Windmill Controller

[go4it]

I have a dump load and  controller on the windmill at my remote cabin.  When I am not there I short out the windmill as a brake.  Is there a controller that I could use that would monitor the battery voltage and turn on and off the windmill as opposed to dumping the excess power?

[birdhouse]

typically shorted-unshorted controllers aren't used for wind turbines, though i'm sure something could be made.  i'm guessing a Ghurd controller could be modified to activate a relay to short the turbine when a certain voltage is hit.

i also short my turbine at my off grid place when i'm not there.  there's no point in wearing our bearings ect when there is no need for the power. 

what would be the advantage of this new style of controller?  if it's to keep batts topped off when you're not there, a small amount of solar would do the trick. 

running solar along side wind for off grid is pretty awesome.  they tend to compliment each other perfectly. 

adam 

[kitestrings]

Midnite Solar's Classic CC can also be configured to do this.  The unit has two aux port user configurable input/outputs.  They can be set for active hi - or low settings.  So some examples might be to start a generator (active low), or short or load the turbine (active high).  You can pick both the threshold it actuates, but also the threshold it resumes at, and it can be a voltage value, % of SOC or relative setting to charge set-points.  You can also program delay and hold times for the settings.  Works pretty slick.

~kitestrings

[OperaHouse]

Certainly almost any voltage control relay could do this.  Again, this is something that could be done with a UNO.  At $10 it is a pretty cheap option.  Monitor the battery voltage and when it drops below a certain voltage un-short the mill.  Don't like relays clicking on and off so time delays could be added.  You could schedule an hour a day to run the mill, longer if the battery didn't charge to the level required.  A LM431, two resistors and a relay could also do this. I could draw up a schematic.  The ghurd controller would do this.  Just set trip voltage of battery to something like 12.6 volts for a rest voltage.

[madlabs]

I'm with Bird. Even a marginal site can do enough solar to keep batts up. So unless it's a hopeless solar site, I'd add some PV's. If it was me, I'd feel better knowing my windmill was furled when I wasn't there. And saving the wear and tear so it is ready to run when I need the power.

JOnathan

[kitestrings]

I'd have to agree.  If the system is left for unattended periods of any length, and the only task at hand is floating the batteries, solar is probably best.  And, it would take much.

If on the other hand there are electrical loads to maintain - refrigeration, irrigation or stock watering, security lighting, any sort of HVAC equipment then it might be a different answer.  We don't know from the OP how well equipped the cabin is.  For some it's "roughing it" at camp.  For others it's another home.

The Classic does have at least one other advantage worth a mention (and not that it is the best fit here).  It does allows you to monitor log data from afar, not real time, but you would at least know whether and what the production has been, and be able to monitor the bank voltage.  I suspect there may be less expensive ways to just do the latter.  There are of course also solar systems that can stream data to a webhost.

~ks

[go4it]

Thanks for the relies.  It seems that I am better leaving the windmill furled when I am not there.  I was hoping to keep my small electric fridge running in the summer when I am not there and I am not sure  if my current system, ( 2x140 watt and 1 x 80 watt solar panels charging 4  6 volt solar batteries slightly higher amperage than you typical golf cart batteries that I started out with ) will be able to keep up.  Usually on cloudy days there is some wind.

j

[madlabs]

Grab a kill-a-watt and see how much the fridge uses in a week. Then see if ya think the solar will keep up.

Jonathan

[DamonHD]

Maybe think of your time away as a time to give the fridge a good defrost and airing?  B^|>

Rgds

Damon

[OperaHouse]

Maybe I should look for sunnier skies.  It takes me a KW of panels just to run a 100W chest fridge.