connecting small wind turbine directly to a light bulb.

Arashi
Arashi Registered Users Posts: 12 ✭
in Wind Power Generation #1
I have a small turbine. Puts out maybe 150watts if the wind is blowing well, I've never seen it produce more than 17volts. Could I just wire it directly into a 12v 100watt lighting fixture ...to get a little light in my back yard when it's spinning?

I have a battery bank, charge controllers, dump load... all that good stuff, but it's packed away in a storage shed a couple hundred miles away. I wont be able to get to that stuff for another couple of months. Sort of wanted to put up my wind turbine, I like watching it spin!
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,654 admin
    #2
    Re: connecting small wind turbine directly to a light bulb.

    Ideally, you can make or buy a current mode buck converter... Takes variable input DC voltage and outputs a steady state DC current for LEDs (within the ability of the input voltage and current). Here is one example:

    http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?276105-High-efficient-5A-9A-Buck-Converter-for-SST-50-SST-90

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • 65DegN
    65DegN Solar Expert Posts: 109 ✭✭
    #3
    Re: connecting small wind turbine directly to a light bulb.

    Be careful about letting lead acid batteries sit for very long without applying a charge. They typically self discharge 5 ~ 10% a month.
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  • john p
    john p Solar Expert Posts: 814 ✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: connecting small wind turbine directly to a light bulb.

    Arashi was that 17v under a load or with the generator output connected to nothing?
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  • Arashi
    Arashi Registered Users Posts: 12 ✭
    #5
    Re: connecting small wind turbine directly to a light bulb.
    65DegN wrote: »
    Be careful about letting lead acid batteries sit for very long without applying a charge. They typically self discharge 5 ~ 10% a month.

    wow, I did not know that. I bet my batteries are dead. :( They had a full charge........ two years ago when I put them into storage. :(
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  • Arashi
    Arashi Registered Users Posts: 12 ✭
    #6
    Re: connecting small wind turbine directly to a light bulb.
    john p wrote: »
    Arashi was that 17v under a load or with the generator output connected to nothing?
    I saw 17v during a storm once when winds were really howling. It was under load.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,654 admin
    #7
    Re: connecting small wind turbine directly to a light bulb.

    Yea, the batteries are probably toast... You can store flooded cell batteries for about 1 month without recharging... AGM batteries for about 3-6 months.

    Hot and older batteries self discharge faster than new/colder batteries. For every 10C (18F) you cool a battery, a ~2x longer life.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • Arashi
    Arashi Registered Users Posts: 12 ✭
    #8
    Re: connecting small wind turbine directly to a light bulb.
    BB. wrote: »
    Yea, the batteries are probably toast... You can store flooded cell batteries for about 1 month without recharging... AGM batteries for about 3-6 months.

    Hot and older batteries self discharge faster than new/colder batteries. For every 10C (18F) you cool a battery, a ~2x longer life.

    -Bill


    ...any way to fix them?
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,654 admin
    #9
    Re: connecting small wind turbine directly to a light bulb.

    Charge them about about a 5% rate of charge until they bubble well (flooded cell--monitor Specific Gravity for each cell as they are at full charge--If the SG continues to rise, try discharge/charge cycle again until SG stabilizes at full charge)--Discharge--Repeat 2-10x--Then buy new batteries:cry:.

    If they are AGM--Depending on brand, there are some slightly different charging recommendations.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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