Voltage Regulator Circuit needed for a wind turbine

[fabieville]

I am seeking a voltage regulator for my windblue 540 wind turbine. I am planning to run my wind turbine to a regular solar charge controller instead of using a dump load controller. What i am planning to achieve is that when the turbine is spinning if the voltage goes up to a point that the solar charge controller cannot handle it then the circuit would shorts the wind turbine output for a brief peroid which would cause significant drag which would make the wind turbine slow down plus harder to spin and then the circuit would release after a peroid which would be adjustable in the circuit allowing it to spin again and start feeding the charge controller. This would also serve as a braking system so that the wind turbine would not get to overspin making the dump load not necessary. I was thinking about using a timer circuit IC LM555 that would regulate how long the circuit would keep the wind turbine output shorted before releasing it again.
So if anyone has a circuit that can make this happen I would be very happy to get the schematic.
I anxiously await your comments/suggestions.

[ghurd]

What you Think you are looking for is the Oatly K241 controller kit.
Shorting the blades on iron cored machines in big winds can let them run away.  (air core too, but iron core is more susceptible)

Now would be a good time to change your mind before the windblew guts look like this:



Get something more standard, with a dump load.
G-

[Flux]

This is a risky method to control a wind turbine. It does work in some cases such as the AirX but the makers will have tested the scheme before releasing it.

It may or may not work with your turbine and it would be up to you to prove that it was effective. Your little PMA may not even respond to short circuit barking, this would depend on the wind and the blades. If the alternator reactance limits with the blade load that they are producing in a certain wind it may just keep running. Your short circuiting regulator will clamp the volts to zero during the short, but if the turbine is still running at speed the volts will shoot right up as soon as the short is removed.

I don't think it is possible to give general advice about this, in general it is not a good approach. Best of luck if you want to try it but you would only get useful advice from someone who has tried it on a similar machine. You probably won't hurt the turbine but I don't give much for the chances of your solar controller in the long run.

Flux

[DamonHD]

I have a *tiny* turbine I halt with a crowbar circuit like this to prevent damage downstream.  But it's been happening more than a few times per day of late which it why I have finally added a dump load, which is a better way of handling such issues.
Rgds

Damon

[scoraigwind]

www.karasouli.com is worth a look for a simple charge controller circuit that also offers datalogging.  It uses a changeover relay so you could use it for shorting out but a dump load may actually be more effective as a brake on alternators with steel cores like the Windblue (modified car alt).

It's not clear to me how the one in the photo burned out since this type of alternator limits its current intrinsically.  Actually I don't think the photo is a Windblue since Windblue have an internal magnet rotor.

[ghurd]

The photo is an Ametek.  I did not know they could burn out as a wind generator until I saw that one.

It was in a system using an Oatly K214 controller.  It shorts the turbine as a means of control.
G-