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Forum Index : Windmills : Cast Iron Vs Steel

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Sonny

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Joined: 17/01/2010
Location: United States
Posts: 66

Posted: 02:00am 10 Feb 2010

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I am still trying to get the things together to build my turbine. I have some 1/4 inch material I can use for the magnet rotors. But I was over at my son's place the other day and he has some old weights he is getting rid of. I was looking at them and had this wild idea. The smaller weights are just about the right diameter for what I need for the generator. I can turn them in my lathe to get them to the right size plus help with the balancing. I'm sure they aren't balanced now because they are just cast and didn't need to be balanced for what they were intended to be use for.
My question is, will there be any difference whither I use the iron vs the steel rotor? I want to be sure I use the best. But like a lot of stuff I seem to hit a brick wall when it comes to finding the information I need. I know Hugh Piggott has used old disk break rotors but most of the kits I find are using steel rotors.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Sonny

a complete novice

Greenbelt

Guru

Joined: 11/01/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 566

Posted: 03:06am 10 Feb 2010

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Sonny;
Magnetic coils do not function well when used with Cast Iron. The very soft steel silicon type is best for magnetic coils because of the reluctance Factor, Cast iron is slow to magnetize , and it is slow to de magnetize when polarity reverses. I would vote against It. Sorry!

Look up Magnetic reluctance an permeability.
Here is a link that explains it better Edited by Greenbelt 2010-02-11

Time has proven that I am blind to the Obvious, some of the above may be True?

oztules

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Joined: 26/07/2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 1686

Posted: 10:29am 10 Feb 2010

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Sonny.
If you are using the cast iron for rotors (I think you are) then that is fine. No problem at all.

If you are using them in an environment where changing magnetic flux occurs then see Greenbelts answer.

For an axial flux they are fine to use as rotor steel.

For a recipe that calls for mild steel, then cast will do the job just as well

..........oztules

Village idiot...or... just another hack out of his depth

Sonny

Regular Member

Joined: 17/01/2010
Location: United States
Posts: 66

Posted: 02:07pm 10 Feb 2010

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Thanks Oztules, you're right about using them for the magnet rotors.
And thank you also Greenbelt, that's a great web page. It brings back everything I had forgotten from my Ham radio days plus a lot more.

a complete novice

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