Intro: Ion Wind Turbine Shows Static Electricity in Action Static electricity is high voltage (HV) at low current. That unexpected ZAP! occurring when you walk accross a carpet and touch a metal object demonstrates HVconduction by ionized air particles. Ion wind turbines use electrostatic forces acting between these particles to produce mechanical movement.
I decided to go green by making this desk-top project from mostly dollar-store hardware; re-purposed plastic, cardboard and aluminum disposables from my kitchenrecycling bin as well as some curbside junk from the neighbors. The turbine uses foil electrodes that encircle a plastic, tubular rotor. Each electrode has a sharp edgethat sprays a wind of positive or negative ions on the rotor's surface. When these electrodes are arranged so they alternate in polarity around the rotor, each electroderepels a rotor segment carrying the same charge and simultaneously attracts that rotor segment carrying charges deposited by the preceding electrode.
Many sources of static electricity--from old CRT screens that "crackle and pop" when powered up, to room air ionizers--will spin a reasonably well constructed turbine.You can view an enhanced version of my project in operation here:
http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=cXD9W1LtG7A
TOOLS The tools required for this project are a(n): marking pencil; felt tip pen; ruler; compass; protractor; utility scissors; metal saw; desktop paper punch; high speed electricdrill with 1/32,” 1/8 “ and 1/4 “ bits; assorted grit sandpapers; sanding block; miniature hobby file and some Gorilla Glue. In addition to the parts listed in STEP 1 you willneed a rubber band as well as rolls of paper and cellophane tapes.
CAUTIONS Unlike some DIY electrostatic motors that creep along at hundreds of RPM, this bad boy can spool up to thousands of RPM in only seconds when sufficientlypowered—so work carefully and don’t forget the safety glasses! Also, operate the turbine in a ventilated area if you smell ozone gas. So let's begin...
Step 1: Parts ListHere is a list of the parts (there's plenty of opportunity to improvise if a specific part is not available).
A. Rotor Assembly1. Cylinder (1) 3 oz plastic container of Pounce Cat Treats2. Conductive Liner 2-1/4 x 7” aluminum strip cut from soda can3. Disks (2) 2-1/4” dia disks with 1/8” center hole cut from 1/8” cardstock4. Shafts (2) 1/8” dia x 6” metal rod; #6 x 1-1/2“ metal bolt with lock washer & nut5. Collars (2) #6 de-threaded nylon nuts
B. Rotor Cage Assembly1. Floor & Roof Disks (4) 3-3/4” dia disks with 1/4” center hole cut from 1/8” cardstock2. Bearings (2) #6 nylon flat washers3. Hubs & Insulators (10) 1/4“ dia x 1/8” flanged, nylon screw insulators (http://www.smallparts.com)4. Support Columns (4) 1/4” dia x 2-7/8” wood dowels
C. HV Electrode Assembly1. Power Rods (4) 1/4” dia x 2-7/8” wood dowels2. Conductive Jackets (4) foil chewing gum wrappers3. Ionizers (4) 2-1/4” x 2-1/2“ strips cut from aluminum pie pans4. Connecting Leads (2) 4” of #20 AWG insulated wire5. Lead Clamps (8) plastic push pins6. Input Terminals (2) ring connectors w/#20 AWG insulated input leads
D. Final Assembly1. Fly wheel (1) 2-1/4” dia disk with 1/8” center hole cut from 1/8” cardstock2. Flywheel Spinner (1) metal tip from ballpoint pen3. Project Base (1) 1/8“ cardstock4. Turbine Shroud (1) cardboard peanut container (4" dia x 3-1/8")5. HV Rim Insulators (1) plastic, snap-on, peanut container lids6.Mounting Stand-offs (2) empty plastic or styro thread spools7. Power Source (1) DIY ionizer or commercial unit (example:
Step 2: Make & Line Rotor Cylinder Construct rotor by removing the top and bottom ends of a cat food container to form a 2” long cylinder. Remove label and sand edges with fine paper until level.
