DIY Wind Generator

[ears]

I have a bit of spare time next week as the family are all away so I decided to have a go at this.

I had seen a review of a commercial product (linked below) and the 'two fan' version together with delivery and all the extras was over £200 - a bit much for something that's just a bit of fun.

Now I realise that most of the time I race in cars with windscreens and even open wheeler drivers wear helmets so whether this introduces any realism is up for debate.

However, realism and immersion are not necessarily the same thing and I'm open to this adding some immersion to the experience.

Additionally, summer has come early and I do get very hot and sweaty inside that VR hat, so the idea of some cool wind blowing at me is appealing.

I managed to pick up everything I needed for this project on Amazon for around £80.

If it works, I'm a progremmer by trade, so might take a look at connecting to APIs in other sims to see if I can use the fans on those two - the scripts provided only work with AC so far.

If anyone's interested, I'll post updates. Should be building it over the weekend, early next week.

 

[nerdthewise]

The software I am using to drive the fans is iRacing Fanboi, which I found after discovering issues with my preferred option (Sim Hub). As I recall Sim Hub introduced instabilities between the GS-5 and the fans and would cause one or the other to crash - a bummer as I would love to tie fans into the software already driving my dash and shakers (plus SH works outside of iRacing).

Here is my shopping list for the build:

• Arduino Uno - R3
• SparkFun Monster Moto Shield
• x3 Screw Terminals 5mm Pitch (2-Pin)
• x2 Arduino Stackable Header Kit - R3
• BINZET AC to DC 12V 10A 120W Power Supply Adapter Converter Regulator, 5.5mm x 2.1mm DC Plug, 12Volt 10Amp Wall Power Plug for DC12V 5050 5630 Flexible LED Strip Lights
• x2 RAM MOUNTS (RAM-B-111U-C Marine Electronics Long Arm
• x2 SEAFLO 4" In-Line Marine Bilge Air Blower 12V 270 CFM Quiet Boat White
• Soldering Iron + Solder
• Plastidip (paint the fans black)

You can see the finished product in this gallery of my current configuration:

https://imgur.com/a/QjHZKa1

Notes:

• The Seaflo's are good, but loud and whine at low RPM. You can tune some of that out in the Arduino and you can't hear it with headphones on, but it is much louder than the shakers or GS-5 in my configuration. Looking passively at something like this as a potential upgrade (or this), but still need more research into understanding electricity to figure out if I can make it work of that motoshield
• Streaming or recording while the fans are running is not going to happen. I race in HDR and that is not going to work anyway, but something to consider. That said:
• Racing without fans is impossible. Maybe it is the 49" heat dish I have 21" in front of my face, but it is too hot in the cockpit without some sort of cooling. I am still thinking about a way to push air into the GS-5 as an ass/back cooling solution.
• One common criticism is that in a real car you would have a windscreen or a helmet and not be able to feel the air moving past you. That's not the point though, everything we are doing with this faux-reality sim motion stuff is to trick our brains into thinking we are in the car (be it through motion, shakers, seat, etc.) to that end the fans help a TON and it just serves to plug you more fully into the car that you would otherwise be.
• I took a ton of time to cut up bubble tea straws and glue them together to make an airflow straightener like Insert Coin's build and found them to be unnecessary with the power of these fans. Do not recommend.
• Prior to building this I had the SRS Wind Sim Kit and found it to be a reasonable easy entry point, but lacking the power I wanted the fans to deliver. I think with the Seaflo's I can hit 30-40 mph winds at close range, much more than that and it would compromise vision (even with glasses on shielding some of the air)

Hope that data dump helps, feel free to shout if you still have questions. I will try to be more diligent in keeping up with Race Dept.

 

[RCHeliguy]

This is one area where VR makes life much easier. I have a remote control 12" fan sitting on top of my entertainment system in front of my rig at wheel deck level. It's very quiet and throws a lot of air!

