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Mini Windmill Provides "Low Wind" Power
Forget about swapping out batteries on remote electric fencers or water pumps and bringing them home to recharge. This new mini windmill keeps batteries charged, fencers hot and can even power a water pump. All it needs is a little wind and not as much as you'd think.
"You can stick one of these on a fence post o
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Mini Windmill Provides "Low Wind" Power ENERGY Wind Power 31-3-33
Forget about swapping out batteries on remote electric fencers or water pumps and bringing them home to recharge. This new mini windmill keeps batteries charged, fencers hot and can even power a water pump. All it needs is a little wind and not as much as you'd think.
"You can stick one of these on a fence post or weld it to a piece of pipe and stick it in the ground," says Terry Galyon, TLG Windpower Products. "It'll produce 1 amp with a 5 mph wind. The more the wind blows, the more it puts out, hitting 35 amps at 38 mph."
Galyon says the generators, rated at 500 watts, shut down automatically in higher winds. The rotor diameter is only 5 ft. so they can be positioned near the ground.
The most attractive feature of the new windmill is its simplicity. It uses an advanced rotary flux alternator to produce high frequency, three-phase AC power at the top of its tower. This lets operators use a regular three-wire extension cord instead of the expensive wiring needed for DC systems. At the battery bank, the wires attach to a three-phase bridge rectifier (supplied with the unit). The rectifier turns the three-phase AC into two wires to connect to the DC positive and negative battery terminals.
While the TLG windmill is heavier than competitive small turbines, Galyon says it's the heavy-duty shaft, bearings, copper windings and large magnets that produce the high power output. He reports it produces 113.2 watts of output at 15 mph.
Priced at $1,125, Galyon suggests payback within 18 months to 2 years. Of course convenience may outweigh economic payback. The simple design makes the TLG a natural for use at remote sites for pumping water every few days or to provide lights in an off-the-grid barn or cabin.
Galyon encourages visitors to his website, where he says he "gives away" information. "I believe we have the world's largest do-it-yourself renewable energy site," he adds.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, TLG Windpower Products, Nickerson, Kansas 67561 (ph 620 422-3700; fax 620 422-3702; terry@tlgwindpower.com; www. tlgwind power.com).
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