I am in the process of building my own small wind turbine for a proof-of-concept generator. Ideally, in its finished form, this wind turbine will have the ability to charge a cell phone and keep an LED bulb on for several hours. I already have designs for a rig and the blades for the turbine, it’s the electrical component of this project that has me confused. Essentially, I can get the blades to spin at a good speed and give me an inconsistent output. Please let me know how to harness this output, store it, and convert it into steady, usable electricity.

Here is what I have so far:

I have 3 motors to choose from:

-Motor from a room fan (it reads A.C 120V 60Hz) imgur: the simple image sharer (http://imgur.com/AUCzQ,pxjdB,LkKpB,zQ2iy,DctM2,DQSMH#2)

-Standard computer motor
imgur: the simple image sharer (http://imgur.com/AUCzQ,pxjdB,LkKpB,zQ2iy,DctM2,DQSMH#3)

-Motor from an old coffee grinder (it reads 120V/60Hz)
imgur: the simple image sharer (http://imgur.com/AUCzQ,pxjdB,LkKpB,zQ2iy,DctM2,DQSMH#1)

-Lithium Ion rechargeable battery (it reads 7.4V 2200mAh).I am also interested in buying a rechargeable 12V battery once I learn what size I’ll need) imgur: the simple image sharer (http://imgur.com/AUCzQ,pxjdB,LkKpB,zQ2iy,DctM2,DQSMH#4)

-Standard 9V battery

-LED bulb(s)

-Old cell phone (doesn’t matter if I overload it or anything) and two chargers (these can be cut) imgur: the simple image sharer (http://imgur.com/AUCzQ,pxjdB,LkKpB,zQ2iy,DctM2,DQSMH#5)

-Multimeter (I know how to measure the DCV, but that’s about it) imgur: the simple image sharer (http://imgur.com/AUCzQ,pxjdB,LkKpB,zQ2iy,DctM2,DQSMH)

-Wires (thin gauge, not sure about the number but I put them in the 22/20 hole in the wire stripper)

Things I think I will need:

-12V rechargeable battery, as mentioned before

-Voltage rectifier (to make sure the power only moves in one direction, from the turbine to the battery and not the other way around)

-Some type of inverter to make sure I get the type of current I need at a steady and consistent output (I’m not sure what that is)

To power a couple of LEDs and recharge a cell phone won't take much power at all, so I don't see why you're considering such huge AC motors. I think you'd find it easiest to use the PC fan motor, as it is a DC motor and in general AC motors are more difficult to make into a generator. It also seems more appropriately sized for your needs. Or better yet - get an old alternator from an auto junk yard - it's already designed to put out a constant 13.2 volts DC regardless of RPMs.