page 26 A wind turbine recipe book - the axial flux alternator windmill plans-

to the back of the hub flange, but this is not easy unless You also need to try to get the magnet rotor close to the
the flange has been machined at the back. In some frame so as to keep the stator mounts short, and this
cases the hub itself can be reversed on its shaft, but can affect how far forward you mount the shaft
this has implications for seals and dust covers. The Sometimes the shaft must pass through the flat
1200 machine really needs the magnet rotor to be surface, and the flange is bolted on from behind.
mounted behind the hub flange so take care to look for
a machined back face on the flange for this turbine. If the shaft has a spindle rather than a flange then you
can make a big hole into the same flat surface using a
Alternator frame hole saw and weld in the spindle. Or if you have no
The alternator frame supports the stub shaft that saw, you can grind out two semicircular hollows in the
carries the hub. It also supports the stator. The frame two pieces of angle (B and C below) prior to welding
in turn is supported by the yaw bearing. The centre of them together.
the alternator needs to be offset sideways from the
centre of the yaw bearing so as to make the turbine Make sure that the stub shaft is central in the
yaw away from the wind (under the control of the alternator frame and mounted exactly square to it. Use
furling tail described later). spacers to keep the spindle square to the frame while
tack welding. The spacers should be chosen to allow
The frame of the clearance for any magnet rotor and nuts behind the
smallest turbine is hub flange.
simply a small
backplate, because Start with three
the stator mounts small tacks,
are at the centre. bearing in mind
that steel
Frames for all the contracts as it
other turbines are cools. If it is not
made from angle- tacked on
section steel, in a T square, then
or an H grind off the
shape, tacks and try
depending again.
on the
number of The 1800 –
stator 3000 turbines
mounting use a T shaped
points. frame for 3
stator mounts.
The stator Their stators
mounts have 9 coils, and
are the hence 3
short mounting
studs with points.
nuts in the
drawing. The rotors and blades will mount on the FRAME DIMENSIONS - 50 X 50 X 6 ANGLE
longer studs in the hub. Turbine diameter 1800 2400 3000
Length of upright A 319 353 411
Two pieces of steel Channel pieces B,C 187 216 267
angle make a End bracket D 100 100 100-130
channel section
Position of shaft X 55 65 82
with a flat surface
in the middle. If
the shaft has a Cut 4 pieces A, B, C and D. Weld B and C together in a
flange, then this channel. A and D go on the ends. Take care to make
can be bolted onto the T symmetrical. The stator mounting faces must be
this flat surface. in the same plane. Lay the frame face down on the
bench while welding.

In the case of the 3000 diameter turbine the hub might

be larger, so you may have to spread B and C apart
instead.

X is the distance of the shaft centre from the upright

piece.

hugh@scoraigwind.co.uk
page 42 A wind turbine recipe book - the axial flux alternator windmill plans-

STEEL DISK SIZES mm Start by finding a

Turbine diameter 1200 1800 2400 centre point X that
is more than E mm
DIAMETER 230 250 300
away from the
THICKNESS 6 6 8 edges of a piece of
Turbine diameter 3000 3600 4200 thin plywood.
DIAMETER 350 400 450
THICKNESS 10 10 10 Draw a l line
through X. Draw
The hole in the surround is about 5 mm larger radius
two circles centred
than the magnet rotor, so that the casting covers and
on X with radius D
protects the edges of the magnets. Make an island of 9
and radius E.
mm plywood bolted to the steel plate that prevents
resin from flooding over the mounting holes at the
centre of the steel disk. All the parts are kept in Turbine diameter 1200 1800 2400
concentric position by two bolts that penetrate the Smaller radius D 83 93 104
base, the steel disk and the island. The nuts go on top larger radius E 115 125 150
of the island. The lid has larger holes to fit over the Turbine diameter 3000 3600 4200
nuts.
Smaller radius D 129 154 194
Here are the sizes for the moulds. The nominal overall larger radius E 175 200 225
size of the pieces is A. The radius of the hole in the
surround that forms the outside of the rotor is B. The If there are 12 magnets then you will need to divide the
island has radius C. circle into six parts as follows. Using the same radius
B, but centring on Y and Z, draw arcs on the outer
circle marking the 60 degree points. Draw lines
through the centre X at 60 degrees.

Start to divide the

60 degree angles
in half as follows.
Choose an
arbitrary setting
of the compasses
to create
overlapping arcs
centred on V and
W as shown.
Draw lines
through the
intersections of
these latest arcs
and the circle’s
centre X to cut the
Turbine diameter 1200 1800 2400 angle in two.
A
Approx. mould side 350 400 400
Continue right around the circle carefully marking out
Rotor radius B 120 130 155
12 evenly spaced centres for the 12 magnets.
Island radius C 65 66 83
Turbine diameter 3000 3600 4200 If you are working with 8 or 16 magnets then you can
A
Approx. mould side 500 500 600 skip the 60 degree stage of the process, and just use
Rotor radius B 180 205 230 this angle-halving technique to keep on dividing angles
in two until you have the correct number of divisions.
Island radius C 99 129 147
Start with Y and Z and find 90 degrees then go to 45
(for 8 magnets) and further halving them again for 16
magnets.
The magnet positioning jig
Before casting the magnet rotor you should glue the Now you should have divided the outer circles neatly
magnets to the steel disk. Use a jig (template) to place up so as to mark the evenly spaced centres for the
the magnets accurately on the disk. The jig is made of magnets.
thin plywood with two holes that are used to bolt it to
the steel disk concentrically.

hugh@scoraigwind.co.uk
Wind turbine recipe book JUNE 2008 METRIC edition page 43

Resin casting
You can cast the stator and magnet rotors in ordinary
polyester resin (as used for making fibreglass boats or
for resin castings). NPG polyester resin is slightly
better because it withstands higher temperatures. It is
also possible to use epoxy resin. This is much more
expensive but better for the magnets because it
adheres better and is also waterproof. Corrosion of the
magnets is more likely when the casting is polyester.
Epoxy is not so good for the coils because it does not
conduct heat so well. Vinyl Ester resin is very popular
for resin casting both coils and magnets because it is
easier to cast and withstands higher temperatures than
polyester. It is also waterproof.

