Wind Power | Helpful Tips

Thank you for choosing Thames & Kosmos and for your interest in our Wind Power kit.

Here are some helpful hints tips in getting your turbine to power the LED. A few factors could potentially be contributing to the problem you are experiencing including LED positioning, wind strength/consistency, blade configuration, proper assembly of the turbine (especially the gearbox portion), etc. 

LED position: Please keep in mind LED’s have polarity; this means that one wire is positive and one wire is negative.  If you look closely at the base on the clear portion of the LED you will see that there is a thin ridge or lip that runs along the circumference. Most of this ridge is rounded, (including the side where the longer wire starts), but one side is flattened (the side where the shorter wire starts). The round side of the LED base indicates the positive wire/terminal and the flat side indicates the negative wire/terminal.  So, if the LED is not lighting up, you may simply need to reorient the LED so that the positive and negative wires are inserted in the correct way.

Wind strength/consistency: If you are testing the windmill indoors, we recommend using an industrial-strength fan for the best results.  Otherwise, testing the model outdoors on a day with consistent and at least moderate windiness would be ideal. Because this is a scaled-down model of a wind turbine, it has certain limitations and inefficiencies attributable to the materials used.  A certain loss of power can be expected due to the model shaking.  This loss of power can be somewhat mitigated by stabilizing the turbine base as much as possible.  We would recommend using a few books or some packing tape to better secure the baseplate and tower tube to a flat surface.  Also, if using a fan to create wind, make sure it is at a slight angle so that the blades catch it. 

Proper Assembly: The voltage or amperage produced by the wind turbine can also vary depending on the turbine assembly and/or blade configuration (including blade angle and the number of blades used), as well as the gear ratio you use. There are instructions included in the manual which will show you how to best assemble and align the turbine blades.  If you need any assistance with the assembly steps, please let us know. 

Lastly, the generator/motor has an Operational Voltage which ranges between 0.7 Volts and 4.0 Volts.  Approximately 1.7 Volts would be required to produce visible light from the included LED.  Amperage output will also vary depending upon the variables listed above, but this value can range from 20mA to 220mA.

I hope that helps. If any other questions arise, please send us an email at [e-mail] and a member of our team will follow up with you. 

Thank you again for choosing Thames & Kosmos. We hope you will continue to enjoy our products for many years to come.

Kind regards,

The Thames & Kosmos Technical Support Team