Cut aluminum strip to specified size and line inside of cylinder. Trim width as needed to minimize overlap. Strip will serve as a conductor to attract ions to the rotor andalso provide a seat for the rotor disks.
Step 3: Prepare Rotor & Flywheel Disks Covers from 3-ring binders are perfect sources for 1/8” cardstock used for this project. First, remove the plastic sheathing from the binder. Cut and drill three disks asspecified for the rotor and flywheel. Insert the #6 x 1-1/2” metal bolt through the holes. Clamp disks firmly against the bolt head with a lock washer and nut. Chuck assembly in an electric drill. Using asanding block and medium grit paper carefully grind disks to a diameter of 2-1/4.” Rub a thin layer of glue on the surfaces and edges of the disks to strengthen thecardstock. Allow disks to dry and sand lightly with fine grit paper until surfaces are smooth.
Step 4: Assemble Rotor Press fit one disk into each end of the cylinder; they should fit snugly and rest against the aluminum liner installed in STEP 2. The outer disk surfaces should be flushwith the edges of the cylinder. If the disk diameter is too small, just wrap some paper tape around the circumference to achieve the necessary diameter. Trim excess tapeuntil disk surfaces are level.
Bond the liner to the inner cylinder wall with a small amount of glue. Do not glue the end disks in place at this time —you will need to balance the rotor later. Place thethird disk aside for later use in STEP 13.
Cut the rotor shaft to size and slide it through the disk centers. Make shaft collars by removing threads from two #6 nylon nuts with round hobby file until they fit snuglyover the shaft. Slide one collar to the end of the shaft and secure with glue. Place this assembly and remaining collar aside at this point.
Step 5: Cut, Mark & Punch Rotor Cage Disks Cut and drill center holes for the four disks to make the cage floor and roof. Remove 1/8” from the edges of the disks to make a flattened base for mounting yourturbine. Sand edges until level.
Mark placements on one of the disks with a protractor to accommodate four support columns and four power rods. The placements must be equally spaced at 45degrees and 1/4” from the circumference. Use this disk as a template for the three remaining disks.
Make the eight placement holes in each disk with a paper punch. Verify alignment of the holes as well as the flat edges of all disks. Apply glue sparingly to join twodisks to make the cage floor. Repeat this step with the two remaining disks to make the roof.
Step 6: Construct Rotor Bearings Construct left and right rotor bearings from nylon insulators using a #6 nylon flat washer which is centered and glued to the flanged side of the insulator. Carefullyenlarge the center hole of each disk pair with a hobby file. Press fit the bearing assembly through the hole so the flange seats firmly against each disk’s surface.
Step 7: Assemble Rotor Cage Assemble rotor cage by placing two insulators over each column with the flanged side facing outward and 1/4“ of the column protruding past the flange. If necessary,wrap a layer of cellophane tape around each column to keep the insulators from slipping. Insert columns into the 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock positions with respect to the flatedge of the floor disk.
Before inserting columns into the corresponding roof holes, insert the axle assembly in the cage so the axle passes through both floor and roof bearings. Attach andadjust the roof so that both disks are parallel and rest solidly on the insulator flanges.
Push the axle through until the shaft collar rests against the roof bearing. Slide the remaining collar on the opposite end of the axle. Hold everything togethertemporarily with a rubber band.
Step 8: Balance Rotor Adjust the movable collar to allow rotor to spin freely when the cage is placed on its side. If the rotor stops in the same position, disassemble it and apply paper tape tothe rotor’s inner wall to counter balance. Once the rotor is balanced, glue the end disks to the plastic cylinder. However, do not glue support columns to the floor and roofdisks at this time.
Step 9: Power Rod Construction Because the turbine runs on little current, all metal surfaces—except the ionizer edges—must be smooth to reduce corona leakage. Begin power rod construction bydrilling a 1/32” center hole about 1/2“ deep into both ends of each rod. Wrap the rods with chewing gum foil to make conductive jackets. Ensure that all edges aresmooth.
Step 10: Fold & Wrap Ionizer Strips Make a 1/8“ lengthwise crease on both sides of each ionizer strip and fold inwards. Wrap a strip around each power rod so the fold is on the inside of the foil roll.
