2021-06-19
[public] 66.1K views, 1.24K likes, dislikes audio only
In this video I build a 12" 3d printed waterwheel and use it to generate electricity from a tiny amount of water flow. The parts are all printed from PLA. It uses a 10x gear ratio to drive a rotor with 99 neodymium fridge magnets on it and generate alternating current through 33 coils. I measured the maximum power output of a the generator at about 26 mW, and the whole thing is only ~9% efficient, so there's definitely room for improvement. I think I can achieve a larger gear-up ratio without adding much friction, which could dramatically increase the power output.
The shafts / bearings are 8mm, and i used 8mm x 3mm neodymium magnets for the generator rotor. The LED sets are wired antiparallel so they illuminate on opposite phases of the generator's AC output.
Since I live in a very flat place with no natural streams nearby, I got the water flow from a tiny aquarium pump which only moves a few LPM. The wheel runs at about 35 RPM in the sink and about 20 RPM on the pump.
STL Files:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4889445
Music used in the video:
Kevin MacLeod - George Street Shuffle
Kevin MacLeod - Groove Groove