Author Topic: Passed the BIG Test (Read 4172 times)

Live6766 · « **on:** February 11, 2008, 11:53:44 PM »

My First Flying High test.

I get it up and flying Saturday after noon and sunday we got Big winds BIG winds Sometime 40 to 50 mph. Batteries charged to

8 and dumped to heater. Put Volt meter on to see what Dc Volts the motor was pushing. Motor is 90 vdc on time i seen
dc volts.

Most of the time the Volts where 30 to 40. It was cold out there but i did not give two sh--s. This is FUN.

Here is a pic of my new 22' tower and Wind mill if you can see it. I have to take a pic in the day light. Thanks to All for the Help.

wooferhound · « **Reply #1 on:** February 11, 2008, 05:27:35 PM »

I'm glad to hear that you are getting good results

but something went terribly wrong

The wind isn't supposed to blow for at least a few days after you raise your turbine for the first time.

It's called the First Rule . . .

Live6766 · « **Reply #2 on:** February 11, 2008, 05:31:21 PM »

That is the way it is most of the time. Put it up and what.

I did see it coming so i spent all day Saturday getting it up there. I cant take my eyes off it. I think i got it BAD..

TomW · « **Reply #3 on:** February 11, 2008, 05:42:03 PM »

Tom;

It is highly addictive. I mounted mine where I can see the windfarm [work in progress] from the house. My wife laughs when I walk to that side of the house and look up there when I can see the turbine output voltmeter and ammeter from my normal spot in the house. Its just that bad.

No known cure.

TomW

Live6766 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 11, 2008, 05:52:32 PM »

I Love it I love it Ilove it..

My family make fun of me with i am out there LIKE all the time.

Gotta Move this ticker with that.

Again I cant Thank you all enough. THANKS

I just sit back at First and read every thing you all had to talk about and then ask (some Dumb questions)

vawtman · « **Reply #5 on:** February 11, 2008, 06:12:05 PM »

Tom

Nice work but if your married don't mention(love it)to much in front of her.

I get this alot(you care more about that darn turbine than me)Wonder sometimes :>)

richhagen · « **Reply #6 on:** February 11, 2008, 07:56:14 PM »

I get laughed at when I am asked if it is sunny out and I go check the meter on the solar panels instead of looking out the window. Rich

ZooT · « **Reply #7 on:** February 11, 2008, 09:31:31 PM »

Heck......ya' only feel the cold when you're not occupied...

Tell me there.......did she sing to you in the wind?

And could you hear her song change when she hit cut-in?

I can't tell you how many hours I've stood out there listening to and watching that song and dance

Live6766 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 12, 2008, 05:10:53 AM »

Sing,Wow. She was Howling that night and it was sweet. i do have a slite balance problem i need to take care of. No you can hear

her. She is Exiting.

Norm · « **Reply #9 on:** February 12, 2008, 07:28:24 AM »

Bug bit me long ago....

made a windmill recently ...just a bike wheel

with venetian blind slats for blades.....

it was snowing and the wind was howling outside

(wife with a worried look)....

'It really looks bad out there'

(me) 'Wow ! Look at that wheel spinning....must

be about 250 !

'Oh Look....there goes the neighbors trash can'

hmmm! about 3 of those ...make a nice

Savonius......

LOL !

Flux · « **Reply #10 on:** February 12, 2008, 08:20:15 AM »

"Most of the time the Volts where 30 to 40. It was cold out there but i did not give two sh--s. This is FUN."

What do you mean by that?

"Sing,Wow. She was Howling that night and it was sweet."

Yes I bet she was howling on open circuit!.

Aren't you the one who assured us you had sorted out your connections, I am still not convinced unless your explanations are strange again.

Flux

bj · « **Reply #11 on:** February 12, 2008, 11:25:27 AM »

Tom--I am afraid you have an affliction that there is no cure for.

But it is a good affliction. Every time a new genny goes up,

everybody learns a bit more. And that can't be a bad thing.

May your guy wires always stay tight.

bj

Live6766 · « **Reply #12 on:** February 12, 2008, 06:37:21 PM »

what are you not convinced about, if you dont mind me asking.

TheCasualTraveler · « **Reply #13 on:** February 12, 2008, 10:06:19 PM »

In your understandable enthusiasm you didn't give us much details about your voltage measurements. It would seem odd to see 30 to 40 volts if the output of your mill was connected to a battery. Probably you disconnected it when you measured the higher voltages just to take a peak at the open circuit voltage. I often do the same thing but with the winds as high as you stated it could be a dangerous thing, at least for your mill and especially after your "Free Wheel Not Good" post which showed your blades all smashed.

Good to see it's working, congrats. Be careful not to run it unloaded though, especially in high winds.

