Author Topic: alaska wind site  (Read 2318 times)

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hiker

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alaska wind site
« on: January 01, 2010, 02:09:38 AM »
havent been down to homer lately..

had no idea they had started a wind busness there......

there alts are simular to the ones here..

blades are a bit diffrant...

heres their site..

  http://www.akwindindustries.com/allproven.php
« Last Edit: January 01, 2010, 02:09:38 AM by (unknown) »
WILD in ALASKA

GeeMac

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Re: alaska wind site
« Reply #1 on: January 01, 2010, 08:47:42 AM »
How is furling handled by that turbine?
« Last Edit: January 01, 2010, 08:47:42 AM by GeeMac »

DanB

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Re: alaska wind site
« Reply #2 on: January 01, 2010, 09:57:48 AM »
Hiker - they're selling Proven wind turbines, they've been around for a long time and have an excellent reputation.  The blades are pretty unique - it's a down wind machine.  In higher winds the blades 'cone' and reduce their swept area.  At the same time (while coning) they also change pitch.  Very clever machines I think...
« Last Edit: January 01, 2010, 09:57:48 AM by DanB »
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electronbaby

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Re: alaska wind site
« Reply #3 on: January 01, 2010, 11:56:39 AM »
The Proven turbines are rather unique machines. We just installed one not too long ago (15kw) and I made a time lapse video showing how it all goes together. It requires a higher speed internet connection but it can be viewed here if anyone is interested:

http://www.youtube.com/windsine


As Dan said, they are down wind machines that use a compound hinge to allow the blades to cone backward and change attack angle for blade furling purposes in high winds. They are a really heavily built machine that uses an axial flux alernator. One of the West coast (US) Proven distributors can be seem in my video wearing an AKWI sweatshirt :-) He had mentioned before this job in CT he was up in AK helping those guys out on a Proven install. Anyway, enjoy the video.

« Last Edit: January 01, 2010, 11:56:39 AM by electronbaby »
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scoraigwind

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Re: alaska wind site
« Reply #4 on: January 01, 2010, 12:26:23 PM »
I have been involved with the Provens since they started and before in the early 1990s.  I worked closely with them in the mid nineties to get their first model (2.5 aka 3.2 kW) working right. It's a simple and robust design.  It's actually the change in blade angle (pitch) rather than coning that controls the speed and this is achieved by the action of centrifugal force against a spring.  


It's basically a very solid and simple machine, but it typically goes through a beta test period of about 7 years before a product is good to buy.  The 6 kW is nice now although they did change the blades on both the 2.5 and the 6 which threw the speed control system into chaos, and caused a few burned stators.  Recently they found they could push the 2.5 to 3.2 kW for grid tie so they changed the name.  They used to offer a 600 watt machine for about 12 years that was actually vary nice, but they have just dropped it, and decided not to supply spares which strikes me as incredibly irresponsible behaviour.


The 15 kW is pretty early in this process and most of the time they take it off the market and ignore the existing customers who have turbines that do not work.  So far as I know they are not available right now.  But the status changes fairly often. I would not order a 15 at this time, but the smaller ones are (or used to be) pretty solid if you can afford them.


The big problem these days is getting to speak with anyone in Proven who can help you, since they only deal through re-sellers and they are mostly too busy to keep them informed, and hardly anyone in Proven seems to understand how the turbines work.  They got big financial backing and too many new staff.

« Last Edit: January 01, 2010, 12:26:23 PM by scoraigwind »
Hugh Piggott scoraigwind.co.uk

electronbaby

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Re: alaska wind site
« Reply #5 on: January 01, 2010, 12:43:54 PM »
Hugh, I understand they have some blade hinge issues on the 15 at the moment???
« Last Edit: January 01, 2010, 12:43:54 PM by electronbaby »
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CmeBREW

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Re: alaska wind site
« Reply #6 on: January 03, 2010, 01:48:17 PM »
Thanks Hiker for showing that. (and Electrondady for that awesome video)

I had no idea thats how the PROVEN windmill worked. I assumed it was same as Skystream3.7.


I was sorta depressed though because I've been working on a small design just like that. I thought I had something special until now. I even had my hinges already hardened. Talk about 'Johnny come lately'.  


I always liked the 'look' of the Downwind mill, and this Variable pitch design seems to me (just opinion) to be much more simple and reliable than the typical (upwind) varible pitch mechanism that uses a lot of heavy counter weights (and much weight in or near the hub) and thus CF to overcome the 'Stiction' problem from gyroscopic forces.

It just seems that using the entire wind force against the whole diameter of the blades would make it VERY easy to push the blades back evenly (small distance) and then 'twist' at the compound angle and induce stall smoothly and reliably.

I wonder if this method couldn't be used for UPWIND mills too, if it was far enough away from the tower/pole??


The Downwind mill desing I'm messing with is small potatoes at just 5'.  Since it's small, I was thinking of using pieces of tough Polycarbonate hooked to the blades instead of steel springs. The stuff seems to have great 'springiness?' properties.  Who knows. Might come up with a very simple design if lucky. And use it for the 'link rods' too.  

I really like this design-- thanks for sharing and discussing it.

« Last Edit: January 03, 2010, 01:48:17 PM by CmeBREW »

CmeBREW

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Re: alaska wind site
« Reply #7 on: January 03, 2010, 02:29:02 PM »
Sorry -- meant to say Electronbaby.
« Last Edit: January 03, 2010, 02:29:02 PM by CmeBREW »