Hi All.

I was wondering if anyone here knew of a good online resource for information about vertical axis wind turbines. I've been reading about them and looking around... some seem to be DC and generate about 200w with a modest 10mph wind.

But, as sometimes happens, most of the information either seems to come from the manufacturers of the devices themselves or you have to buy some book on amazon that costs $100-$200.

I'd like to find some unbiased info, does anyone have any links they'd recommend?

What you are looking for is called a SAVONIUS rotor.
This should get you started.

The Savonius Super Rotor
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Renewable-Energy/1974-03-01/The-Savonius-Super-Rotor.aspx

The Alternative Windmill [mostly pictures]
http://www.southcom.com.au/~windmill/

Micro wind power with a Savonius rotor
http://www.angelfire.com/ak5/energy21/microsavonius.htm

My Savonius Rotor - Making Electricity [4 meg pdf]
http://www.homesopen.com/wind/savonius.pdf

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF A SAVONIUS- DARRIEUS WIND MACHINE [pdf]
http://cere.udc.edu/Gupta.pdf

SAVONIUS ROTOR CONSTRUCTION [pdf]
http://www.zhn.cz/literatura/uzitecne_manualy/cd3wd/other/Savonius%20Rotor%20Construction.pdf

A homemade water pumping wind turbine
http://www.angelfire.com/ak5/energy21/savonius.htm

A new spin on an old twist.
http://www.instructables.com/files/orig/FAG/WAR7/BRBEYKVV73O/FAGWAR7BRBEYKVV73O.pdf

Building a Home Home-Scale Vertical Axis Wind Turbine
http://carbon.cudenver.edu/engineering/P...escale_vawt.pdf

Another Approch to Wind
http://www.memagazine.org/backissues/membersonly/jun04/features/apptowind/apptowind.html

holy smokes thanks that rocks.

Its amazing how much it helps just to ask someone that knows.

I don't know about that particular model, but I understand that in order to use a wind turbine with enough effect for home energy, your area needs to have sustained wind speeds of 12mph year round.

So it would not work in most residential areas specifically and in a great deal of cities in general.

Also listened to a guy on the radio discuss that many city councils have poor attitudes towards them in suburban areas and they are not allowed without permits.