Step 11: Power Rod, Rotor & Cage Assembly Enlarge the remaining holes in the floor and roof disks slightly with a round file to accommodate the jacketed rods. Position the rods so that the folded edges of theionizers face the rotor’s surface. Assemble the rotor-cage assembly using glue to secure the columns; but do not glue to power rods in place.
Secure ionizers to the rods with glue allowing about a 1/8“ gap between each electrode edge and the rotor.
Step 12: Wiring the Turbine Select two rods at one end of the cage that are mutually opposite. Join them together with a connecting lead and two clamps by removing sufficient insulation from bothlead ends. Wrap several turns of the bare wire around the metal shaft of each clamp. Place a ring connector with lead wire under the head of one clamp. Press clampshafts firmly into the center holes that you drilled in the rods in STEP 9. Repeat this procedure for the other end of the cage.
Insert remaining clamps into the free end of each power rod to secure them in the placement holes of the disks. Adjust the electrode-rotor gap by turning the clamps toachieve the correct distance
Step 13: Attach Flywheel & SpinnerSecure the flywheel and spinner on the rotor shaft with glue.
Step 14: Final Assembly Your turbine is almost ready to roll :>). Just peel off the label and carefully remove the bottom of the peanut container with a can opener without damaging the containerrims. Insert the entire rotor-cage assembly from the bottom so that the top lip of the container serves as a backstop.
Cut out a 3-1/2" diameter circle from both snap-on lids and use them to insulate the container rims from the HV leads and clamp shafts. These lids will also keep theturbine in place.
Decorate the flywheel with a felt pen and glue two thread spool stand-offs to the container. Mount the everything on a cardstock base. I attached rubber feet and inputterminals to the base for a more finished appearance.
Step 15: Powering the Turbine I powered my turbine with a DIY, 12-stage, Crockcroft-Walton multiplier. However, a blinged-out power source isn't essential; almost any commercial electronic ionizerrated at 6 kV or better is adequate. Even a large diameter CRT can provide momentary power for the turbine.
Tape a large sheet of aluminum foil to the screen, fold the edges to reduce corona leakage and attach an insulated wire from the sheet to one of the turbine’s inputs.Connect the remaining terminal to a suitable ground.
File Downloads
Table 1.pdf ((595x842) 2 KB)[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'Table 1.pdf']
Step 16: Troubleshooting Tips The following variables will affect your turbine’s performance: (a) electrode-rotor gap, (b) bearing friction, (c) rotor balance and (d) inter-electrode distance. Thefirst three items are very important if you select weaker power sources for your turbine.
Irregular gap distances will produce uneven electrostatic forces on the rotor causing the shaft to rattle in bearings with too much wiggle room (if the bearings that aretoo tight, to rotor will bind). Of course, an imbalanced rotor also will limit performance.
Because the average breakdown voltage of air is ~3 kV /millimeter, non-insulated or closely spaced electrodes can arc causing a sudden power loss and a drop inspeed. A mini flourescent backlight from discarded handheld computer makes a great indicator of corona breakdown. Glue the lamp along the length of the shroud andattach one lead to ground; leave the other end unconnected as an antena. The lamp will flicker if arcing occurs within the turbine.
Step 17: Enhancing the Wow Factor Consider mounting your project on a wood cigar box with oversized rubber bushings as stand-offs to absorb turbine vibration. Place your preferred power supply insidethe box and wire in an ON/OFF switch. Next, spray the shroud with high-gloss, metallic paint and replace the cardstock flywheel with a small, plastic fan blade. Identifyyour project with rub-on letters.
For extreme performance, replace the nylon bearings with oiled, stainless steel flat washers and add an extra pair of ionizing electrodes to increase torque. When thismaxed-out version was connected to an industrial ionizer (12 kV DC at 1.0 milliamp!) it sounded like this:
The input voltage of this enhanced design should top off at 12 - 13 kV. Higher voltages will eventually arc and could permanently toast your turbine :>O.
That's all for now. Thanks for your interest in this project!