Amazon.com: Air Choice Remote Table Fan - 12 Inch Quiet Floor Fan with Adjustable Speeds & Automatic Shutoff Timer, Box Fan with Sleep & Powerful Modes, Black: Home & Kitchen

Buy Air Choice Remote Table Fan - 12 Inch Quiet Floor Fan with Adjustable Speeds & Automatic Shutoff Timer, Box Fan with Sleep & Powerful Modes, Black: Floor Fans - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

I stay cool, it was a simple purchase with no assembly, it was pretty cheap, and has a remote control. Works great!

 

[Insert Coin]

Any fan with an airflow above 250 CFM will make a lot of noise, because of the air pressure alone.

 

[RCHeliguy]

Any fan with an airflow above 250 CFM will make a lot of noise, because of the air pressure alone.

My previous 8" fan was a lot louder keeping me cool. This one fades into the background fast It's generally accepted that the larger a fan is the slower it has to turn and the less volume there is.

 

[nerdthewise]

The type of sound produced makes a difference as well, even at the same volume. something lower pitch more like a drone than a whine would be helpful.

 

[asteroulis]

If anyone is still tracking this I can post something about the finished project.

Please do

 

[nerdthewise]

Please do

Already did. See my response from this morning. If you still have questions feel free to ask.

 

[Wmacky]

Any more info on applying plastidip to those seaflows? How did that go? Are there any close up examples of this? Instructions?

 

[nerdthewise]

Any more info on applying plastidip to those seaflows? How did that go? Are there any close up examples of this? Instructions?

YouTube is full of plastidip instructions but it’s impossible to do wrong and it all peels off you you somehow manage it.

1. Insert paper towel to cover fan blades
2. Lightly spray from 8-10” away in thin layers
3. Continue until the rubber/paint is reasonably thick (6-10 layers)

Plastidip is incredibly strong and yet peels off if you need it to. Dries to a textured matte finish and will last a long time without issue.

 

[ThugUK]

I have just built my own wind simulator using 2x Seaflows 270cfn, Arduino Uno and Monster Moto.
The issue I have is that the left fan isn't turning (A1/B1).
I know the fan itself is ok as I swapped them around on the terminals and then the left worked (and right stopped).
I tried using it with SimFeedBack and Sim hub.
The soldering looks fine.
Am I missing off something simple or is it most likely my Arduino or MM is faulty?

 

[DrRob]

I have just built my own wind simulator using 2x Seaflows 270cfn, Arduino Uno and Monster Moto.
The issue I have is that the left fan isn't turning (A1/B1).
I know the fan itself is ok as I swapped them around on the terminals and then the left worked (and right stopped).
I tried using it with SimFeedBack and Sim hub.
The soldering looks fine.
Am I missing off something simple or is it most likely my Arduino or MM is faulty?

Sorry I cannot contribute to your issue.
But can you make a comment on noise? I know these were not build to be silent, but how noisy do you perceive them to be? Cheers!

 

[ThugUK]

Sorry I cannot contribute to your issue.
But can you make a comment on noise? I know these were not build to be silent, but how noisy do you perceive them to be? Cheers!

Bearing in mind I only have one working.
I was surprised by the noise, and thought it was rather loud.
Its not even the noise of the air (which wouldn't have been an issue), but the motor itself.
But having said that, they are £25 so cant expect silent magnetic or direct drive motors.

When I have my VR headset and earphones on I don't hear it at all though, so not a deal breaker for me.

 

[metalnwood]

Similar for me, when in VR I don't hear them. I assume that wearing headphones will remove the noise even moe (which implies I can hear them a bit but they are not a distraction, I am not thinking about it)

They can make a whine at low speed but that is solved by adding inductors to the wiring so they can run at low speed without the whine.

 

[Vintagedriver01]

I have just built my own wind simulator using 2x Seaflows 270cfn, Arduino Uno and Monster Moto.
The issue I have is that the left fan isn't turning (A1/B1).
I know the fan itself is ok as I swapped them around on the terminals and then the left worked (and right stopped).
I tried using it with SimFeedBack and Sim hub.
The soldering looks fine.
Am I missing off something simple or is it most likely my Arduino or MM is faulty?

Try the connection and software as been used by @Insert Coin, see https://www.racedepartment.com/threads/easy-diy-wind-simulator-for-assetto-corsa.133999/
No need for any moto shields or software that does not work, its after reading his instructions, very simple nothing can go wrong and very lean on CPU resources. I do hope mr @Insert Coin can also make an chair shaker software as other free alternative like Drivevibe is nothing more than an rumbling shaker.

