Homemade Wind Turbine Project: Rotatary Connector and Slip Rings
I use Mercotac slip rings. The wind turbine will rotate 360
degrees, and this presents a potential problem. The wires going
down the tower can keep twisting in one direction, while the connect
they make stays still at the base. Some people have created large
slip rings to transform the rotation on the top using carbon brushings
to stationary rings, which are connected to the wires exiting the
pole. I decided to take an easier approach a bought an electrical
rotating connector. It has a sealed casing with mercury.
The top is stationary, while the bottom rotates.
The unit is made of stainless steel, but it not impervious to the elements. For this reason I built a simple outer shell to protect it from the weather using PVC pipe. I lathed the pieces on one end to form a seat for the connector and allow it to slip inside the top of pole. The wires teather it to the bottom to keep it fixed in place. The wires that connect at right angles connect to the stator. The wires coming off straight will connect to wires going down the pole.
The unit is made of stainless steel, but it not impervious to the elements. For this reason I built a simple outer shell to protect it from the weather using PVC pipe. I lathed the pieces on one end to form a seat for the connector and allow it to slip inside the top of pole. The wires teather it to the bottom to keep it fixed in place. The wires that connect at right angles connect to the stator. The wires coming off straight will connect to wires going down the pole.