ZooT · « **Reply #14 on:** February 13, 2008, 01:08:40 AM »

Mine has a low "whoosing" sound in the wind that changes pitch as the wind rises and falls, and it turns into a low hum when it hits cut-in.....and there's no way I'd ever run mine on an open circuit.....heck, I even wait for a lull in the wind to hit the shorting switch, and no wind to pull the plug and untwist the cord.....

Flux · « **Reply #15 on:** February 13, 2008, 01:44:47 AM »

Yes, running open circuit is not a good idea for any mill without pitch controlled blades.

In normal operation the open circuit voltage is irrelevant although it could be interesting to measure it below cut in on the motor terminals before the blocking diode, it is interesting to see how far you are from cut in.Beyond cut in you will measure battery volts. Current is what matters, that is the thing to measure. With the mention of consistent high voltages, whooshing noises and no mention of current I was a little worried that you may still have a connection problem.

If these were just voltages taken deliberately on open circuit and not the normal then ok, but it is not good practice and could be very damaging especially with dc motors. Alternators will not bother about a rush of current when you reconnect but the high surge current is not very kind to the brushes and commutator of a dc machine. These motors are pushed very hard for wind power and surges from reconnecting from overspeed are not good.

Flux

Live6766 · « **Reply #16 on:** February 13, 2008, 06:02:04 AM »

I am being missunderstood

I was looking at Dc volt at the motor terminals before the blocking diode,and that pic is the Old blades i have made New Blade sines then. And No i do not have a short. Wind to Blocking diode to Batteries to Controller to inverter. and water heater element to dump to. Batteries Charged to 13.8 and the heater was Hot to the Touch.

Thanks all for the concern Tom

Flux · « **Reply #17 on:** February 13, 2008, 06:59:27 AM »

Yes you may be being understood, but for good reason. The comments you make don't tie up with what you claim to have.

The charging circuit is this.

Forget controllers for now. If that is the charging circuit then it is impossible for you to see that sort of voltage on the terminals of the motor. It will be clamped at one diode drop above battery volts.

If you are happy with what you have and for some reason you are unable to describe any of this in words then I can't help.

I am just trying to help you on the basis of the information you have given and it doesn't make sense.

Flux

TheCasualTraveler · « **Reply #18 on:** February 13, 2008, 11:52:19 AM »

Could it be that the mill feeds into your Xantrex C-35 charge controller and that the charge controller has two outputs, one to charge the battery and one that diverts the current to a dump load when the batteries are at 13.8 as you said. In that case if you were measuring 30 to 40 volts being dumped it might make sense if it is diverted to a dump load before the battery.

Flux · « **Reply #19 on:** February 13, 2008, 11:59:14 AM »

Can't see a C35 surviving in other than diversion mode. Not sure what modes it has, I thought it just open circuited in solar charge mode, solar panels don't need to be diverted to something.

Flux

froggie · « **Reply #20 on:** February 13, 2008, 12:44:32 PM »

Congratulations! That looks like a wonderful machine you've got there. Was that a pre-assembled tower or did you make that yourself?

Also, have you measured what kind of peak current you can get out of it? I'm impressed either way!

Good luck on the rest of the wind farm,

froggie, UK

coldspot · « **Reply #21 on:** February 13, 2008, 01:07:58 PM »

Live6766-

"water heater element to dump to. Batteries Charged to 13.8 and the heater was Hot to the Touch."

Water heater elements are immersion, please tell us about yours, type ratings and if used with water?

PS: I'd be thinking about furling.

Live6766 · « **Reply #22 on:** February 13, 2008, 03:10:30 PM »

No the Element is just laying out in the Cold For now. The Element is a Large 240 volt 2000 watt. when i do use it for Per heating somekind of water the Element I will use will be smaller.

Now Flex I do see where you are comeing from, I was just checking voltage Off the motor itself. No i didnt get voltage readings after the Diode Just at the motor. There are some nice winds tonight and i will get them reading. I am sorry my wording is poor and i do welcome all advice. Thanks

Now TheCasualTraveler No the Mill can not be hooked up to the C-35 Xantrex Dicret. The Mill most go straight to the Batteries,

Through a Blocking diode first. Then from the Batteries to the controller. Then off the controller to some kind of Diversion Load. And dont forget the Disconnects and the Ground to Earth.

kurt · « **Reply #23 on:** February 13, 2008, 06:32:09 PM »

ummm according to the best math in irc a 240 volt 2000 watt heater element would draw about .4 amps at 12v max you mite wanna rethink your dumpload. here is an ohms law calculator mite help... http://www.mcsquared.com/ohmframe.htm

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Author Topic: Passed the BIG Test (Read 4172 times)