Recycling of Small Electrical Machines and its Applications for Low Cost Wind Turbines.

Abstract

Nowadays, recycling issues has reached also the electrical machines engineering. Paper as “Principios de Diseño para Reciclar Motores de Inducción” [1] is an example of the interest of this matter within the engineers and professor all around the world. Students seem to be particularly interested in recycling, especially if its is applied to energy generation [2]. Fractional horsepower electrical motors, which can be found in any home appliances, as washing machines, hovers, mixers, etc., and automotion are the preferred machines as they are very easy to find and they are be simply to handle and operate [3]. The transformation of these machines into generators is not difficult, but it is a good exercise for students as it demands a deep knowledge of the electrical theory [4]. Energy generated by these machines is always stored in batteries and accumulators, so it can be applied to move electrical water pumps, drip irrigation systems, and to provide energy to isolated farmhouses [5]. The final purpose of this paper is to give ideas of how to make the lowest cost energy generator, both in terms of money and environmental impact.

A few years ago, our department started some projects and prototypes in the electrical recycling area. The great interested showed by the students and the quality of the experimental designs presented, have lead us to carry out this paper. Along this work, some of these samples are depicted, trying to show an objective vision of the matter. We will not included energy efficiency issues and energy losses of the recycled machines as they are not the main reason of the studies. Former prototypes shall focus in how to improve the isolation category of the generator, as it new location is quite different from the one which was design for.