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Comments
50 comments Add Comment view all 52 comments
janesycamore says: Mar 4, 2011. 10:59 PM REPLYThis is a total macguiver (sp) pwn! 5 STARS!
brazilero2008 says: Mar 10, 2011. 2:33 PM REPLYThat was one of my fav shows too!Thanks for the stars :)
paqrat says: Oct 12, 2010. 9:10 PM REPLYI apologize if this question sounds stupid. I prefer to think of it as ignorant. Why is a power source needed if the whole thing runs on static electricity?
brazilero2008 says: Oct 13, 2010. 5:31 AM REPLY Think of the project as a simple motor. It requires a power source to spin the rotor. The source is a high voltage transformer/multiplier combo (just amini, DIY room air ionizer) mounted inside of the base. Alternative power sources can be used. The rotor will move (slightly) from static electricity produced by walking across a carpet and touching one of theinput terminals when the other terminal is grounded. Van de Graaffs, Wimshursts, etc . would be much better power sources.
paqrat says: Oct 18, 2010. 3:25 AM REPLYThank you. That does clear that up. :)
BIGHAIRYDUDE says: Oct 9, 2010. 6:14 PM REPLYSo what exactly does this accomplish does it just move air? what is it powered by because i know it cant just be from air can it?
brazilero2008 says: Oct 10, 2010. 9:24 AM REPLYThe rotor that spins the fan blade is powered by electricity. In this case, high voltage at low current which we often experience as static shocks duringcold, dry days.
Is this process reversible? In other words, can a 'bine generate static electricity from the wind? I tried spinning the blade by hand as fast as possible (toimitate a strong breeze) when the 'bine's inputs were connected to a sensitive ammeter nothing happened... There are better ways to generate HV staticanyway.
xarlock667 says: Oct 11, 2010. 12:00 AM REPLYYou are doing it wrong, the motor was not designed to produce electricity. Instead, take a generator and connect the shafts to each other. You arenot producing electricity because you have no magnets to move the electrons. Draw your power from the generator. On a side note, how muchtorque does it produce?
brazilero2008 says: Oct 11, 2010. 10:06 AM REPLYDon't have actual torque values; but It should turn the shaft of a small DC motor.
xarlock667 says: Oct 11, 2010. 7:22 PM REPLYA simple test is the measure of how hard it presses at a set distance. Place a lever on the shaft and place it on a scale, measure the slack,then power the motor up. You now know how much torque it produces.
BIGHAIRYDUDE says: Oct 10, 2010. 3:49 PM REPLYo.k so if you were to do a science fair project on this what would you test... maybe air temperature?
kevgreenan says: Oct 11, 2010. 2:55 PM REPLYcould one go about making this out of CDs?
nel1160 says: Oct 11, 2010. 1:30 PM REPLYwauuuuuuuuu
dewilkins says: Oct 11, 2010. 11:38 AM REPLYVery interesting! This project brings to mind an electrostatic air filter I once had that used the power of the fan driven air movement to ionize the filter (due tothe arrangement of various materials in the filter itself.) It worked reasonable well but was extremely hard to clean - so we went back to microporousdisposable air filters.
I am curious if one or more of these electrostatic air filters could be modified to produce a power input to your turbine when exposed to the wind. One could,for example, replace the panels in the back fence with a grid of the appropriate materials and use the accumulated power to run a bug zapper.
brazilero2008 says: Oct 11, 2010. 11:53 AM REPLYW/o knowing more about this particular air filter design you mentioned I'm on thin ice here; but an output >6,000 volts at 5 uA should turn the rotor.
9ale7 says: Oct 11, 2010. 10:13 AM REPLYwooow !!!people... take it easy !!!
HAHAHAHa, take this:after i red ur commentz, i well sheck mi sbelling nd make shore (( IT IS THE )) write sbelling.
:Pjust kidding
potterrandy says: Oct 11, 2010. 9:51 AM REPLYMore simply put this is a homemade motor, in two phase, that consumes high voltage at lower amperage with a fan attached, and if it were reversed togenerate, it would have to be going a whole lot faster to make anything happen.
