Description of the WindDrive
This animated picture shows the components of the WindDrive: ThisSite:/images/WD_Animated.gif
- The rotor of the WindDrive (color yellow) is constructed much like the frame of an umbrella (as shown), or as a bicycle wheel (later to be described). In this rotor sails or wings are mounted. Anything works! Either simple mats woven from grass or high-tech airfoils.
At the outer ends of the 'umbrella spokes' forks are mounted. These forks catch and guide a rope that glide into the bottom of the fork, where it can not slip easily. But this rope slips out of the fork when it comes closer to lowest part of the circle in which it runs. Combined, these forks act as a V-groove in a pulley. But there is no need for a V-belt! A simple sisal rope has shown to perform very well in transmitting 100 Watt for months on a test rig.
- The rope runs over a special pulley (color red) of the generator. The tower is not stiff. It bends and sways as branches of a tree in the wind. So the rope is NOT running with equal tension. To compensate for this, a tensioner may be mounted (detail later to be shown).
As the rope does not enter the pulley precisely in the middle, the pulley is build like a jojo, with smooth flanges from which the rope slides to the centre. This centre however is a rubber disk offering more friction to transmit the driving force of the rope to the generator.
- The rotor, that need not weight very much, turns around a stick, that is part of the WindFollower (color green). The WindFollower turns where the wind blows it. So it offers the proper direction for the rotor to turn in. The generator is mounted on the same WindFollower, so is the rope tensioner. The WindFollower can easily be lifted off the stick on which it can turn when following the wind. It can be lifted off for upkeep of the rotor with its sails or the all the parts take care for the transmission of the force by the rope drive.
- The simple stick (color brown) on which the WindFollower can swivel, should be flexible and bent with wind gusts. When the WindRotor should be stuck higher in the air to catch more wind, the stick should get some stays in four or more directions.