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Forum Index : Windmills : anysuggestion on windturbine
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| earlyduck Newbie  Joined: 27/01/2016 Location: United StatesPosts: 3 |
hi all I am sure this posted several times(100) I live in central Alabama, usa :I have 12- 24 volt 250 watt solar panel going to a Colman air 440 charge controller 2 crown 12-85-13 batteries going to a magnum 4024 4000 watt inverter, what I would like is advice on wind turbine, I know I am in a low wind zone but mainly interested is when it is cloudy and storms moving in to produce around 7-10 amps ac (35-50 amps dc) if possible but like to keep price low since it will only produce when storm front is coming in any help would be appreciated for trying to go through all turbines companies out there is mind boggling since each company has the best |
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rustyrod Senior Member  Joined: 08/11/2014 Location: AustraliaPosts: 121 |
Here is a LINK to my wind gennys. I am sorry but i nearly fell off my chair laughing, for you want to put up a wind genny in a storm. I know that is rude. The wind genny is really frightening to watch as the storm rages. Actually it is best not to be home. MY experience has taught me - Under storm conditions the genny almost reaches max output then they shut themselves down and I get nothing. They surge and whip about trying to tear the mast and everything off the roof. So scary. Everyone has experienced at least once, loosing a genny in a storm, the www is loaded with sorry tales of destruction. eg blades coming to earth miles away. Some FACTS from MY system. When a storm approaches I manually override the controllers and direct shunt load all the gennys so I get nothing by way of charging and the gennys turn steadly, But still whip about and I hide in a dark room waiting for the "crunch/bang" My "big china" fitted with 5 blades will not make any charge until wind speed reaches around 19 kph. At 50 kph it feathers. The little unit (gigu - 500watt) needs 21kph to do anything and it has some strange idiosyncrasies, when the wind is gusty the momentum in the blades swings the unit around the mast until it is backed up into the fresh gust, it builds up speed cutting a buzzing sound as the blades are in reverse, then the gust drops and around it goes to face into the wind, builds up speed, and then, back to front again. Overall output is next to nothing under a gusty circumstance. On steady wind days it is a great little unit,(so is china) I am happy with it. Again I just don't look during a storm anymore. As far as getting my moneys worth of power from "gigu" it will take years to pay off the AU $390 I paid for it. Then the Air-X 40 at 12 volt with 3 blades needs 23kph before any output. Little more than a trickle charger. Not vary impressed with it. I am going to fit 5 blades to see if it will do better. I got this one for a $100 mast and all. I have been given another "china" unit - mast,controller, wires and all. (owner described it as "useless") As soon as I fit slip rings, I will put it up with the unmodified original blades to see how it goes. There is quite a number of forums about these Chinese units, how to improve them etc. so this will be an on going experiment. I have 3 other very old 32 volt wind gennys to erect that have been given to me. These have a method of furling them manually BEFORE a storm gets here. Experience taught the old folks that these units could almost manage to keep up with only the lights in the house. Today I saw a windmill lying on its side with the wheel wrecked, it had been beside a road I travel all my life. So sad to see it legs up and dead. In answer to your question for a cheap genny, if you want to have the look of a wind genny - go for a 400 or 500 watt Chinese unit, preferably without internal regulators or it will shut itself down in a storm. Then set up your own controller with a really good shunt system. and DON'T WATCH it during your storm. Actually if you have to pay for a wind genny - get the same value in solar panels with another battery and you (A)will get more power (B)sleep better I hope this helps Always Thinking |
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| earlyduck Newbie Joined: 27/01/2016 Location: United StatesPosts: 3 |
hehehe our storms are probably considered small blows in other areas on average day we only get small gusts of wind, unless we have a major storm like tornado we probably don't see much over 20 to 30 miles an hour we are wind poor here so what I refer to storm is not much elsewhere. In fall and spring we may hit 12mph gust on average day, I would install a tilt tower if something major I could tilt it down. On solar I am over producing but winter months we may go 2 or 3 days without much sun and have to run generator or grid to charge batteries thinking on days like that wind turbine might help thanks for the advice as I love to tinker maybe try if it fails I have learned what not to do |
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MacGyver Guru  Joined: 12/05/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 1329 |
Crew I will be installing a new VAWT soon out in front of my house. I live on the plains in North Texas and am in a high wind area. We regularly have 20 to 40 mph winds, which last all day and sometimes, like tonight, all night. It's just the way it is. My HAWT now has very SHORT blades, because of the high winds. I don't want to lose a blade and have it sail through my house, barn or car at light speed. To that end, at least in high-wind areas, I am a big proponent of VAWTs. Nearly EVERYONE ELSE on this 4m will tell you a VAWT is a waste of time and built the traditional way, I agree. I have redesigned mine so instead of a pitched blade spinning in a mostly laminar flow of air, my VAWT twists the wind into a vortex and I have 4 flat blades mounted vertically inside that spinning, twisting vortex. I have fairly high speed and torque 'till hell won't have it. Think of my design in terms of 4 big, flat paddles facing the wind and gathering the collective force distributed on the large surface area. I'll post a build in the next several weeks to show everyone that a VAWT really can be a useful wind tool. In robust winds and storms, my bet is it's nearly indestructible. Hide and watch. . . . . . Mac Nothing difficult is ever easy! Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman, "Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!" Copeville, Texas |
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| govertical Guru Joined: 11/12/2008 Location: United StatesPosts: 383 |
https://youtu.be/W_e_NW1GllI https://youtu.be/LzX9nJyQgYc different, make it smaller just because your a GURU or forum administer does not mean your always correct :) |
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Downwind Guru Joined: 09/09/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2333 |
My advice is not to follow MacGyver with building a VAWT, it has well been proven to be a lemon design, although many will stil try to reinvent a dead wheel for reason XXX. Go a HAWT (horizontal axle Wind Turbine) as you have implied your thoughts were. As for other advice "rustyrod" had good advice, you will never produce power in a storm, but will produce power in steady wind conditions, you may be surprised in what steady wind you do have, albeit that can be a expensive project to find out. What you call a storm may well be low to average wind conditions, but also poor wind conditions due to turbulent air, which as rustyrod said the mill will spend more time hunting the wind, then locked into producing power from the wind, If your pockets are deep enough, then have a go, just factor in a low power production for return of your investment. Pete. Sometimes it just works |
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| govertical Guru Joined: 11/12/2008 Location: United StatesPosts: 383 |
https://youtu.be/rGFiaL_gYhU stirling engine maybe another option what is your average wind speed? just because your a GURU or forum administer does not mean your always correct :) |
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| earlyduck Newbie Joined: 27/01/2016 Location: United StatesPosts: 3 |
we rarely see anything over 8 mph unless storm front moving in then we get about 15 to 20 mph I have a thread mill motor up now 3 bladed hardly moves unless there is a storm front coming through good amperage but not good voltage have it connected to amp meter and volt meter not a good area for wind mill but will continue to tinker may try electric scooter chair motor next never know till you try and learn by what not works  |
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| govertical Guru Joined: 11/12/2008 Location: United StatesPosts: 383 |
Sounds like wind power may not be a good choice for your area. No wind no power. Is there a creek? Maybe hydro power? Best of luck on your project. Cheers just because your a GURU or forum administer does not mean your always correct :) |
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