Something else you can do is screen the end with the wooden cross off with a door that you can latch so as it spins you can wash clothes in it then place the cloths on a clothes line to dry them
Nice project, well done. Considering a similar project here on our homestead and it's interesting to see how a washer drum with pipe blades would work. A quick suggestion if I could, keep the water wheel and solar circuits seperate. It makes management, control and the addition of future upgrades much easier. If you want an example you could check out our system of a DIY vawt, istabreeze HAWT and solar array and how we have them working together in a DIY build. Love the initiative, keep up the good work 👍
Hi, thanks for the comment they are always very encouraging. Definitely much I could do to improve the system. At this stage it's really a proof of concept built at lowest possible cost but hopefully safely. We are very much "on grid" here sadly so the system is very much a back up rather than primary (for now). I am hoping to put up some kind of wind collection too although wind is a bit variable here, I just want to have the full wind/water/solar set! Be advised the output from the wheel is really quite low right now but on the other hand it never really stops turning. With the three leisure batteries we have that is quite meaningful but only for lighting and entertainment so far.
@@thesprucegosling9574proof of concept it certainly is, nice job. No doubt it will develop further over the coming months. If it's any encouragement, we're still not fully off grid yet either, have to reach 17kwhr per day before our usage is covered. Look forward to seeing how this project turns out for you. Best of luck with it.
I wonder if you had another sprocket the same size that's attached to the drum whether you could attach this to the current generator axle next to a small sprocket, and then move the generator further away on another chain so you get a faster gear ratio to spin the gen at higher volts?
Flow of the water (amount of water per second and speed of it) determines how much energy can be extracted from the waterwheel and generator. In low water conditions, with high gearing , you can , basically , stop the waterwheel by back emf , or at least slow it down to the point of non usable electrical production (since conducting wires are pretty long).
I did think about trying to boost the RPM with an intermediate stage but as stated above, it won't compensate for a low, as well as slow, flow. As it stands it seems fairly well optimised; when there is sufficient flow the speed seems to be in a sensible range. That was pure luck as the whole system is mostly made out of scrap I had lying around!
Interesting project. I don't know is it just a proof of concept , or real energy need (I'll check other videos on the channel , because I just stumbled on it). However , this can brook can produce more electricity , even in low water conditions , but not as it is. I don't know the regulations regarding building a dam on the brook (creating a reservoir with some height , since the brook has pretty steep banks) but , if that is not possible (for any reason) , it could be done differently (depending on a resources - meaning time , ability to do some labor in cold water and some materials). I'll try to be concise . In order to get the generator to turn faster , higher gearing is needed. With higher gearing , there is a need for more torque (it struggles as it is) . The only way to get more torque (low volume and speed of water) is to expand the working (contact) area of pedals (peaces of guttering , as far as I know). In order to achieve this , firstly , you should make a channel in the brook bed , by clearing the rocks and putting them at the sides of that channel in the brook. That would make water a bit faster and it will force the water that goes around the water wheel to go into that channel. Channel should be 6-7 meters long , just enough to level out with natural brook bed at the end. Depth should be , at least , double the with of guttering pieces. Second thing to do is to make 3 , or 4 more water wheels (same diameter and overall dimensions) and connect them like "daisy chain" , or in series via chains , or belts (tooth belts , not V belts) . Any sprockets can be used for this purpose (or belt pulleys) as long as they are the same diameter. The first (existing) waterwheel can be geared at least two , or three times higher , given the more torque applied. Think of it as like if one person pushing a car , and four more persons joins in . When the brook swells up , you can add some floating devices to maintain same depth of pedals in the water (like plastic barrels?). Someone already commented , you should keep the hydro electrical system apart of the solar panel sistem , it is much simpler and cheaper to control. I don't know why you chose the drum for construction (stainless is hard to work with) , I would have chosen bicycle wheels (again , I should check the other videos on the channel). I'm hoping that this may help.
