The overpopulated masses will need something to do so maybe they would like to build a wind mill. Ok I am really just testing to see if I can move a thread around to another spot on the forum..just for fun..
. Since I was building that batt bank charger and I have some extra stator cores routered out I though what the hell lets build a windmill for yard lighting.
I picked up a few packs of super bright red LED's note on the pack it say's 2.2 volts and 20 milli amps...so I will wrap these coils to produce just that. I like the red for two reasons, its a soft light for at night, and doesnt destroy my night vision. I will run a string of these down the driveway, maybe one every 10 feet for a hundred fifty feet or so and they will be aimed straight down at the ground.
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So ...15 of them, x .020 each = 300 milli amps, and lets round up to 3 volts, so 3x.3=.9 watts lets round up and say 1 watt. 1 watt thats all I need to light my driveway up....this would not have been possible years ago but LED's for lighting purposes have been revolutionary, flashlights are now so powerful because of them, and batteries last forever on them.
Anyway I wont need batteries or anything if I do this right the windmill should direct drive these no problem, and as I need only 1 watt max for all of them I can get that from the lightest of winds...you got to love winter....only time I get to build fun projects. I wont post more on this project, as I am just thowing out some of the things I am doing incase someone is looking for idea's for winter projects to do...something like this is a fun and usefull project and keeps me out of the bar during the winter.
all wired up and ready to cast
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I just may cast this with clear epoxy so the coils can be seen,maybe use this one as usefull kinetic yard art.
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Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
These will run at 3 volts?
With 150 feet of wire? Won't voltage drop be a problem?
Hell no...first voltage drop is a concern...but lots of people throw that term around with out really understanding it, and I mean by people who should understand it....there are charts they can look up online that will give them some spec...but you cant consider those numbers valid by themself as they are a worst case figure, selected at a arbitary value, and for a worst case application..and there are times you want voltage drop depending on the application...somethings even run better with some..voltdrop can be your friend..bet you havent heard that before.
I will try to explain...you have two wires (14 gauge)each run 1000 ft...one wire hooked to the positive of a 12 volt battery, the other to the negative.....now grab your voltmeter and go to the ends 1000 ft away, measure the voltage at the ends of these two wires. what did you measure...should be bang on 12 volts...right? how can that be? those charts show X for a voltage drop over 1000 feet? well actual voltage drop is determined by current flow, without currrent flow end of line voltage will = the supply. doesnt matter the wire gauge, doesnt matter the voltage.
Now lets put those led lights at the end of the 1000 feet of wire and hook them up ( pretend they are 12 volt leds just to keep this simple) anyway they used 300 milli amps. there are calculators on line that you can find that will show you the voltage drop at 1000 feet with 300milli amps of current...I dont have time to go look for one myself at the moment I know the voltage drop will be little maybe/likely unmeasurable for practical purposes...of no concern at all. now if you were trying to draw 30 amps down that same 1000 feet of wire depending on what you are powering you could have problems..and a big drop! Voltage drop is a function of current flow (and temp, wire insulation, gauge, type of applied voltage (saw tooth, sign, squarewave,DC))
Voltage drop charts are just to keep everyone roughly on the same page...walking down the same path keeping everything simple so to speak, like gaurd rails on a bridge. so manufacturers can built products to known specs and have them perform the same everywhere.
Trust me voltage drop can be your friend, sure one you dont always want to spend a lot time with, or let drink to much, but otherwise can be a handy fellow to have around..not as bad as he is made out to be.
Except in long distance high power applications/distribution....idealy you never want to see his face then.
voltage drop is like amp capacity in wires, there are charts that will show you how much current a wire can carry, you wont go wrong using them...the type of wire in your home for example....how come there are no amp capacity charts for magnet wire of the same gauge? go on try to find one......because you pretty much can use them to carry whatever (within reason) current you want, as the gauge is not the criteria that determines the current carrying ability, rather temperature is. how hot you will let that wire get to decides what it can carry in your application.
Like many things the devil is in the details. I will play cards with the devil..I just make sure I shuffle and cut.
Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
I didn't answer that question well Professor...let me try again...Yes they will run at 3 or so volts on the Leds, but the supply voltage will be well over that, the extra voltage is just to make sure there is pleenty of voltage even with line loss. at the led itself will be either shunt or series pass regulation to clip off the extra voltage, if I use shunt control, that will be for clipping voltage, and series pass will be for tighter control, but will likely use more components.
Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
The first explanation worked just fine, just haven't been around much.