9ale7 says: Oct 10, 2010. 11:54 AM REPLYnice project, and one thing to say,I would like to see you'res in action, a video would be nice :)
shaawn says: Oct 11, 2010. 4:09 AM REPLYJust a little grammer note - if you don't mind : YOUR'S - is the spelling you want -- you've been using (you'res) which usually reads: you are(s)
LittleMonkeyMojo says: Oct 11, 2010. 8:20 AM REPLYActually "yours" is the spelling you want. Your is already possessive so no apostrophe is required. "Your's" would translate to "your is" which is notgrammatically correct and doesn't make sense.
dustinnewton says: Oct 11, 2010. 7:26 AM REPLYGrammar, not grammer. A, not e. Hopefully, some helpful info.
9ale7 says: Oct 10, 2010. 11:57 AM REPLYWoow is that youtube video you're end project?!looks amazing :P
kmpres says: Oct 10, 2010. 7:53 PM REPLYVery interesting, simple, and nicely written! I can imagine myself shipwrecked on a deserted isle with nothing but a book, a pack of chewing gum, a beer can,and a pocket knife and making this. Getting it to do something useful, like powering a low voltage dynamo for running a cheap transistor radio or somethingwould be the next leap in ingenuity but you only need brain power and the will to survive for that. -- Not now, Gilligan!
maryfinny says: Oct 10, 2010. 11:21 AM REPLYthe blind leading the blindConsider what it has already donesuch asinspired thought and communitationquestions w/wo answers
brazilero2008 says: Oct 10, 2010. 5:31 PM REPLYConcerning "inspired thought & communication," the late Dr. Oleg Jefimenko, the modern day father of electrostatic motors, rarely received enough creditfor his ingenious ideas.
guitarpicker7 says: Oct 10, 2010. 8:48 AM REPLYbogus from the beginning - learn what STATIC ELECTRICITY means
Patrik says: Oct 10, 2010. 9:40 AM REPLYNo, not bogus at all. Google eletrostatic motor .
You've probably seen electrostatically charged particles being repulsed by an electrode with the same polarity, and attracted by an electrode with theopposite polarity. This motor works on electrostatic attraction and repulsion, just like a regular electric motor works on magnetic attraction an repulsion.
Briefly, the high voltage "power rods" deposit an electrostatic charge on the surface of the nonconductive rotor. This charge is then repulsed from thepower rod and atracted by the neighboring oppositely charged rod, which makes the rotor turn.
brazilero2008 says: Oct 10, 2010. 5:23 PM REPLYWell said!
weaselkeeper says: Oct 10, 2010. 3:05 PM REPLYHe's pointing out that your definition of static electricity as " high voltage (HV) at low current. " is in error. (seehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Static_electricity for a basic primer on static electricity and how it differs from dynamic electricity)
It's a nice project, and well described, but errors are errors, you should correct them, rather than get defensive.
xarlock667 says: Oct 10, 2010. 11:55 PM REPLYNot to piss on your parade, but DO NOT cite the Wikipedia as a valid source for debunking ANYTHING. You can cite it's sources, but people likeyou and me can see something we think is wrong and change it to suit ourselves. It is not a reliable source, and in this case I think it is wrong.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dynamicDynamic:In Physicsa.of or pertaining to force or power.b.of or pertaining to force related to motion.
Lightning is static electrical discharge. It can readily fuse sand into glass, and therefore has demonstrable power. It also ran the turbine, andagain demonstrated that it can generate dynamic power.
NachoMahma says: Oct 15, 2010. 6:39 AM REPLY. Huh?. Wikipedia is, within reason, very accurate. Yes, anyone can change it, but anyone else can fix it. No, it is not the ultimate authority onanything, but it makes for a very handy starting point.. What does the definition of "dynamic" have to do with anything? Are you trying to say that somehow that means that the "static" in "staticelectricity" precludes any power or motion? If so, it doesn't work like that.. "Lightning is static electrical discharge." Wait a minute, that's what Wikipedia says! How could it possibly be right? ;)
xarlock667 says: Oct 15, 2010. 8:04 AM REPLYI did say you could cite Wikipedia's sources, just not it, when debunking myths, and overturning nonsense.