I watched other videos about water wheel (and few others on your channel). Regarding the water wheel , I saw that you already contemplated making a channel into the brook bed , which I strongly support. There is , also , another observation - you should make your water wheel pedals sturdy (fasten them , so they can't move , due to flimsiness of plastic) and you should put end caps on the pedals too (helps with reduction of kinetic energy dissipation of the water) - every little bit helps. Since you are into the bikes , I'm surprised that you didn't use bicycle wheels as building base for the water wheel , since those already have axles (centered) and bearings and sprockets attached to them. Instead of wood , for these kind of projects , I would use a builder's board (foam plastic sheaths) , which is inexpensive and joy to work with and some metal profiles. Bike generator isn't very good for the given situation. You need low RPM alternator , which is pretty expensive to buy (unless you build it yourself) , or there is a myriad of scrap motors/generators , that can be used and be more effective (in combination with MPPT charger/inverter). You've mentioned that your workshop gets cold in the winter (which is the best time for doing different projects) , so , why don't you heat it ? There are so many small and safe devices (portable) , which are very cheap to use , very effective and you can make it yourself . From alcohol stows , to plant pot heaters to sand batteries. Very low CO2 emission (no emission in case of sand battery) , since I saw that you have some concerns about CO2 , in some of your videos. Good luck with your projects !
Hi, thanks for the comment, there is a lot of detail in there! In terms of the choice of parts: tumble dryer and bike generator, there were a couple of drivers, firstly I anticipated that the yield from the system was going to be very low so I wanted to use stuff that I already had lying around. This would minimise the monetary investment required and maximise the relative return. I also think that bike wheels might have been a bit more problematic to use as I would need to come up with a way of joining them together co-axially and in a way that I could attach my paddles to. Secondly with the drum that I have I just needed to bolt the paddles through and the other structural issues were taken care of. For a low output situation like this the bike generator seems to work reasonably well. The rotational speed when the brook is full is similar to the speed that it would experience when being fitted to a bike and so I am guessing it is optimised for that. The output is 6V AC which can be readily stepped up through the Voltage Tripler to feed the batteries, at relatively low loss I suspect. I would very much like to heat the workshop but energy prices in the UK are super-high at the moment and so I want to insulate it first. The key heating issue is due to the operating temperature of the glue I am using for the aircraft. I have some ideas there for some kind of "tent" to heat just the build area while the glue is setting. The results from this hacked together system are looking quite promising and so I am thinking of developing it further in a better engineered way so your suggestions are very helpful!
@@thesprucegosling9574 Bike wheels could be easily co-axially joined by peace of pipe (I saw people using , even , a square tube) between existing wheel axles (with some adapters , or welds at the ends and bolts). Outer diameter (rim) would be joined and fastened by pedals. I've just assumed , that you may have spare , or can easily and cheaply (or for free) get bike wheels. Tumble dryer drum is fine , if you have it lying around , except for buying bearings , which already exist on every bike wheel. I understand that brook near your house isn't Niagara , so it would never produce all your energy needs (amount of kinetic energy) . I merely suggested , that you can gain at least a couple of times more power (without much spending and with a little effort and , mostly , scavenged parts and materials). Question of which generator/alternator should be used in your particular situation , can be addressed only after you manage to maximize water energy conversion potential (water wheel , or wheels). Bike generator is limited in it's power production potential , because it is designed for low potential energy (biking). You would want something that can convert more energy than your system can produce , because it will always produce maximum of what your system (water wheel(s) and , maybe gearing) is capable of delivering. There are many permanent magnet motors around (scrapyards , people's sheds...) I gathered from your videos , that you want to insulate the workshop , but I was talking about "bridging" the autumn/winter period (before you put insulation) with heaters (diy ones) , so you can work with glue and be more comfortable during said period , at least in immediate proximity of a heater(s) - in a circle of couple of meters. Those are very potent and efficient. I know that prices of energy are high in the UK (unfortunately) , but I was talking about alcohol stoves/heaters (methyl/ethyl) , which aren't that much expensive to use for a few hours a day. Tent is good idea , but only if you are stationary , during the work (I mean , within limited space). I was a woodworker and faced the same problem couple of times (when I was younger) and tried that - it can help , but it was mostly very annoying. I suggest , when you have time , to check out You Tube channel of one Robert Murray-Smith. It contains , literary , a thousands of videos , about these subjects and it is very informative , with lots of ideas. I mean , low tech , bin found materials ideas , with scientific explanations in layman's terms. It may help with changing perspective , or approach , to solving problems of particular projects .He lives in Kent and he's always careful about UK laws and regulations (in terms of what you can , or can't do). I should've send you an e-mail , because this is horrifically long reply. All the best !
Thanks for the subscription, they all help to motivate me! Yes, maybe I am guilty of a bit of cultural mis-appropriation here, but if you were looking for a hillbilly in the UK, the area where I live would be a good start!
Lovely video, thanks for sharing Spruce! That outbreak of common sense was rare for any DIYer!!
Yes, I surprised myself there!
