Solar control for wind generator

[funkeytut42211]

I recently saw a web site with a small tape drive based wind genny kit that included a surplus 150 watt solar charge control. Im a correct in thinking this cant be a working solution to charge control? I though that solar controls always just shut off the input to the batteries and with a turbine you had to have a load on the turbine to avoid run away. Please correct my fuzzy thinking.

[windstuffnow]

   There are some controllers, such as the C series Xantrax that can be used as solar controllers or as a diversion load controllers.  This way the mill is always loaded and when the batteries are charged the excess is dumped into a resistance heater such as a water heater.

   So, yes, they can work with wind generators.  Just check on the brand your purchasing to see if it can be used either way.

Have Fun

Windstuff Ed

[funkeytut42211]

Yup I know the C-40's etc will do that I have one now but the one in question had no dump load ability thats why I questioned its possible use. Im sure there would be a interesting series of events with its use as a wind control. I would imagine the guy selling them for wind will make a lot of people happy.

[Ungrounded Lightning Rod]

I note that SOME solar panel regulators work by shorting the panel (completely, not just loading it) when the desired charge is reached.

That's just ducky for solar panels.  The current stays essentially the same, limited by the amount of sunlight striking the panel, while the voltage goes down to the saturation voltage of the transistor (about .4 volts).  So the controller stays cool (dissipating about 2 watts for every five amps of panel - possibly less than it dissipates when the current is going through the diode instead) and the panel gets a little more solar heating than it does while it's charging the batteries.

But if you use this on a mill, the genny voltage is controlled by the rotation rate, and that blade is a big flywheel so the speed doesn't change suddenly.  When the transistor turns on the current goes up enormously, limited only by the voltage drop in the transistor and the rectifier diodes and the resistance of the coils and wiring.  The hundreds, or even thousands, of amps instantly destroy the transistor, and if it fails shorted rather than open (or it takes too long to fail) the rectifier diodes go, too.  Those probably fail shorted, and eventually the blade slows to a crawl, after the rest of the momentum is dumped as heat, mostly in the genny windings.

= = = = =

Other types will be OK, or relatively OK:  A regulator that opens the circuit won't load the genny (which may overspeed) but won't fry itself and the rest of the system either.  A regulator that applies a dump load will do just what you want.  (Controllers for large systems should be one of the latter two types.  Shunt regulators tend to be for small systems only.)