Modified: 08:27, 7th May 2008windRenewable Energy Powered Timer Relay SwitchPowering an AA battery powered timer thermostat directly with a 12V power source
Article Last Modified: 16:12, 24th Mar 2009electric circuit | electronics | generalSolar Shed Lighting Circuit TestingAnalysis of a typical solar shed LED lighting circuit
Article Last Modified: 10:56, 31st Mar 2007lighting | solar | education | electric circuit
|
|
|