Though I hate to do this, I have to quote myself."Lightning is static electrical discharge. It can readily fuse sand into glass, and therefore has demonstrable power. It also ran the turbine,and again demonstrated that it can generate dynamic power."
I was on the side saying that static electricity was a dynamic force. I use the hell out of the Wikipedia, and frequently refer to it as therepository of all human knowledge. It is however flawed, wrong, and outright unusable as a standalone source. You have to check thesources, and make sure of your facts.
NachoMahma says: Oct 15, 2010. 9:28 AM REPLY. I think we agree more than we disagree, we're just having problems getting our points across. ;). Of course, no source, by itself, should be considered the final word, but for most discussions on a DIY site, it's an excellent Q&Dreference (especially for difinitions that are deeper than most dictionaries provide). It's not the final word and it wouldn't be appropriateon a scientific site, but it's good enough for the girls I go out with.
gafisher says: Oct 10, 2010. 11:29 AM REPLYNice project well explained. As for the questions, you're in good company -- you may be sure everyone from Euclid to Edison got his share of "but what's itgood for?" comments too. Electrostatics may well be the power technology of the future -- clean, cheap and available.
Mark Rehorst says: Oct 10, 2010. 10:33 AM REPLYGreat project- nevermind the dopes who pretend they don't get the concept. All the electrostatic motors I've seen before were just the low speed, low torquethings that balanced on a tack on top of a van de Graaf generator. Keep up the good work and remember that great minds are often misunderstood.
endolith says: Oct 10, 2010. 8:16 AM REPLYSo it's just a rotary fan? Why not skip the rotation and just use the electric field to ionize air and move it directly?
brazilero2008 says: Oct 10, 2010. 9:31 AM REPLYKids who watch the project in operation like the cool sounds it makes as it spools up :>). Ion sprays just make boring hissing sounds.
metashade says: Oct 9, 2010. 1:38 AM REPLYmaybe i am being stupid here, but what does this machine do, except for moving air like a regular fan?
brazilero2008 says: Oct 9, 2010. 5:58 PM REPLYA fair Q. An electrostatic 'bine is a motor. Many things an electromagnetic motor can do, a 'bine can do.
metashade says: Oct 10, 2010. 1:22 AM REPLYso it's just a fan?
ogorir says: Oct 10, 2010. 8:44 AM REPLYhow did you get 'so it's just a fan?' from 'Many things an electromagnetic motor can do, a 'bine can do.' ... regardless, you should be able topower small projects. you could add a reduction pulley and belt drive instead of the impeller and power... something? I don't have a solidapplication offhand, but if you need a stationary motor for something with low torque requirements, this may be useful. well, maybe not useful, butinteresting, anyway.
of course, this type of motor is best suited to science displays and the like. a possible option would be a human-powered (bicycle) van de graafpowering the turbine coupled via belt drive to a DC generator powering a LED. mostly useless, but looks cool anyway.
chaydgb says: Oct 10, 2010. 7:34 AM REPLYGreat 'ible, but the title is confusing. I (possibly like others) assumed that this was a way of generating electricity through the movement of air, but withoutmoving parts (or something like that) rather than an electrostatic motor driven fan.
MotaBoi says: Oct 8, 2010. 2:08 PM REPLYLet me get this straight. It is powered by the electricity in the air?
brazilero2008 says: Oct 9, 2010. 5:33 PM REPLYThis Q has come up a few times. This 'bine can be powered by the Earth's electric field. Here's the link to the original DIY electrostatic motor i'ble fromPopular Science:
Rs master says: Oct 8, 2010. 4:12 PM REPLYNo it uses electrictiy to move air
sukinmaru says: Oct 8, 2010. 5:36 PM REPLYlol so do regular fans
Angstridden.Hipster says: Oct 10, 2010. 8:34 AM REPLYMore specifically it is the force of the high voltage electrons being spat out of the back like so many high velocity ping pong balls that moves theair.
