Windmill plans??
- Thread starter RxRatedZ71
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RxRatedZ71
Gold Member
After talking with the guy, i asked the same thing. He said it can go either way, depending on preference. However, he did point out that straight out allows the fan to spin much faster and is not a good idea in real windy locations. I clearly need it angled here in Oklahoma.
wyeguy
Gold Member
Windmills used to have a chain you could pull to shut them down. It would pull the tail sideways, locking the wheel so it wouldn't turn, & not pump water if you didn't need it. Or shut it down in a storm so it didn't "run away".
Willl
Elite Member
I was kinda thinking it had something to do with speed control.
I wonder if any vary the amount of angle themselves, like a built in governor of sorts.
I wonder if any vary the amount of angle themselves, like a built in governor of sorts.
Don't know about the Windsco brand, but the old time windmills had a lever that turned the tail fin to the side to stop rotation. Did not alway stop the mill dead still but actually worked pretty good. For the most part the ones that were out in the pastures were just set to run all the time with an overflow on the tanks.
OP
RxRatedZ71
Gold Member
I need to clarify something, this is not a "pumping" windmill. I just wanted one strictly for ambience & looks only. However, i believe you are right in that you could lock down the wheel on the Aeromotor designs. Truth be known, i probably could fabricate something to swap in a fully functioning head should i ever decide to drill a well.
/pine
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FWIW...
Not sure if this applies windmills but it does to most turbines etc...
I learned when I was researching water wheels it is best to make the number of blades/paddles etc. etc. a prime number to "minimize aerodynamically induced resonances"
Not sure if this applies windmills but it does to most turbines etc...
I learned when I was researching water wheels it is best to make the number of blades/paddles etc. etc. a prime number to "minimize aerodynamically induced resonances"
The earlier posters who stated that it was a control mechanism were correct.
The vane is to turn the blades into the wind. So when it is "straight out" it puts the blades into the wind-stream so they can spin with the wind speed. If the lever is adjusted to pull the tail to the side the vane will turn the blades so that the blades are not 90 degrees to the wind but parallel and thus should not spin or at least much. It is basically just a weather-vane for turning the blades to the angle to the wind that is appropriate for what you want. Back in the early 60's we had a working one in SW Kansas and it did not spin at all when the vane was pulled 90 degrees.
The vane is to turn the blades into the wind. So when it is "straight out" it puts the blades into the wind-stream so they can spin with the wind speed. If the lever is adjusted to pull the tail to the side the vane will turn the blades so that the blades are not 90 degrees to the wind but parallel and thus should not spin or at least much. It is basically just a weather-vane for turning the blades to the angle to the wind that is appropriate for what you want. Back in the early 60's we had a working one in SW Kansas and it did not spin at all when the vane was pulled 90 degrees.
MtnViewRanch
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When the tail of a windmill is parallel with the fan, the unit is turned off and does not spin. As the brake adjustment wears in, the fan will still spin a little. As far as furling out of the wind, with an Aermotor windmill, as long as you have the furling spring set as light as it will go, the mill is safe for 100MPH winds. My 12 footer has seen 80MPH + and has held up fine for the last 12 years. 