Raum 3.5 KW looking for parts and advice

Akjoe
Akjoe Registered Users Posts: 3 ✭
in Wind Power Generation #1
Hello, brand new to the forum and recently acquired a raum turbine and tower assembly. I am hoping to get a new set of blades for it, certainly raum was not manufacturing their own blades. Hoping someone has some pointers on maybe a cross fit set of blades? Can't seem to find anything at all online for parts. Also looking for a replacement grid tie inverter. Did raum do anything strange that made their turbine only work with their inverter? Hoping I can use some of the parts I got at least. Have the power turbine assembly and the 70' tower and guy wires to play around with. Any help would be super! Thanks
Joe
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #2
    Re: Raum 3.5 KW looking for parts and advice

    Welcome to the forum AKJoe.

    About the best I can do is point you at this thread (found via Google)--There are a couple of Canadian contacts (from 2012) that may be able to help.

    http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=121&t=21442

    My two cents--In general, wind commercial small wind turbines are hardly worth the gas to haul them to the scrap yard. Besides bearing and PM rotor failures in the Raum, the turbine appears to have some electronics in the nacelle... That is usually not a good place (wind/rain/snow/heat/vibration) to put electronics+relays. From what little I just read about the Raum--It is probably not worth the effort/costs to get it running again.

    And much of the costs for small wind is the support equipment (tower, concrete, electrical, electronics, labor). If you already have the tower installed and are interested in small wind--Find a current mfg. that has support in your area. The turbines themselves tend to not be the expensive part--So getting a new unit (with hopefully good reviews from local users in your area) can get you going.

    If you are handy enough--You might want to think about building your own wind turbine--A good home built turbine seems to last better than pretty much any commercial unit out there today.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • Akjoe
    Akjoe Registered Users Posts: 3 ✭
    #3
    Re: Raum 3.5 KW looking for parts and advice

    Bill,
    Thanks for the information, it does not sound like Raum had a good product. That is to bad, seems like such a shame to scrap their equipment, maybe I can just harvest the magnets for holding papers to my fridge hah!
    One thought was to just find someone that has maybe rewound the turbine and kind of do a rewind and from the sounds of it maybe a re fit of new higher quality bearings?
    I like to think I am handy but I am not sure I could build my own wind turbine. I have been a fan of other power for a few years now and follow some of their projects/builds.

    Well I have the 70' tower and all the hardware to install it, I need to pour some foundations to set it up first.


    Any good recommendations on companies/manufacture names of other down wind turbines that a guy might look into to replace this turbine setup with?
    Thanks again and I look forward to hearing what you can share.
    Heck maybe I will just turn the tower into a HAM radio tower!
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #4
    Re: Raum 3.5 KW looking for parts and advice

    Decades ago, the airport where I used to keep my plane (another life) had turbines that they could not keep running (part of a federal grant to "green" the airport lighting system)--Turned them into an antenna farm for cell phones.

    I do not have any small wind experience--So I am not the person to really give any recommendations--Other than small wind really seems to be costly/unreliable.

    If you are into HAM--A tower would be interesting (the last field day--Talked with an operator that decided the costs/issues of a tower was just not worth it and just setup a Buddy Pole system when working (portable antenna closer to the home, less expensive cabling losses/costs, "manual rotor" is cheap, wider signal acceptance vs a beam antenna, etc.). Plus could take the portable system to remote locations (like Field Day).

    And the usual warning--Be very careful with the large magnets for wind turbines--They can easily smash fingers during disassembly/near large ferrous metal objects and ruin laptop/computer disk drives.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • pechan
    pechan Solar Expert Posts: 92 ✭✭
    #5
    Re: Raum 3.5 KW looking for parts and advice

    AKJoe Check these guys out http://www.kestrelwind.co.za/

    I Have 4 Kestrel Wind turbines, 2 1000 Watt and 2 3000 watt.
    They are very well built and mine have been producing their rated power in moderate winds.
    Granted I live in Wyoming where we have the constant wind to keep a turbine spinning.
    Good Luck
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  • BilljustBill
    BilljustBill Solar Expert Posts: 219 ✭✭✭
    #6
    Re: Raum 3.5 KW looking for parts and advice

    Pechan,

    Having had an Entertech 1800 back in the early 1980's, I've always wanted a smaller one to supplement the future solar project. From what I read the Kestrel appears to be almost bullet-proof and seems to out do the small Bergy 1000 watt turbine.

    I was wondering what the cost and shipping to the States were on one of the Kestrel 1,000 watt models? How long have the 1,000's been up?

    Thanks,
    Bill
    Bill
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  • inetdog
    inetdog Solar Expert Posts: 3,123 ✭✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: Raum 3.5 KW looking for parts and advice
    Akjoe wrote: »
    Bill,
    Thanks for the information, it does not sound like Raum had a good product. That is to bad, seems like such a shame to scrap their equipment, maybe I can just harvest the magnets for holding papers to my fridge hah!
    Danger Will Robinson!
    The magnets, mounted with small air gaps, in PM wind turbines can jump very violently if you try to remove them without a proper holding jig. Like in finger crushing or worse.
    I get that your statement was tongue in cheek, but not all readers will realize that. :)

    Oh, I see that BB. has given that warning already.
    SMA SB 3000, old BP panels.
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  • laurence
    laurence Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭✭
    #8
    I have access to the Raum blades from old stock should anyone be looking for a set
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #9
    For anyone interested--I believe Laurence may be somewhere in the Regina Saskatchewan, Canada region.

    -Bill


    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • laurence
    laurence Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭✭
    edited July 2016 #10
    Hi Bill, Saskatoon Saskatchewan is my location, have 6 sets of blades at this time, we were the manufacturer and supplier of blades to Raum, 
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #11
    Laurence,

    Do you have specifications (link, uploaded document) for the blades? Somebody may be able to use them on their DIY wind turbine system.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • laurence
    laurence Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭✭
    #12
    Bill, sorry no documentation for the blades, they are molded not flat plate, some specs are on RAUM documentation you can find on the net, 
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  • Basil
    Basil Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭
    #13
    Hi Lawrence, do you know if there are some blades avialable still?

    Thx, Basil
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  • Elias
    Elias Registered Users, Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Posts: 1 ✭
    #14
    Laurence do you still have access to these blades or do you know someone who does? 
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  • laurence
    laurence Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭✭
    #15
    still have blades if anyone is looking for a set, I am also looking for the invert-er for same turbine if anyone has one sitting
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  • max
    max Registered Users Posts: 2 ✭
    #16
    Laurence, I have a Raum 4kw grid tie inverter... If you are still interested
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  • laurence
    laurence Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭✭
    #17
    max, sorry for the late reply, do you still have the inverter?
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  • max
    max Registered Users Posts: 2 ✭
    #18
    No, it have been sold last year...  do you still have blades for this machine?
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  • Montgomery
    Montgomery Registered Users Posts: 2 ✭
    #19
    I have Raum 3.5kW parts, blades, inverter, turbine...  My system had a turbine rebuild, worked fine for a few months and now the brake is engaged and I cannot deactivate it.  Any tips?
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  • Akjoe
    Akjoe Registered Users Posts: 3 ✭
    #20
    Sorry for the late long running reply but does anybody still have a set of blades avliable for this turbine?
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  • Montgomery
    Montgomery Registered Users Posts: 2 ✭
    #21
    I have Raum 3.5 kW parts for sale.
    13 m. Tower.
    2 Turbines with blades
    2 Inverters
    All parts need work.
    306-227-5732
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