Alternative heat
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Elder User
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 563
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From: DeKalb, Ill.
Alternative heat
A friend of mine is getting tired of expensive heat bills in his little work shed.
He is looking into using a windmill powered alternator and a converter to use electric heat.
Apparently, a GM alternator works better because they have an internal regulator.
Any one ever done this, or heard of it being done?
He is looking into using a windmill powered alternator and a converter to use electric heat.
Apparently, a GM alternator works better because they have an internal regulator.
Any one ever done this, or heard of it being done?
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 18,488
Likes: 22
From: The Big, Oregon
An alternator doesn't produce useable power until 1500rpm, that's a bit fast for a windmill. I've got a design penned up a a parts hunt going on now for a very low loss step-up gearset to power a car alternator from a 150rpm 15' windmill.
Another option is a waste oil burner, you can either make your own or get an Army ten heater and run it off diesel, WVO, or whatever else you can make burn.
Another option is a waste oil burner, you can either make your own or get an Army ten heater and run it off diesel, WVO, or whatever else you can make burn.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,672
Likes: 20
From: Nixa
Wouldn't a generater out of an old truck work? you know before there were altinators lol.
Anyways I used to have a double barrel wood stove in my shop that worked great, heated it real quick. I bought the parts someplace I can't remember for about 35.00 and got 2 55 gallon drums from work.And the stove pipe at Lowes.
Anyways I used to have a double barrel wood stove in my shop that worked great, heated it real quick. I bought the parts someplace I can't remember for about 35.00 and got 2 55 gallon drums from work.And the stove pipe at Lowes.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,463
Likes: 103
From: Staten Island, NY
Not a very efficient or practical way to heat a shop. IF you get a high output alternator (say 100 amp) and IF you could spin it continuously at say 2,000 rpm you would get about 1,200 watts out of it. That's less than what you get from one of the 1,500 watt cheapo heaters from Home Depot. Almost anything else is cheaper and more efficient.
Freshman User
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 33
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Now, if he built an active solar panel, (read black wall or roof covered with piping and sealed with glass on top) and used the windmill/alternator to charge a 12v battery that is used to run a pump to move water through the solar panel and into some old fashioned radiators in the shop, he might have something.
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Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 18,488
Likes: 22
From: The Big, Oregon
Wouldn't a generater out of an old truck work? you know before there were altinators lol.
Anyways I used to have a double barrel wood stove in my shop that worked great, heated it real quick. I bought the parts someplace I can't remember for about 35.00 and got 2 55 gallon drums from work.And the stove pipe at Lowes.
Anyways I used to have a double barrel wood stove in my shop that worked great, heated it real quick. I bought the parts someplace I can't remember for about 35.00 and got 2 55 gallon drums from work.And the stove pipe at Lowes.
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Posting Guru
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I have seen those kind of windmill/alt combo kits on TV already (Planet Green I believe) They do use a GM alt (although a Ford 3G alt will also work). The system is geared so the alt spins st the correct RPM, but its only usefull for making a small amount of electricity, not for heat. Like suggested before, I would look into a cheap wood stove, pellet stove or a used oil furnace. If he goes with a used oil furnace though, he will need someway to keep the oil at a decent temp for flow.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 18,488
Likes: 22
From: The Big, Oregon
He needs this:
Oil-fired Tent Heaters
The fuel tank is indoors, within 5-8ft, and a little above the burner height.
You can get similar results with this:
Oil Burner Unit for M-1941 Tent Stove [294101] - $49.95 :: Colemans Military Surplus LLC - Your one-stop surplus store with Army/Navy products for hunting gear, camping gear, emergency products, and survival products
Just mount it inside a woodstove, pot-bellied stove, or the tent heater it's designed for. I have one, well worth it.
Oil-fired Tent Heaters
The fuel tank is indoors, within 5-8ft, and a little above the burner height.
You can get similar results with this:
Oil Burner Unit for M-1941 Tent Stove [294101] - $49.95 :: Colemans Military Surplus LLC - Your one-stop surplus store with Army/Navy products for hunting gear, camping gear, emergency products, and survival products
Just mount it inside a woodstove, pot-bellied stove, or the tent heater it's designed for. I have one, well worth it.
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 163
Likes: 0
From: madera California
I used to work in an old quanset hut rebuilding torque converters when we cut them open we saved the oil and dumped it in a 500 gallon tank out back and in the winter that tank fed the heaters in the ceiling all winter.
Was a pretty good setup.
Was a pretty good setup.