Shunt regulator load voltages

[New Thorndale]

Hi

I am excited to have my 3,6m (12 foot) wind turbine producing power. My design is very similar to Hughs Durika Turbine, I had bought the mags and had my rotors made when I saw his plans, I have a 24v system with 10 110 amphour batteries, 160 w Solar with a Steca regulator, and have built Hughs charge controller with relays http://www.scoraigwind.com/circuits/chargecontrol.htm. Two of the circuits are working and two not (Ie it has four loads to be switched on )I suspect that I fried the Opamp as I soldered it on backwards first arghhhhh:(It was my first foray into electronics so a steep learning curve. I was pleased that at least one circuit worked first time, I also have a layout in CAD of the components if anyone wants me to post it.

However I was wondering at what values should I set the loads to come on and to turn off, and what size loads should I use? I am tuning it in situ, as the power comes in I watch the meter to see the Volts and turn the potentionmeter. Heres a pic of my DC box with the controller at the bottom.

Thanks Paul

[nothing to lose]

Very nice looking setup. I like those battery cutout switches, at least I think that's what they are. Harbor Freight has them on sale at $3 (normally $6) till NOV. 28th. Rated at 100 amp 12V or 50amp at 24V. I was going to get a dozen but they were out of stock

Looks like a very nice and clean built system, nice job. I like the fuse block also.

Some one else can give a better answer for 24V, but I think on at 13.5V off at 12.5V is good for a 12V system. Some-one correct me if I am wrong, that is what I'll be setting mine for.

[ghurd]

I'll bite.

With a 12V system, off at 12.7V. On at 13.8V, maybe even 14 or 14.2V if the mill is not keeping up with normal uses or the battery was low.

With 4 progressive dump loads, maybe on at 13.7, 13.8, 13.9, and 14V.  Off at 1V lower.  The first load low power, middle 2 loads a little higher, and the last load quite high.

Double the 12V values for 24V.

Just guessing.

(The factory battery lasted 8 years in my old truck, and it charged to 14.4V)

G-

[New Thorndale]

Thanks for your input, and compliments, my previous wiring was not as neat, this is mark3.  Yes the switches are cut outs, one cuts out the batteries, the other the inverter.  I still need to add some big fuses to the system, when I can find them.  The values you suggest make a lot of sense to me, I'll set it up as suggested.  I read on an earlier post that the final relay had been used to short out the mill, is this advisable?  Hugh rates his mill at 500-1000w so am I right in thinking that the loads should add up to 1000w or should they be more, for a safety factor.  That would have a total load of 50 Amps or 1200W.  So I could go for two at 10 amps, one at 14 amp and one at 16 amps. Does this sound correct.  

Thanks

Paul

[spinner]

 

 I am wondering if, perhaps, someone on this board ( and I know there are many, from following posts here ) would be willing to build one of these controllers for me at a fair price.

Reason for request: I know NOTHING about physically building something like this and am not all that conversant with solid state control,ie. if it were strictly a relay driven controller that one wired up ( after designing it ) that was a matter of coils and contacts one would connect with individual wires, been there, done that.

I should add that I would like said unit to contain one more stage of relay control to enable me to detirmine when output from my generator would begin to be utilized.

Reason: a "soft start" would, I think, work well with my dualhelix.

Hate to pose such a ? on a board where "do it yourself" is so standard a practice, I have however, done what I can myself already, on this project.

in any case, thank you

spinner

[Herder from Sweden]

"I also have a layout in CAD of the components if anyone wants me to post it".

Hi, I would like to have the layout for Hugh´s regulator.

Herder from sweden

[New Thorndale]

Heres the Vero board layout of my components,

[dinges]

Does that schematic from Hugh work? One design flaw is that the LEDs are in parallel over the relay coils, without any form of current limiting; this will drastically (to seconds?) reduce of the life of the LEDs; a 1k resistor in series with the led should do the trick, I think.

Think I will be a charge controller based on solid-state technology (MOSFet) though; better reliability, no relays to burn out.

