electronic gizmo

[techwolf]

I'm in the design stage of building a prototype electronic data logger system geared for wind power. I'd like some input from the experts on the events that need/should be read and recorded. The standard stuff like rpm, wind speed, and direction goes without saying but, I'm looking for the things that I'd miss and thought asking here might yield some new ideas. The basic unit would include an interface to a computer but will still be able to work as a standalone unit if needed.

Should the electronic part mount at the tower base? with the wires to the sensors running to the generator. What type of outputs would be needed? brake/furl the rotor in high wind speeds is the one that has to be.

Also since I'd like to sell these finished units what kind of price range should I shoot for? Has anyone seen a device that could fill this need and where?

Frank

[wdyasq]

I have used the dataq A/D converters with good success with a computer.  A 'PIC Chip' could be programmed to do all you want and more.

Ron

[benjamindees]

Amps, volts, stator temperature, rpm, windspeed.  Not sure what else.  Maybe a relay output that can be programmed to activate at a specific rpm?

Price and output depends on whether you want it to be a permanent thing or just used temporarily and moved from gen to gen.

If you want it to be permanent, make it use as little power as possible.  Give it a low speed (1200 baud) serial output.  That should have a range of a couple hundred feet.

If it's too expensive or uses too much power, make it easy to remove because it will only be used for temporary testing.

[olvvlo]

Excellent I liked the sound of this.

Perhaps vibration could be added , giving for warning of a developing problem.

Performance graphics stored as their record , then compared with some months previous showing up any changes, allowing this loging to be used as a diagnostic tool for telling otherwise undetectable changes.

would it be necessary to have a short range wireless transmitter mounted on the generator itself, to get around the need for another commutator, which in itself would interfere perhaps with the data.

Could the software be released as a beta version four people on this board to experiment with and add too?

As a final polished product, I guess it could be quite an expensive bit of kit.

[sven]

Maybe to know how much your machine is furling would be nice, and direction of the wind would be nice as well.  The last part could be used to calculate turbulence as well.

Sven

[techwolf]

OK so we have:

amps, volts, temp- stator and outside air, RPM, windspeed and direction, vibration,

as inputs. the user could use one or all as needed.

furling of the mill as an output, also an output to turn on some sort of brake system.

A computer port to plug in a laptop or to run a cable to an indoor computer(100 feet)

as the basic controller/logger. Oh, about $100 or under too.

sounds about right...

I'll have to get a prototype up and running before I start on the computer software to interface with this unit.

Frank

[sven]

I would think furling would also be an input, not an output.

Sven

[techwolf]

I was thinking that furling would be done based on wind direction.

by an electric drive motor, but I'm glad I asked here as I might have missed

that. so add an input to read the posistion of the mill or the amount of furling.

[techwolf]

Also maybe an output to switch from a star to delta wiring setup?

[geoffd]

Also an input that tells you when you have switched to "Dump Load Mode".  That will give you an idea of how well the system is coping with charging the batteries.

Geoff