DIY Vertical Wind Gen Charging Question

YostFMX
YostFMX Solar Expert Posts: 94 ✭✭✭
Im making a vertical wind gen with a DC treadmill motor. The question is what do I need to to hook it up to xantrex C60 charge controller/4 GC Batteries in 12v configuration?. Just a one way diode and hook up? Will it stop the voltage in the charge controller from going too high? How do I figure out what wire is positive and negative when it spins?

Comments

  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Sadly (truthfully) unless you have a set of plans from an identical setup, I don't think much is going to come of this.  

    Have you spun the motor with a cordless drill to see if you get 20 v out of it ?     now connect a 10w automotive bulb to the "generator" and spin it with the drill, and see if you can burn out a 10 w bulb with 20V    If you can, then you have at least 10 w you can charge a battery with.

    Do you have enough wind to spin the generator fast enough 
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
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  • YostFMX
    YostFMX Solar Expert Posts: 94 ✭✭✭
    edited December 2018 #3
    I'll try that thank, should tell me something. I do get some good winds here. I've seen some ppl running the blades to a belt to drive a the motor, gearing it so the motor spins way faster (big pully on blade side and small pully on motor).
  • bill von novak
    bill von novak Solar Expert Posts: 891 ✭✭✭✭
    YostFMX said:
    I'll try that thank, should tell me something. I do get some good winds here.
    A good rule of thumb is "if you ever have barbeques outside, you don't have very good wind potential."
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,433 admin
    Another "good sign for wind" are flagging trees in your area (trees bent and branches blown to one side by prevailing winds).

    And no nearby obstructions to wind (turbine has to be above any local obstructions that are within ~500 feet minimum up wind of turbine).

    In general, vertical axis turbines seem to be mounted fairly closely to the ground... Your need a turbine to be at least 30 feet/10 meters above the ground to get into laminar air flow... No turbine works well in turbulent airflow (not even VAWT, despite what the claims are).

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • 706jim
    706jim Solar Expert Posts: 514 ✭✭✭✭
    I'll do you one better: Last year I helped a couple of students build a water wheel turbine. Hours of machining to produce air foiled shaped blades. I was skeptical to say the least. This thing was supposed to turn an automotive alternator to generate electricity using a fast running stream as the energy source. Needless to say it wouldn't even TURN with the flow they had!

    Never mind spin an alternator up to any meaningful rpm.

    I would have kiboshed the idea from the start, but I was just the machinist.
    Island cottage solar system with 2500 watts of panels, 1kw facing southeast 1.3kw facing southwest 170watt ancient Arco's facing south. All panels in parallel for a 24 volt system. Trace DR1524 MSW inverter, Outback Flexmax 80 MPPT charge controller 8 Trojan L16's. Insignia 11.5 cubic foot electric fridge. My 30th year.
  • YostFMX
    YostFMX Solar Expert Posts: 94 ✭✭✭
    Desert, no trees, 20-30 mph winds. I'll give some stuff a try. Maybe just some more panels for cloudy days... Which are very few.