Best blades for 1000w+ DIY turbine??

[Mark George]

Hi guys im wondering what blades to buy for a 1000w+ diy wind turbine? Im planning on using a 3kw ac servo for a generator so could go a little larger. I live in an area with approx 9m/s annual wind average.

Leaning towards 5 blade 38" raptor G5s. These seem to be very close or the same as the HY-1000 blades which seems to put out good numbers.

Just wondering if you guys have any other suggestions? Maybe something slightly bigger? Efficency and durability are important to me. Would prefer to buy rather then make my own but not totally against the idea.

[Rob Beckers]

Mark, welcome to the forums!
MW&S doesn't exactly have a stellar reputation when it comes to their product and usefulness for producing energy from wind. Have a look at the Fieldlines.com forum for various threads and reviews.

There is no advantage in having 5 blades vs. 3. In fact, you're loosing efficiency (as each blade adds more drag and losses). So my advice is to stick with 3. That saves money too. It's actually more efficient to have 1 or 2 blades (yes, someone did built a working single-blade turbine!), but there are real advantages to 3 blades, and that's why you see that used most with the Big Boys.

It's been a while since I looked for sources of blades so I can't help you with that. It's entirely feasible to fabricate your own too. Could be a fun project!

Let us know how things work out!

-RoB-

[Mark George]

Mark, welcome to the forums!
MW&S doesn't exactly have a stellar reputation when it comes to their product and usefulness for producing energy from wind. Have a look at the Fieldlines.com forum for various threads and reviews.

There is no advantage in having 5 blades vs. 3. In fact, you're loosing efficiency (as each blade adds more drag and losses). So my advice is to stick with 3. That saves money too. It's actually more efficient to have 1 or 2 blades (yes, someone did built a working single-blade turbine!), but there are real advantages to 3 blades, and that's why you see that used most with the Big Boys.

It's been a while since I looked for sources of blades so I can't help you with that. It's entirely feasible to fabricate your own too. Could be a fun project!

Let us know how things work out!

-RoB-

Hi Rob, Thanks the help. I am sort of torn between 3 and 5 blades. I understand 3 is more efficient and has the potential to make more power. But some people say 5 blade can produce a little more at low wind speed, and the lower efficiency can actually help control rpm in high wind which both sound nice to me. Seems to make sense, but not sure how effective this will be in the real world. See attached pic from HY energy about 3 vs 5 blades. If this is actually true I would much prefer 5 blades.

So you dont think the MW&S blades would be a good choice? I have seen the complaints. Sounds like many of them are due to watt ratings. They sell their freedom turbines as 2000w, but this is measured at like 55mph which is not a realistic rating. Im thinking these would be closer to 1000w on a GOOD day.

Also found these blades today: https://www.hurricanewindpower.com/hurricane-wind-power-5-40-inch-wind-turbine-generator-stealth-storm-wind-turbine-blade-set/ . These are 40" long, 88" rotor diameter vs 79" of MW&S so should have a fair bit more power potential. And actually a few bucks cheaper which is always a bonus.

And these caught my eye too: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1050mm-1150mm-Length-FRP-Wind-Blades-for-M5-800W-1000W-Wind-Turbine-parts-for-DIY-your/32916044067.html?spm=2114.search0104.3.1.40d22a11M 0K1lo&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_5_10065_10 130_10068_10547_319_317_10548_10696_453_10084_454_ 10083_10618_10139_10307_538_537_536_10059_10884_10 887_100031_321_322_10103,searchweb201603_51,ppcSwi tch_0&algo_expid=69cbb6b1-f9f9-4731-9505-da4a51302535-0&algo_pvid=69cbb6b1-f9f9-4731-9505-da4a51302535 But these are direct from china with no middleman to stand behind them so god knows what these would be like for quality. These are 45" long, probably give me a rotor diameter somewhere around 96" which is probably as much as id want to go for now.

[Rob Beckers]

Hi Mark,

When dealing with MW&S I think any claim about any of their products should be taken with a very large grain of salt. When people start using worlds such as "the best", "revolutionary", and then compare their product with an F22 jet (and all that within the span of a paragraph) that should set off your BS-O-Meter...

Anyway, to each his or her own. As far as blades go they are just fairly generic (likely) Chinese-made composite blades and they'll likely do fine. So these would give you a rotor diameter of around 76", which in turn translates to a turbine that would produce around 600 Watt at 11 m/s (25 mph), a little less for a direct-battery-charging turbine.

If you would like higher output at lower wind speeds you need a larger-diameter rotor. The number of blades doesn't really help. Yes, you can increase torque with more blades, but that comes at the cost of lower RPM, ultimately leading to the same or less power for a given wind speed.

It is indeed possible to use large numbers of blades to protect a turbine in high wind speeds because they are so aerodynamically inefficient that drag keeps them from overspeeding too badly. I've seen some designs that used that. I would think that you need many more than 5 blades for that though. A 5-bladed turbine can still run away very badly.

Listen, at the end of the day I really don't want to sound too negative. My comment really was about that one company. It's great you want to build your own turbine! It's a great DIY project with lots to learn from actually doing it! That's the whole point: You build it, find out things don't quite work as expected, and then if the bug bites work on improvements and try new solutions. That's what it's all about!

-RoB-

[Mark George]

Hi Rob, I think im going to take your advice and go with a slightly larger 3 blade design. Looking at going with a 2.8m diameter now and using the same blades as used here: https://www.gudcraftonline.com/ALEKO-WG1500-48V-Wind-Turbine-Generator-p/wg1500w48v.htm

Also considering going with the HYE 3000w blades but they only sell in lots of 5 and they are much more expensive, and a little longer then I wanted. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-Shipping-HYE-3000W-wind-turbine-blades-5-pcs/32303441017.html?spm=2114.search0104.3.50.a35845f7 QEONOa&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_5_10065_10 130_10068_10547_319_317_10548_10696_453_10084_454_ 10083_10618_10139_10307_538_537_536_10059_10884_10 887_100031_321_322_10103,searchweb201603_51,ppcSwi tch_0&algo_expid=f3e95e97-b5d1-4502-b539-a4602f2f4075-8&algo_pvid=f3e95e97-b5d1-4502-b539-a4602f2f4075 The first blades are a great price ($220 us shipped) and look very strong, solid fiberglass construction. They do look a little thick, hopefully this doesnt rob too much power. Do you think they work ok?

[Rob Beckers]

At 2.8m diameter you'd get around 1,400 Watt at 11 m/s, assuming reasonable efficiencies. That is a pretty sizable turbine! Smaller may be better; it's easier to keep things under control.

Blade profile has an effect, but not nearly as much as people seem to think. Sure, if you want that last percent efficiency it matters. On the other hand, you could bolt 3 wooden boards on an alternator and it would still work (someone did).

I would look around to see if anyone else has a review of blades that you're interested in. Buy something that gets a decent review (so you know that at least mechanically they're sound). Keep it manageable for a first turbine, things are bound to go wrong the first try, don't spend too much on it. There's always version 2... :nuts:

-RoB-