wind and solar system power question

[Birdmmjb]

I have my solar panles connected to my battery bank with a charge controler and my wind generator direct wired to the batteries with a blocking diod.

I live in a low wind area and most of the time the generator is eather sitting still or making 3 or 4 volts.

I know when the solar panles are not producing power that the 3 or 4 volts the generator is putting out to my 12v bank is lost.

However, when the panles are charging the battery is the small amount of power from the generator adding to what the panles are putting in to the bank or is it a total loss until the few times a week that the wind is enough to break the 12 volt limit.

I know that wind will never be a large part of my power supply but I like to see the

blades turn and in the winter I feel that I will get more usable power than I get now.

Jan

[AbyssUnderground]

The power would be lost because its not up to "cut in" speed. Your wind generator might be a nice candidate for a boost converter to get the voltage up a bit.

[ghurd]

If there is not much wind at the time, there is not much power to be obtained from it.

Trying to get power from slow wind is an exercise in wasted effort.  I did it too.

If the windmill is OK, let it do what it can, when it can, and the total will be much better.

G-

[Birdmmjb]

thanks for your comment I had hoped it was a little like water pouring a cup of water on the ground and it sinks in and does not go anywhere but if the same cup is poured into a stream the stream has one more cup of water in the flow.

Ghurd did you get a chance to look at the solar cookers? I had a solar meal again today.  Not only do I get a meal with no grid power but I insure that we get enough rain for our yards.  

Setting up the oven seems to invite thunder storms.  Which has the added benefit of really getting the old windgenerater going I was producing 15vdc just before I decided that I had better get in the house or take the chance of St. Peter telling me that I coud not enter the gates of heaven as my reservations was not until a later date and that the devil would be my host until my time to enter Ha Ha Ha

Jan

[luv2weld]

Hi Jan,

Guess I'm not the only one doing the "rain dance"!! Guaranteed to rain if you

wash your car, or get out the sun oven, or get out the power tools for an

outdoor project. Just never seems to fail!!!

I was a little concerned about the part that said you had your wind generator

tied directly to the batteries. If your winds increase during the winter, won't

you run the risk of overcharging them??? Battery bank "meltdown" is on the

same level as nuclear meltdown---to be avoided at all costs because it can

ruin your life!!!!

Ralph

[Birdmmjb]

Ralf I have a regulator and dump load for such an event but still mearsure the windmill output at the tower to get an idea of what the generator is doing by itself when the wind is blowing.

As I have 19 horses I will be cooking out a lot as I really need the grass to grow.  Hay reached $10.50 a bale here this winter thank heaven I had purchased enough to get though the winter but as long as we get rain the price will come down some.  The price of gas and propane is going to keep it higher than last year.

Jan

[finnsawyer]

I couldn't sell all of my hay this year at $2.00 a bale.  There's going to be a good crop this year so any that doesn't get sold off of the field will simply be cut and allowed to rot.

[ghurd]

If the windmill voltage is below the battery voltage, there is no flow and no charging.

Voltage is how full the cup is.  The cup has to get full to the point of overflowing before overflow occurs.  Overflow is what charges the battery.

I have a bad attitude toward solar cooking.  The `Cooking' part.

So many waitress' need the tip money.

I cooked a few thermometers just to see how it worked. Didn't eat them though.  

Nothing fancy, just cardboard boxes, black paint and tin foil.

G-

[Birdmmjb]

Darn I wish you were close to me.  I've allready been told that hay will be $4.50 and I will need between 4 and 5 hundred bales.  I really would like 600 but cant swing it so I'll just watch out for waste.

We had another really strong storm today the wind mill was really humming.  Lightning hit really close and I heard somthing fry.  I thought it was the computer but it was my volte meter on the battery.  It didnt get any thing else thank heaven.

I'll be out tomorrow getting a new one as I dont want to chance runing a good battery.

Jan