Solar MPPT <--> Wind MPPT - What's the difference?

[ghurd]

There is very little power in low wind.

Boosting low voltage means more amps flow through the long wires from the turbine to the battery.  Line loss is higher.

Bucking high voltage means less amps flow through the long wires from the turbine to the battery.  Line loss is lower.

It would make the most sense, IMHO, to design a buck system to start making a bit of power at about 5 or 6MPH, but no less than 5MPH.

G-

[GWatPE]

A boost cct is a parallel component to the main rectifiers, and would only handle approx 1/5 of the maximum windmill power, so this would amount to only 1/5 of maximum battery current, as at that point, the boost would have turned OFF, and current would come directly from the windmill.  If the wiring cannot handle this current then it is too small for maximum windmill power as well.

For the buck.  this has to handle the full windmill power all the time, as it is a series element.  If the windmill wiring contributes to a significant loss, then a higher voltage windmill and a buck cct can reduce the transmission wiring losses.

I am finding that for the buck component, the impedance presented by the unit, does not follow a simple relationship to the pulsewidth. I am continuing my testing to assertain a suitable way of calculating a suitable windmill loading algorithm without resorting to a feedback control system.

I will need to continue testing with a power supply.

Gordon.

BTW, the buck system should be able to supply current, as long as the windmill voltage is above the battery voltage.  Whatever windspeed this is will be determined by the alternator, and the blade config.

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