Use Rear Differential to Operate Hand Pump

[Jmsupafly]

I'm interested in building a vertical axis wind turbine. I'd like it to be useful in generating DC voltage along with the ability to run a pitcher pump (with the right gearing so I don't destroy it).
I'm curious if anyone has any thoughts on using a rear differential to "convert" the vertical spinning of the turbine to a horizontal rotating spline that will use appropriate gearing for my wind speed to run the pitcher pump.
My fear is the diff will have too much resistance (which a little is OK for Oklahoma wind, but before I go pull one at pull a part I thought I'd check with ya'll...
Thank you!

 

[Valveman]

You can make that work. Back in the 70's I made several different kinds. One I used a right angle gear drive from a turbine pump, which would be very similar to the differential. Every gear drive or reducer/increaser causes losses however. What I learned back then was there is so much expense and there are so many moving parts that wear out in a wind turbine that they never get a ROI. I think it is still true today that wind turbines are so expensive to purchase and maintain that they wear out before they pay for themselves. Well, that is at least until they get the price of electricity jacked up to $0.75 or $1.00 a Kw, which they are working on diligently.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Jmsupafly]

The price rising is for sure! Yeah, I'm no big fan of gears and chain in general. I'm just trying to figure out something for the "common handyman" to create that is workable without spending $3K that will get a few jobs done. I know bike drivetrains can take a decent beating and some bottom brackets (where the pedals go) are sealed bearing assemblies. I may go pull a diff and see what it can do.

And for running the direct drive rewired motor, I'd go straight to the diff by either locking one side of it or putting the bike drivetrain in a really low gear to not waste any power (or maybe to break the system in high wind... Don't know yet...).

Thanks for the comments!!