Ester resins contain an accelerator premixed with

them and you add a catalyst to make them set. The
catalyst (highly toxic peroxide) reacts with the cobalt
accelerator producing heat that sets the resin. When
When you have marked all the points, then draw a you make castings you need a lot less catalyst than for
small circle with diameter same as a magnet width on laying up fibreglass boats. Castings tend to heat up
each point, and at the centre. and set prematurely because the heat is trapped inside.
Turbine diameter 1200 1800 2400 If you use too much catalyst or the room is warm, this
Circle radius 23 23 15 can mean that the resin sets before you get the lid on
Turbine diameter 3000 3600 4200 the mould and squeeze it to the right thickness. If the
Circle radius 15 15 15 casting heats up then it will also get very stressed as it
cools, and it may warp or crack.
Draw many parallel lines that just touch these circles
as shown and you have the outlines of the magnet jig.
Adding a powder such as talcum powder, or alumina
Cut out the shaded portion with a jigsaw to create the
trihydrate (ATH) powder to the resin mix will reduce
jig.
the tendency of the casting to heat up. These powders
conduct heat well, and this also helps the stator’s coils
to keep cool when working with currents. Filler
powder is very cheap and pretty essential for making
good resin castings. Other powders may also be
suitable. You can also add powders to epoxy to reduce
cost and improve heat dissipation.

Casting the stator

Start by preparing everything You will need:
• A mould with a lid that clamps down,
• An assembly of coils connected together,
• Two pieces of fibreglass cloth cut out to the shape
of the stator,
• Some wax or grease to make sure the mould
doesn’t get stuck to the resin. (Don’t get this on
anything that you do
want resin to stick
to),
• Resin and
disposable buckets
to mix it in
• Scales to weigh out
the resin.
• Catalyst, and a
syringe or similar to
measure it out.
• Talcum powder or
aluminium
trihydrate.
• Silicone or other caulk in a tube,

hugh@scoraigwind.co.uk
page 46 A wind turbine recipe book - the axial flux alternator windmill plans-

Take it apart and grease everything you do not wish to If necessary, enlarge the holes in the hub flange by
have resin stick to. Grease the mould all over and both boring them out, or you can make them smaller by
sides of the island. Keep the glass cloth and magnet inserting bushes, or even ‘helicoils’ that create a
rotor free of grease and greasy fingers. Grease the lid, thread. If enlarging the hub holes it helps to place the
including the inside edges of the holes in it. Smooth steel rotor disk on the hub, and drill through the
off the grease inside the mould to get a neat finish precisely cut pattern of holes in the disk. This helps to
around the edges. Drop the rotor into place carefully avoid eccentricity. Do all such drilling jobs before
and bolt the island down gently. If you over-tighten casting the magnets onto the disk.
the nuts you will warp the island. Hold the spanner in
both hands or it will damage the magnets. Grease the Rotor mounting
nuts and the bolt threads liberally so you can undo options
them later. The single rotor for the
Mix a runny resin mix 1200 turbine is
and pour it carefully mounted on the back
into the gap around of the hub, facing the
the edge of the rotor stator.
disk, trying to chase
out any bubbles that The other turbines
might spoil the have two rotors
appearance. Put a line although the 1800 has
of silicone around the only got magnets on
surround to catch the back rotor.
surplus resin. Mix a
thicker mix to fill There are various options for
the spaces mounting the two magnet
between rotors of larger turbines on
magnets. the wheel hub. You can
Hammer the mount them in front or
mould to remove bubbles. Finish with a runny behind the wheel flange. In
mix on top of the glass cloth so as to saturate it. the top view shown below,
Place the lid on top carefully so as not to drag the the magnet rotors are both
cloth out of place. Hold it down by placing many mounted on the front of the
steel objects evenly on top of the magnet faces. hub.
You can set the mould(s) level under a heat lamp
for a while to speed up the polyester setting process. It
is good to get the lids off before they have fully
hardened though, because there will be some resin
over the top of the island that has to be trimmed off
neatly. Take great care working near the magnets with
a knife.

When you have taken the rotor out of the mould, clean
away surplus resin, especially from the areas around
the mounting holes. Store the rotor safely out of the
way of fingers and magnetic debris.

You may wish to paint the magnet rotors with a special

paint such as a bitumen epoxy coating. Corrosion of
the steel disk can cause the magnets to come off. If the
magnets’ coating gets damaged then the magnets
themselves corrode. An impermeable seal over the
whole thing is a good investment. (In some of these sketches the magnets are visible,
whereas in reality they would be embedded in resin.)
Alternator assembly and testing
The alternator is held together by long studs made of In some cases the hub flange is machined flat on the
threaded rods (‘all-thread’). These are the same back, and so you can mount one disk behind and the
threaded rods that the blade hub is mounted on. I like other in front. This
to use stainless steel rods. The rods need to fit the makes for a more
holes in the hub compact alternator
Recommended sizes for stainless steel studs (mm) with shorter stator
machine 1200 1800 2400 3000 3600 4200 mounts.
Stud dia. 10 10 10-12 12 12-14 14

hugh@scoraigwind.co.uk