Great work Captain, good to see you getting your steps in for the day too
Yes I just need to keep forgetting things at the top/bottom. Seemingly not a problem these days.
Something else you can do is screen the end with the wooden cross off with a door that you can latch so as it spins you can wash clothes in it then place the cloths on a clothes line to dry them
Nice project, well done. Considering a similar project here on our homestead and it's interesting to see how a washer drum with pipe blades would work. A quick suggestion if I could, keep the water wheel and solar circuits seperate. It makes management, control and the addition of future upgrades much easier. If you want an example you could check out our system of a DIY vawt, istabreeze HAWT and solar array and how we have them working together in a DIY build. Love the initiative, keep up the good work 👍
Hi, thanks for the comment they are always very encouraging. Definitely much I could do to improve the system. At this stage it's really a proof of concept built at lowest possible cost but hopefully safely. We are very much "on grid" here sadly so the system is very much a back up rather than primary (for now). I am hoping to put up some kind of wind collection too although wind is a bit variable here, I just want to have the full wind/water/solar set! Be advised the output from the wheel is really quite low right now but on the other hand it never really stops turning. With the three leisure batteries we have that is quite meaningful but only for lighting and entertainment so far.
@@thesprucegosling9574proof of concept it certainly is, nice job. No doubt it will develop further over the coming months. If it's any encouragement, we're still not fully off grid yet either, have to reach 17kwhr per day before our usage is covered. Look forward to seeing how this project turns out for you. Best of luck with it.
I wonder if you had another sprocket the same size that's attached to the drum whether you could attach this to the current generator axle next to a small sprocket, and then move the generator further away on another chain so you get a faster gear ratio to spin the gen at higher volts?
Flow of the water (amount of water per second and speed of it) determines how much energy can be extracted from the waterwheel and generator. In low water conditions, with high gearing , you can , basically , stop the waterwheel by back emf , or at least slow it down to the point of non usable electrical production (since conducting wires are pretty long).
I did think about trying to boost the RPM with an intermediate stage but as stated above, it won't compensate for a low, as well as slow, flow. As it stands it seems fairly well optimised; when there is sufficient flow the speed seems to be in a sensible range. That was pure luck as the whole system is mostly made out of scrap I had lying around!
Interesting project. I don't know is it just a proof of concept , or real energy need (I'll check other videos on the channel , because I just stumbled on it). However , this can brook can produce more electricity , even in low water conditions , but not as it is. I don't know the regulations regarding building a dam on the brook (creating a reservoir with some height , since the brook has pretty steep banks) but , if that is not possible (for any reason) , it could be done differently (depending on a resources - meaning time , ability to do some labor in cold water and some materials).
I'll try to be concise . In order to get the generator to turn faster , higher gearing is needed. With higher gearing , there is a need for more torque (it struggles as it is) . The only way to get more torque (low volume and speed of water) is to expand the working (contact) area of pedals (peaces of guttering , as far as I know). In order to achieve this , firstly , you should make a channel in the brook bed , by clearing the rocks and putting them at the sides of that channel in the brook. That would make water a bit faster and it will force the water that goes around the water wheel to go into that channel. Channel should be 6-7 meters long , just enough to level out with natural brook bed at the end. Depth should be , at least , double the with of guttering pieces. Second thing to do is to make 3 , or 4 more water wheels (same diameter and overall dimensions) and connect them like "daisy chain" , or in series via chains , or belts (tooth belts , not V belts) . Any sprockets can be used for this purpose (or belt pulleys) as long as they are the same diameter. The first (existing) waterwheel can be geared at least two , or three times higher , given the more torque applied. Think of it as like if one person pushing a car , and four more persons joins in . When the brook swells up , you can add some floating devices to maintain same depth of pedals in the water (like plastic barrels?).
Someone already commented , you should keep the hydro electrical system apart of the solar panel sistem , it is much simpler and cheaper to control.
I don't know why you chose the drum for construction (stainless is hard to work with) , I would have chosen bicycle wheels (again , I should check the other videos on the channel).
I'm hoping that this may help.
I watched other videos about water wheel (and few others on your channel). Regarding the water wheel , I saw that you already contemplated making a channel into the brook bed , which I strongly support. There is , also , another observation - you should make your water wheel pedals sturdy (fasten them , so they can't move , due to flimsiness of plastic) and you should put end caps on the pedals too (helps with reduction of kinetic energy dissipation of the water) - every little bit helps.
