Heat from wind using inverter?

[samuk]

Hi I am building a mobile renewable energy system that will be mounted in a trailer and towed to open air events during the summer. It will be used to power a internet tent (satellite and laptops) at various music festivals etc.

The original plan was to just store this system over the winter. However it seems like a real shame to not the turbine in the most windy part of the year.

I am keen to not cycle the batteries over the winter in order to preserve their lifespan for the primary function of providing power at these events, I do not plan to attach any load to the batteries during the winter. I do not plan to use the solar panels in the winter.

I am wondering if it is going to be possible to use the turbine to generate heat in this 'winter mode'.

I am thinking that during the winter I could connect a diversion charge controller into the system and use that to generate heat.

The turbine that I am buying has a built in charge controller designed for charging batteries. I imagine that if I put a  diversion load controller between the turbine and the batteries then the turbine will just dump all the energy that it generates into the dump load. Is this a reasonable assumption?

I have been looking at this

http://store.altenergystore.com/Charge-Controllers/Diversion-Load-Controllers/Morningstar-Tristar-Ts



-60-60A-Chg-Ctlr-WO-Display/p807/

It can handle up to 4kw of panels, and can also be used with wind turbines, would it be possible to put two or three of these inline to handle the output of the turbine?

The turbine could put out up to 180amps and I cannot find a diversion controller that will manage that much.. Could anyone recommend one?

The other complicating factor is that the house that needs the heat is 20 metres from the turbine site. I am therefore thinking of dumping the output from my diversion charge controller through my inverter and then running the dump load at 240v. The inverter can handle up to 6kw peak, the turbine can output 4.5kw peak. Would using the inverter in this way cause it to burn out prematurely?

Any advice gratefully recieved.

This is my current shopping list

http://www.airen.ie/Homeandsmallbusinesses/index.asp#Specifications

£2,559 turbine

2000ah batteries already owned

£free

http://www.jgtech.com/shop11.htm

£1318  4X 85 watt kyocera solar panel  (1007 x 652 x36mm)  =  340 watt (more to be added later)

http://www.brightlightsolar.com/acatalog/Charge_Controllers.html

MPPT solar charge controller £184 30a  

http://www.kuranda.co.uk/victron-energy/victron-multi-multi-plus/victron-12-3000-120-phoenix-multipl



us-3.html

Victron 3000 multiplus inverter / charger  £745 - £1000 (inc discount)

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/PJL-ALLSORTS_diesel-generators_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZ276206018QQftidZ2QQtZ



km

£790 5kw  diesel generator  915×547×742   + control switch

[samuk]

Actually thinking about it am I making this more complicated than it needs to be? Can I just connect the wind generator to a large dump load, and just keep it completely separate to my battery system? I could then keep the batteries topped up using one of the solar panels..

[veewee77]

If this is going to be a mobile project, then I'd think you need to leave the wind turbine at home. If it is not firmly attached to the ground, it could fall over and hurt someone (lots of insurance required here). Also, you'd need guy wires because there won't be any way to attache it to the ground at mobile events. It would be better to just add more solar panels offsetting the cost of the wind turbine. Figure up how many computers you want to haul around, Then figure the satellite system itself, switches, wireless and etc. and lighting if needed. Figure up how much power this whole system needs and use a minimum of twice that much solar power. Twice because you also need to charge the batteries and the sun won't shine all day, every day.

I think this is a great idea, by the way, but the wind turbine is a hazardous operation to use in close proximity to masses of people. Especially since proper mounting and support will be very hard to acconplish in a mobile system.

Doug

[samuk]

Hi Doug.

Thanks for your suggestions.

I plan to use a proper mast designed for this type of turbine. I will create a exclusion zone around the mast at events. This is a fairly normal thing to do in the UK  a number of people do it already.

I have already done the system sizing and the above is I believe the best use of my funds. ( I am actually getting a significant discount on the turbine, the above is the list price)

With regards to my suggestion above to connect the turbine into a dump load would connecting a battery in parallel work?

http://www.survivalunlimited.com/windpower/diverloadctrlr.htm#ts

[electrondady1]

creating heat from the wind is my quest .

here are some links

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2006/9/14/17359/1190

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2006/9/16/225354/917

[commanda]

The turbine that I am buying has a built in charge controller.....

So what does the built in charge controller do once the batteries are full? It's not going to open circuit the mill, so it must dump the power somewhere.  You just need to reconfigure its dump load to heat water.

Amanda

[samuk]

So what does the built in charge controller do once the batteries are full? It's not going to open circuit the mill, so it must dump the power somewhere.

I belive it has a electromagnetic braking system.