BTW, be aware you can get an cold when those fans pushing the wind at your throat, as I did have

 

[Vintagedriver01]

Is Simfeedback capable act as an wind simulator and/or as an chair (bass) shaker software?

BTW, simhub as wind simulator does not work, at least not at my setup.

 

[nerdthewise]

I have just built my own wind simulator using 2x Seaflows 270cfn, Arduino Uno and Monster Moto.
The issue I have is that the left fan isn't turning (A1/B1).
I know the fan itself is ok as I swapped them around on the terminals and then the left worked (and right stopped).
I tried using it with SimFeedBack and Sim hub.
The soldering looks fine.
Am I missing off something simple or is it most likely my Arduino or MM is faulty?

It is possible you don't have that channel mapped properly in Sim Hub, or the power supply you are running to the Motor Shield is not sufficient, or you broke a pin or connection somewhere in assembly.

 

[DrRob]

@ThugUK @metalnwood Thanks for your replies.
Just as I thought. Looking for a silent fan solution, but more for cooling reasons, less for wind simulation. Thought I could do both at the same time. Guess I will use the good old table ventilator. The bigger the size of the blades, the less rpm needed, the less noise obviously.
...and was intrigued to tinker with my rig.

 

[ThugUK]

Is Simfeedback capable act as an wind simulator and/or as an chair (bass) shaker software?

Yes, the newer build allows for Wind, Shakers and even a Seat Belt Tensioner.

It is possible you don't have that channel mapped properly in Sim Hub, or the power supply you are running to the Motor Shield is not sufficient, or you broke a pin or connection somewhere in assembly.

Possibly, but I have read that others have had a similar issue with 'after market' MM.
My power supply is fine, I have fastened both fans to one channel and they both work now. Will just have to keep my eye on it as its now pushing a max of 12 amps (still have 3 to spare though).

 

[Insert Coin]

Is Simfeedback capable act as an wind simulator and/or as an chair (bass) shaker software?

Yes it is.
Wind is possible using a Monster Moto shield, or using direct PWM without an MM shield (as used in my fan project, but when using SimFeeback connect the PWM control pin of the fan to pin 6 of the Arduino Uno instead of pin 3). See the SimFeedback Discord channel for details.
SimFeedback can also send engine RPM to a shaker through a second sound card.

 

[metalnwood]

@ThugUK @metalnwood Thanks for your replies.
Just as I thought. Looking for a silent fan solution, but more for cooling reasons, less for wind simulation. Thought I could do both at the same time. Guess I will use the good old table ventilator. The bigger the size of the blades, the less rpm needed, the less noise obviously.
...and was intrigued to tinker with my rig.

I use mine strictly for cooling only. I am in a room about 3x3M (9x9ft) with no air con so in summer it can get pretty warm. Throw in the VR headset for a long time and I really need the wind.. I used to have some 'lesser' fans and they were good a lot of the time but couldnt really keep up in summer. Warm air blowing on you is in some ways worse than no air.

With my blowers I of course tried for simulating the speed while in the sim but didnt really think it provided anything immersive. I also really disliked that when you stopped or went slow and you were hot that it felt like you were about to go nuclear when the wind stopped

So now I just have it mapped to a hat switch for off/on and faster/slower. I just adjust when I am racing to give me as much wind as I need to keep cool. First summer after I had them going I was really surprised a number of times how much I had to crank them up so that the warm air blowing on me felt cool just from the speed.

I could never do that with other fans and yes, they were more noise but I was happy with that when you are a lot more comfortable. You can always tradeoff the noise for less wind but if you need it at least it has the potential to do it. where computer fans will not.

I am familiar with various ways of moving air and from your workshop you will know that low velocity and high volume is the best way to move dust from tools, so a vacuum cleaner is not so great as it is high velocity but cannot capture the dust from as large an area as a dust collector.

This is the same but the opposite, I think you will find that high velocity is better for cooling if that is what is important that low velocity that the fans you are looking at will provide.