Since you are into the bikes , I'm surprised that you didn't use bicycle wheels as building base for the water wheel , since those already have axles (centered) and bearings and sprockets attached to them. Instead of wood , for these kind of projects , I would use a builder's board (foam plastic sheaths) , which is inexpensive and joy to work with and some metal profiles.
Bike generator isn't very good for the given situation. You need low RPM alternator , which is pretty expensive to buy (unless you build it yourself) , or there is a myriad of scrap motors/generators , that can be used and be more effective (in combination with MPPT charger/inverter).
You've mentioned that your workshop gets cold in the winter (which is the best time for doing different projects) , so , why don't you heat it ? There are so many small and safe devices (portable) , which are very cheap to use , very effective and you can make it yourself . From alcohol stows , to plant pot heaters to sand batteries. Very low CO2 emission (no emission in case of sand battery) , since I saw that you have some concerns about CO2 , in some of your videos.
Good luck with your projects !
Hi, thanks for the comment, there is a lot of detail in there! In terms of the choice of parts: tumble dryer and bike generator, there were a couple of drivers, firstly I anticipated that the yield from the system was going to be very low so I wanted to use stuff that I already had lying around. This would minimise the monetary investment required and maximise the relative return. I also think that bike wheels might have been a bit more problematic to use as I would need to come up with a way of joining them together co-axially and in a way that I could attach my paddles to. Secondly with the drum that I have I just needed to bolt the paddles through and the other structural issues were taken care of. For a low output situation like this the bike generator seems to work reasonably well. The rotational speed when the brook is full is similar to the speed that it would experience when being fitted to a bike and so I am guessing it is optimised for that. The output is 6V AC which can be readily stepped up through the Voltage Tripler to feed the batteries, at relatively low loss I suspect. I would very much like to heat the workshop but energy prices in the UK are super-high at the moment and so I want to insulate it first. The key heating issue is due to the operating temperature of the glue I am using for the aircraft. I have some ideas there for some kind of "tent" to heat just the build area while the glue is setting. The results from this hacked together system are looking quite promising and so I am thinking of developing it further in a better engineered way so your suggestions are very helpful!
@@thesprucegosling9574 Bike wheels could be easily co-axially joined by peace of pipe (I saw people using , even , a square tube) between existing wheel axles (with some adapters , or welds at the ends and bolts). Outer diameter (rim) would be joined and fastened by pedals. I've just assumed , that you may have spare , or can easily and cheaply (or for free) get bike wheels. Tumble dryer drum is fine , if you have it lying around , except for buying bearings , which already exist on every bike wheel.
I understand that brook near your house isn't Niagara , so it would never produce all your energy needs (amount of kinetic energy) . I merely suggested , that you can gain at least a couple of times more power (without much spending and with a little effort and , mostly , scavenged parts and materials). Question of which generator/alternator should be used in your particular situation , can be addressed only after you manage to maximize water energy conversion potential (water wheel , or wheels). Bike generator is limited in it's power production potential , because it is designed for low potential energy (biking). You would want something that can convert more energy than your system can produce , because it will always produce maximum of what your system (water wheel(s) and , maybe gearing) is capable of delivering. There are many permanent magnet motors around (scrapyards , people's sheds...)
I gathered from your videos , that you want to insulate the workshop , but I was talking about "bridging" the autumn/winter period (before you put insulation) with heaters (diy ones) , so you can work with glue and be more comfortable during said period , at least in immediate proximity of a heater(s) - in a circle of couple of meters. Those are very potent and efficient. I know that prices of energy are high in the UK (unfortunately) , but I was talking about alcohol stoves/heaters (methyl/ethyl) , which aren't that much expensive to use for a few hours a day. Tent is good idea , but only if you are stationary , during the work (I mean , within limited space). I was a woodworker and faced the same problem couple of times (when I was younger) and tried that - it can help , but it was mostly very annoying.
I suggest , when you have time , to check out You Tube channel of one Robert Murray-Smith. It contains , literary , a thousands of videos , about these subjects and it is very informative , with lots of ideas. I mean , low tech , bin found materials ideas , with scientific explanations in layman's terms. It may help with changing perspective , or approach , to solving problems of particular projects .He lives in Kent and he's always careful about UK laws and regulations (in terms of what you can , or can't do).
I should've send you an e-mail , because this is horrifically long reply.
All the best !
:) odd accent for a hillbilly. thanks. Subscribed.
Thanks for the subscription, they all help to motivate me! Yes, maybe I am guilty of a bit of cultural mis-appropriation here, but if you were looking for a hillbilly in the UK, the area where I live would be a good start!