Funny, you actually make a CAD design for such simple schematics? I usually use 'island print', i.e. holes with small copper islands, .1" raster. I use point to point wiring (which can be very tidy, if done properly); for each component & connection that I make, I immediately 'scratch out' that component/connection on the schematic; this way you can keep a careful account of what work you have done and is yet to be done. This way, I can build even very complex designs (>16 TTL ICs) with absolute certainty that it'll work (if the design is good anyway ;-)) I hate etching PCBs, and think it's nonsense for single pieces (almost always prototypes). Not even necessarily more beautiful (unless you can make solder masks & component printing too) or reliable than your or mine technique of building. Tried explaining this dozens of times to fellow hams, but if it's not on an etched PCB, they don't consider it worth building. So be it.

BTW, very nice RE-cabinet you have there! Not only functional, but nice to look at too.

Grtz,

Peter,

The Netherlands.

[New Thorndale]

hi Peter

I am an architect, and this was my first attemp at electronics,  Making a cad drawing (which was the easiest part of it all) helped me work out how to fit all the little pieces onto the veroboard, and then where to drill out the holes to break connectivity.  I took about a day to work this all out, as I started from knowing nothing, had to learn simple things like which way a diode is connected.  The circuit seems to work fine, and Hugh does say that its shortcomings is that the relays fail. I built two of these circuits, only one is working so I must have a short or fauly component in the other   I am running a 24 V system and Hugh had given clear instuctions to covert this regulator to 24V.  I am not sure I understand what system you use exactly, can you give more details, perhaps a website.  

I looked all over the board for a regulator but was not sure which one to make.  I am building a few more turbines so will try out the other controllers,  Here are a few I have seen

 http://thebackshed.com/Windmill/charger1.asp

http://www.homepower.com/magazine/downloads_homebrews.cfm

I was not sure if these could handle the loads as my windmill is a 3,6m diameter and would need to dump 1000W, so I went for what looked simplest to me.  Now I feel more confident to tackle a more comple regulator.  I would certainly value any advice on the  best, and most reliable regulator.  

Thanks

Paul

[dinges]

In that case, a job very well done!

I'm an experienced electronics tinkerer, but my projects (even simple ones) take days to finish; 1 hr. thinking about a problem & how to solve, 5 minutes implementing the solution :-)

You're right, Hugh's solution is simple, and I've seriously considered building this design. However, the LED-issue (which is very easy to solve, BTW: unsolder one lead of each LED, and insert a resistor of about 1k (1000 ohm) in series; this limits current to normal levels) has made me wonder about other design flaws that I don't see yet. (am not an electronics engineer, just an experienced hobbyist).

There are plenty of schematics around of these kinds of regulators, also using MOSFets for dumping the load; I will have a look in my directories to see if I can find any that are easy to build, and will link to them here. Advantage of MOSFets over relays is reliability (relay contacts can/will burn out, bounce, etc.), while MOSFets are fully electronic components. Also, a MOSFet is easier to mount (even when it needs cooling) than a relay, IMO.

About reversing ICs; it happens to all of us. TIP: use an IC-socket, this way replacing one becomes a piece of cake. Remember one spectacular failure of a NE555 (timer IC) years ago, that I plugged in backwards: it projected parts of its black case straight into my face! (ever since, I wear glasses when working on electronics or soldering). After the even, you could see the bare silicium chip...

All in all, a job well done. (back at engineering school, we used to say that constructions engineerings (architects) were just those that couldn't cut it at mechanical engineering ;-) ). Or: mech.engineers make weapons, constructions engineers/architects make targets :-p

Peter,

The Netherlands.

[New Thorndale]

Hi Peter.

Yes I did find out about using an IC socket, and after changing the ic, found that it wasn't the problem,  I have always been practical, and enjoyed both the design and the manufacture but think I am unusual in that way.  I look forward to seeing your links, and what would be most helpful is some advice on their strenghts and weaknesses.

regards

Paul