You knew I couldn't resist!
Here are sites that have a lot of good dope (information, not drugs, and I'm willing to share my info but not my drugs as my doctor made me promise not to share, otherwise I'm a sharing kind of guy. I digress), It mentions sources for blades and the stuff needed. EBay also has stuff
http://www.windbluepower.com/articles.asp?ID=123http://www.windynation.com/The sites tell you about how much juice (power, not orange or passion fruit) you can expect at different wind speeds.
A big issue is that a std alternator won't put out the voltage you need at low RPMs as it wasn't designed for that. So you gotta modify it or buy one that has been modified. Even if the engine driving a typical alternator is not spinning that fast, the pulley on the engine is much bigger than the alternator pulley so the alternator is spinning pretty fast.
Kinda like when you put bigger wheels on your car, it goes slower because the speedometer says you are going slower when you are traveling the same speed as you were with your original tires. Don't ask, it's an inside joke.For best performance and to ensure you don't cut off a pinkie or nose (or two or three) it should be mounted high enough so that you won't wander into it if your sense of caution is inhibited due to lack of sleep, drugs, alcohol, or one's just dumb enough to walk into a propeller.
If you can get it high enough to be safe, regularly camp where there are good breezes, and are willing to do a fair amount of fabrication it could be practical.
You'd wanna compare the cost and output to solar cells before you leap.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Gus
The opinions in this post are my own. My comments are directed to those that might like an alternative approach to those already espoused.There is the right way,the wrong way,the USMC way, your way, my way, and the highway.
"I'm impatient with stupidity. My people have learned to live without it." Klaatu-"The Day the Earth Stood Still"
"You can't handle the truth!"-Jack Nicholson "A Few Good Men"
"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. The Marines don't have that problem"-Ronald Reagan