convert ac motor to dc

[Mike Gibson]

I ran across a Ametek lamb 116325. I am asking if it can be converted to dc? I haden't really gotten into the wind power till now. My area is claified as a#1(low) but if there is a chance i can make power and have some fun doing it i am going to bo it.

[Mark Parsons]

Greetings Mike,

I found this data sheet on the Ametek Lamb 116325 -
http://www.alltemp.ca/vacuum/pdf/11632500.pdf

Is this your motor / fan?
If so, it appears to be a wound rotor type 120VAC motor. Not a good candidate for a wind turbine.

The Ametek's used for simple wind turbines are the 30VDC, 40VDC and 50VDC models originally made for computer tape drives. I used a 50VDC model for my Savonius machine. I bought it on E-bay for about $45. Any DC motor will suffice. Key is to get a motor that has your required voltage when spun by the turbine blades.

I built a very simple HAWT using a Windstream 10Amp motor. It is a robust motor. Downside is it cost me about $200.
http://www.windstreampower.com/generators/443541.html

I used this web site as a guide to make my machine. Great concepts. I made my HAWT machine in a couple of weekends.
http://www.mdpub.com/Wind_Turbine/index.html
I used ABS pipe instead of the PVC listed for the blades. Black ABS drain pipe is UV resistant and it is stiffer than PVC. It has been flying for about 4 months now with no problems.

All the above motors use brushes to bring the DC power created in the motor rotor to the outside. My next machine will use a brushless motor. Reliability will be better and no brush maintenance required.

My cottage is also in a very low wind area. This just means that a larger swept area is required to harvest any useful energy.

I am having fun building and flying these machines. They are certainly more entertaining to watch than solar panels....;)

Regards,
Mark