How do you manually shut down windmills?

crystaleye
crystaleye Registered Users Posts: 5
Say you have about 3 windmill turbines each generating 1kw each and you need to shut one of them off because your windmill turbines are generating too much power.

Are there any safe ways to manually shut one of the windmill off besides toppling the pole? thanks.

Comments

  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    Re: How do you manually shut down windmills?

    Electrical brake which shorts the turbine output or mechanical brake which locks the rotor. Neither is for long-term use or particularly effective in high winds.

    Normally you try to design the system so that you never have to dump the entire output of a single (or more) turbine.
  • crystaleye
    crystaleye Registered Users Posts: 5
    Re: How do you manually shut down windmills?

    i thought if i turn the furling against the wind, the wind turbine will shut off by itself?
  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: How do you manually shut down windmills?
    crystaleye wrote: »
    i thought if i turn the furling against the wind, the wind turbine will shut off by itself?

    If your turbine has such a thing, yes it will most certainly help. We don't have details of your turbine design, and as most smaller turbines use electric brakes, perhaps we wrongly assumed yours was likewise.
    The one I had used a dead short across the windings as a "brake" and yes, it worked in light to moderate winds, but bring on a storm and it ran totally out of control as if the "brake" didn't even exist.
  • peakbagger
    peakbagger Solar Expert Posts: 341 ✭✭✭
    Re: How do you manually shut down windmills?

    I think most folks just make sure they have a diversion load adequately sized to cover the maximum turbine output
  • machineman
    machineman Solar Expert Posts: 129 ✭✭✭
    Re: How do you manually shut down windmills?

    I have a 2 stage stop system for my 750w turbine. Works good without damage to the turbine. First it diverts all phases into a set of high wattage resistors to slow it down, then 20 seconds later it shorts directly via a high amp contactor.

    Off Grid Cabin, 24V 440ah 6V GC battery bank, Xantrex MPPT60-150 CC, Magnum MS4024 inverter-charger, >1200w Solar bank