Poll

The wires go where?

Red and black wires
0 (0%)
2 blue wires
1 (100%)

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Author Topic: Wind generator motor wiring  (Read 8229 times)

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HankD744

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Wind generator motor wiring
« on: May 11, 2011, 02:52:24 AM »
I have a motor that has to be driven by some mechanical means like a treadmill, etc. It has 2 blue wires and a red and a black wire. I have no wiring diagram so I don't know what to do with the wires. But I have read enough on the boards here that tell me the wires go to a full wave rectifier bridge. I know what that is and what it does. Can I assume the 2 blue wires go to the ac connections of the bridge and the red wire is positive and the black is ground? I know if thats true the red and black need to go to a electrolytic capacitor setup so as to smooth out the DC voltage. Then perhaps a voltage regulator to give the desired output.

Am I on track here or do I need more info? I don't have the specs on the side of the motor at the moment but I remember it has a max speed of about 6700 rpm and an output of about 135volts. At about 18.5 amps,etc. The manufacturer is Argord and I have not found a web site for them.
Hank D

Flux

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Re: Wind generator motor wiring
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2011, 03:45:30 AM »
You can't assume anything. Maybe someone recognises the motor and can help.

I will make a guess that if it is from a treadmill it will be a permanent magnet dc motor. If you have a multimeter, put it on dc volts range connect the leads to the red and black wires and spin the motor. If you get a dc voltage then those are the armature wires.

The blue ones may be some form of sensor for speed or temperature and are probably irrelevant.

If it is a dc motor it doesn't need a rectifier as such but will need a blocking diode for charging batteries and a bridge will do this but I doubt that you should be connecting the blue wires to it.

if you don't get any dc volts from the red and black wires then it may not be a dc motor and without seeing it I wouldn't even consider guessing what you have.

Flux

snake21

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Re: Wind generator motor wiring
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2011, 08:54:47 AM »
hi,i have a motor exactly like you have and believe me,its no good as a wind turbine unless you gear it up to a ratio of about 1:10.if you want to use it as a wind turbine,then forget about the blue wire.only the red and the black one works.and there is no need for a bridge rectifier becaue the motor is a dc motor.

hope it helps

HankD744

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Re: Wind generator motor wiring
« Reply #3 on: May 12, 2011, 04:30:08 AM »
Thanks guys for the input.  I'd really like to find a diagram of the motors wiring. What to do with the 4 wires. 

???   Thanks,   Hank
Hank D

Norm

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Re: Wind generator motor wiring
« Reply #4 on: May 12, 2011, 07:49:46 AM »
Am I on track here or do I need more info? I don't have the specs on the side of the motor at the moment but I remember it has a max speed of about 6700 rpm and an output of about 135volts. At about 18.5 amps,etc. The manufacturer is Argord and I have not found a web site for them.
Went to Google and input Argordand got this......
http://www.iowacitylist.com/Automotive-Repair-/New-2-5-hp-dc-replacement-motor-130-vdc-18-5-amps.HTM
use the black and red wires.....turning it in the proper direction will give you positive from the red wire
if this was originally a treadmill motor the blue wires are for the speed control and you do not need to worry about
the blue wires

Norm

HankD744

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Re: Wind generator motor wiring
« Reply #5 on: May 12, 2011, 12:46:23 PM »
Thanks Norm for the info on the Argord motor. Do you have an idea what the output waveform looks like on a oscilloscope? I'm sure it's not pure DC as in a battery but some form of pulsating DC because it has to be rotated to generate some voltage.

The motor is not actually mine. It belongs to the young son of a friend of mine. I'm helping him build a wind generated supply of voltage to re-charge a battery. That would be so he can connect the battery to an inverter to run some power tools at 120vac. This is all just experimentation.

I know the voltage from the motor will have to be output to a regulator so as to not "over charge" the battery. Of course he has just now completed the wind vanes and we're working on connecting the motor shaft to the vanes, etc. Living in New Mexico gives some source of wind but probably not enough to be a good steady source.

Thanks,   Hank

Hank D

ghurd

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Re: Wind generator motor wiring
« Reply #6 on: May 12, 2011, 01:07:32 PM »
It is 'mostly' pure DC.
The brushes do that.

Do not regulate the output from the motor.
Regulate the battery, with a dump load controller.

G-
www.ghurd.info<<<-----Information on my Controller

Flux

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Re: Wind generator motor wiring
« Reply #7 on: May 12, 2011, 03:19:43 PM »
The motor will be too fast for direct drive except for very small blades in a really high wind area.

A 6ft prop would need about 3:1 speed increase to get a sensible cut in speed. The output from dc generators is near true dc but there is a small percentage ripple, it will be as smooth as or smoother than a rectified 3 phase alternator.

Ghurd is right, you must not regulate the output of the generator, if you do the loading will be removed as the regulator operates and the prop will run away and the input volts will probably go high enough to blow the regulator. Even if the regulator survived the prop would be fast and furious and may not survive a high wind. Always keep connected to the battery and use a diversion controller to deal with overcharging.

It's a poor choice of motor but with suitable gearing it can be made to work.

Flux

Norm

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Re: Wind generator motor wiring
« Reply #8 on: May 12, 2011, 05:52:59 PM »
Wishing you luck in your endeavor......
Norm.

dave ames

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Re: Wind generator motor wiring
« Reply #9 on: May 13, 2011, 01:56:40 PM »

Hank,

I hope I am able to frame this comment so it conveys my thoughts as if I were having coffee with a friend and talking things out.

There has been a ton of Psychobabble in the last few decades about disappointment being a character builder or a confidence destroyer in the care and feeding of youth. We have the "no child left behind" initiative keeping some classrooms at the lowest common denominator..lots of the Little Leagues don't even keep score now..no losers! everyone is "Special" and gold stars all around!

Whats all that have to do with us? I believe there are plenty of opportunities for disappointment to help with the character building without the sure fire disappointment that is likely to come if we try to use that Argord motor for a 12 volt wind generator.

Experiences like these (helping the kid with the wind generator project) are memories for a lifetime. Why not try and made the best memories we can and build something that has a chance of working?

I would recommend gathering all the data and working through some of the maths with the kid..the volts per rev of the proposed generator, the blade size, it's expected rpm -in what wind speed.. that sort of thing. This will show him/her the importance of planning so we can avoid some of life's disappointments. Or at least have something better at hand to switch out when we find out that one won't work?

kind regards, dave

adaml

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Re: Wind generator motor wiring
« Reply #10 on: May 13, 2011, 03:10:18 PM »
This looks very much like (sure it is 99%), a motor I got from ebay, Surplus store possibly??  Gave up on it quickly as never managed to get a lot out of it, a learning curve was what I put it down to, thankfully didn't have much in it cash wise.  Does it have a left hand thread on the shaft? 
Play with it but look about for alternatives also.
Use only the red and black wires.