One component that is supposed to make WinDIY more secure is the pitch actuator.
It allows the wing’s angle of attack to be changed via a push rod. In case of an emergency (e.g. if the speed is too high) the angle of attack can then be changed so that the wind can no longer transfer enough energy to the blades.
Especially in strong winds the speed can in this way be reduced effectively.
How to build the pitch actuator is described in the following article.
Inhalte
- 1 Safety instructions
- 2 Affiliate links / advertising links
- 3 Requirements
- 4 The required parts
- 5 Preparation of individual parts
- 6 Assemble the prepared parts
- 7 Installing the gear motor
- 8 Connecting the pitch actuator to the base plate
- 9 Attach cables and install sliding resistor
- 10 Have fun with the project
Safety instructions
I know the following hints are always a bit annoying and seem unnecessary. But unfortunately, many people who knew it "better" from carelessness lost their eyes, fingers or other things or hurt themselves. In comparison, a loss of data is almost not worth mentioning, but even these can be really annoying. Therefore, please take five minutes to read the safety instructions. Even the coolest project is worth no injury or other annoyance. https://www.nerdiy.de/en/sicherheitshinweise/
Affiliate links / advertising links
The links to online shops listed here are so-called affiliate links. If you click on such an affiliate link and shop via this link, Nerdiy.de receives a commission from the online shop or provider concerned. The price doesn't change for you. If you do your purchases via these links, you will support Nerdiy.de in being able to offer further useful projects in the future. 🙂
Requirements
Helpful article:
For the assembly of the pitch actuator you only need patience and a few simple manual skills besides the parts and tools. You can find tips for the individual steps in the following articles:
Mechanics – Cutting internal threads
Required tools:
Hot glue gun |
3D printer |
Allen key |
soldering iron |
solder |
Required material:
In the following list you will find all parts you need to implement this article.
1x | mountV |
1x | pitchControllBase |
1x | gearSmall |
1x | shaft |
1x | nutCover |
4x | M3x50 countersunk screw |
6x | M3x25 countersunk screw |
2x | M3x16 countersunk screw |
15x | M3 nut |
2x | M3 grub screw |
1x | 603ZZ ball bearings |
1x | 606ZZ ball bearings |
1x | M6 nut |
3x | M3x40 cylinder head screw |
1x | 3-6V gear motor |
ca. 10cm | Shrink tubing |
ca. 1m | Wires (different colors) |
1x | B103 B10K Ohm Potentiometer 10K 75mm SC6080GH |
The required parts
You can find the plastic parts shown in the Nerdiy-GitHub. Here: https://github.com/Nerdiyde/WinDIY/tree/master/pitch-actuator
I printed the parts with the following settings.
- Perimeter: 5
- Infill: 30%
The screws should preferably be made of stainless steel so that they do not rust from moisture.
Preparation of individual parts
Before you can start assembling the whole pitch actuator unit, you should first prefabricate a few smaller components. For example the drive gear and its carrier.

The drive gear is supported on one side by a 603ZZ ball bearing. On the other side it is mounted on the motor axle of the drive motor.
First you need the parts shown in the picture.

To be able to fix the gear wheel on the motor axle later, you should now screw in the two grub screws as shown.
You may have to cut a thread in the holes first. How you can do this is described in the article HowTo: Mechanics – Cut internal threads.
Assemble the prepared parts
Now you can start with the actual assembly.

For the final assembly you now need the previously prepared components and the remaining parts shown.

The gear wheel can now be inserted into the recess as shown.
Then you can screw the screw back into the gear carrier and thus also into the hole of the ball bearing in the gear.
Installing the gear motor
In order to drive the gear wheel later, a motor is obviously necessary. You can see how it is installed in the following paragraph.

To have an anchor point for the shaft to adjust the pitch angle, you now have to fix a M6 nut in the base.
For this you need the shown parts.
Connecting the pitch actuator to the base plate
In order to mount the pitch actuator correctly, you have to mount it on a base plate. This is described in the following paragraph.
Attach cables and install sliding resistor
In this step, the cables are attached to the motor and the sliding resistor – via which the pitch position can later be read in – is glued in.

I strongly recommend securing the connector contacts with some hot glue after soldering.
Not just so that the contacts are electrically isolated. But also to protect the fragile contact lugs from mechanical stress caused by bending.

For this you need three cables and three pieces of shrink tubing approx. Two cm long.
On the side shown, the contact of the wiper is connected to a line.

After the sliding resistor has been wired, you can glue it into the holder provided with a drop of hot glue.
Have fun with the project
I hope everything worked as described. If not or you have any other questions or suggestions, please let me know in the comments. Also, ideas for new projects are always welcome. 🙂
P.S. Many of these projects - especially the hardware projects - cost a lot of time and money. Of course I do this because I enjoy it, but if you appreciate it that I share these information with you, I would be happy about a small donation to the coffee box. 🙂