adding wind to solar battery bank

johnelarue · January 2010

Hi again all,

Thank you for your previous help. My grid-tie plans are on hold for now. There is presently no by-back hydro program here. I am working on a small battery charging system.

I have 3- 50watt panels that will be hooked up with a 15a MPPT controller to a single AC Delco Voyager Marine battery 105Ah. A 100watt car inverter running loads of Cfl's.

I want to add a wind turbine which will probably make 50watts at 10mph and max 200watts. How do I connect this to the battery bank?

I assume I'll need at least another battery. The wind turbine will need a dump load ? I have a Morningstar Tristar(non digital readout) 45A controller and another small 12A solar controller available to use. If I configure the Morningstar in diversion mode(using the DIP switches) does this still continue to charge the battery bank?
Or is it only a diversion controller at this point. If it is only diversion, the wind unit does not get hooked to it and needs yet another charge controller? Hope this is understandable

confused, thanks

john

BB. · January 2010

Re: adding wind to solar battery bank

Typically, you "hard wire" the wind turbine output to the battery bank (and leave any other charging devices connected as is).

Then connect a diversion load controller to the same battery bank. Set the charge controller to be a 1/2 volt or so above the other controllers' set points.

Then if you have wind and the bank voltage is getting high -- at that point the diversion/dump controller will cycle on and dump excess energy to your waste energy load.

If you had your diversion setpoint too low--you could dump your solar or backup AC charger power into the waste load directly... No good reason to do that.

You probably need a good/accurate digital volt meter to make sure that the settings (and voltage drops) are all taken into account so that you don't have the diversion controller turn on before the other controllers have shut down.

-Bill

johnelarue · January 2010

Re: adding wind to solar battery bank

Thank you much BB for your answer!

GreenPowerManiac · January 2010

Re: adding wind to solar battery bank

My system works on the same principles as mentioned. You can get somewhat creative with the diversion sources. I've used a string of DC light bulbs to disperse the energy and create heat where needed. The more energy the brighter they get. Or, I've used a diversion load hooked up to a thermostat & cooler/heater fridge mounted to the side of my battery bank. When the bank is too hot, I got it on a cool setting. Winter time, exact opposite, heat setting. Just make sure that your diversion source can handle the maximum output of everything.

carotene · January 2010

Re: adding wind to solar battery bank

GreenPowerManiac wrote: »

My system works on the same principles as mentioned. You can get somewhat creative with the diversion sources. I've used a string of DC light bulbs to disperse the energy and create heat where needed. The more energy the brighter they get. Or, I've used a diversion load hooked up to a thermostat & cooler/heater fridge mounted to the side of my battery bank. When the bank is too hot, I got it on a cool setting. Winter time, exact opposite, heat setting. Just make sure that your diversion source can handle the maximum output of everything.

It is recommended to use only resistors for diversion loads because they are simple and reliable. Bulbs burn out, and mechanical devices fail. Without a diversion load, your batteries will overcharge. The two main uses for diversion power is air heating through a resistor bank or hot water heating (elements).

GreenPowerManiac · January 2010

Re: adding wind to solar battery bank

True, however, it's nice to see the bulbs lighting up and functioning. Resistors just waste extra energy into heat. The idea is to put it to good use. A water heating element in a bucket of water is good until it burns out the water which needs a careful eye to watch water levels and it's expensive.

Cariboocoot · January 2010

Re: adding wind to solar battery bank

Nit-picking time.

Light bulbs of the incandescent type and water heater elements are both resisters. Either are entirely suitable as diversion loads. As GPM says, you can see the bulb glow so you'll know if it burns out. But the idea that heating water requires watching ... Millions of electric hot water tanks are in use all around the world with rarely a failure. The water level doesn't need watching either. This is a practical way of 'storing excess energy", even with the inevitable losses.

I wouldn't bother with wind power for any "portable" power, as a good wind turbine set-up is not very portable (50 foot tower) and you lose one very important aspect when you move: predictable wind patterns.

johnelarue · February 2010

Re: adding wind to solar battery bank

Cariboocoot wrote: »

Nit-picking time.

Light bulbs of the incandescent type and water heater elements are both resisters. Either are entirely suitable as diversion loads. As GPM says, you can see the bulb glow so you'll know if it burns out. But the idea that heating water requires watching ... Millions of electric hot water tanks are in use all around the world with rarely a failure. The water level doesn't need watching either. This is a practical way of 'storing excess energy", even with the inevitable losses.

I wouldn't bother with wind power for any "portable" power, as a good wind turbine set-up is not very portable (50 foot tower) and you lose one very important aspect when you move: predictable wind patterns.

Thanks guys,

I was hoping to go with a cheap string of incandesent bulbs, instead of an expensive heating element for starters. Eventually will go with the water heater to keep a rainwater collection barrel from freezing. I'll be making 350watts max if really lucky, so should be ok with the bulbs.

johnelarue · February 2010

Re: adding wind to solar battery bank

How about using an electric oil filled radiator as a dump load? It can be set from 200 watts up to 1300 watts. Not that I'll ever get that high in the battery bank amp/hour department. This would be ideal, especially of course in winter. In summer it can be outside in a covered porch area. Any feedback ideas? Thanks,

john

mike95490 · February 2010

Re: adding wind to solar battery bank

johnelarue wrote: »

How about using an electric oil filled radiator as a dump load? It can be set from 200 watts up to 1300 watts. Not that I'll ever get that high in the battery bank amp/hour department. This would be ideal, especially of course in winter. In summer it can be outside in a covered porch area. Any feedback ideas? Thanks,

john

That'd work fine! (insert filler text)

johnelarue · March 2010

Re: adding wind to solar battery bank

Bringing this back for another question on the same subject:

Would it be possible to use the same small wind turbine, putting out wild 3 phase AC, to directly power the AC oil filled radiator, not using a battery bank?

Are there wave form issues? AC-AC inverter needed? Is there such a thing?

Thanks again,

John

niel · March 2010

Re: adding wind to solar battery bank

i doubt the turbine voltages would match the voltage needed by the radiator. each phase would need its own resistive load if the output is ac and if you can get one that takes the voltage peaks of the turbine's output voltage and can load down its current it's outputting for each phase then you may have something there. this would act like the diversion loads for wind gennies, but instead the diversion load would be the load. often the loads are heating elements in enough water to sink it. lose the water and heating elements often burn out.

adding wind to solar battery bank

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