Hughs 6 footer

[radmanmike]

Good morning all, I am close to flying this bird and I need a little advice on the kinds of controller's and such I will need. The machine is a 350 watt 24 volt turbine. It will stand about 40 feet from the shop where the batteries will be. First I am not clear about how to hook up a breaker switch to use as a brake, next what controller is best for this little rig? And last, can I step the batteries down to out put 12 volts so I can use a USP as a inverter?

Regards, Mike

[PaulJ]

Are you running ac to the shop and rectifying near the batteries?
If so. the easiest way to brake the machine is to short the alternator output before the rectifiier with a suitably rated double pole switch
(I don't know the details of this machine, I assume it's 3-phase).
350W/24V is about 15A, a 20+ Amp ac rated switch should do the job nicely.

Controllers, well it depends on how much you're prepared to babysit the system, budget, battery size/ chemistry etc.
A "solar" controller won't cut it, you need something that will divert power to some sort of dump load. We need more info on your proposed system please.

Running a 12V inverter on a 24V system is pretty much a no-no unless you're prepared to do even more babysitting/ balancing both halves of the battery bank.

Paul.
(off-grid 8 years).

[radmanmike]

Hey Paul, thanks for the response. I'm thinking about mounting the switch on the pole. I will need a disconnect at the pole so the turbine can be laid down for service. It is a 24 volt 3 phase setup and the rectifiers will be at the batteries. Is the switch mounted in a breaker box and do I connect a wire to the two poles so that when it is turned on it shorts out the turbine? I would like to run the lights in the shop or maybe the computer so what type inverter would be enough, also what do I need to look for in a controller?

Mike

[jlt]

     If you are breaking before the rectifiers you will need to short all three wires together.

          It can be done with a 3 pole breaker, Or use two single toggle switches.



     JLT

[radmanmike]

Hey JLT, can you give me some idea how I wire three wires to a two pole switch?
Mike

[johnl]

   
   You will have to use two single pole switches .Wire first switch to leg one and two.
wire second switch to leg two and three.
   
   Somehow my my account was messed up so I had to post as johnl.   


      jlt

[RP]

Like this


    ___/ ___  Line 1
   |     .
   |     .
   |___/ ___  Line 2
   |
   |
   |________Line 3

[Bruce S]

   Somehow my my account was messed up so I had to post as johnl.   
 jlt

We're starting to get that problem under control, I can try to fix the Jlt if you'd like.
Unless one of the other Admin/GM did already 
Let me know
Cheers;
Bruce S

[radmanmike]

Hi all, just a quick update on my Hugh's 6 footer, I launched it this last Monday, and I was a little concerned that it was a bit windy. I had a friend help with it and all went well. Within minutes a breeze came up and it spun up real nice, so I ran into the shed to check what was coming out. By the time I got there , the wind was slowing a bit but I did see 18.7 for a moment. Since then it has been dead calm around here . It did run long enough to see that the balance looks good, I think the tail is somewhat small. I will be adding another 12 foot 4x4 to the tower soon and while it's down I will enhance the tail. This has been a great project and I'm going nuts waiting for some wind. Here's a shot of it just standing there.   

Mike

[bvan1941]

Congratulations Mike !
Must make you feel like a million dollars hunh?
Are you mesmerized by the blades going round--like me?  LOL I can't stop watching them whenever I'm out.
Keep posting,
Bill

[XOKE]

Hi,
Here you can check the size and weight of tail vane of your´s 6 foot turbine
regards

http://www.scoraigwind.com/axialplans/recipe%20update/index.htm

xoke

[radmanmike]

Hey Xoke, thanks for the link, the tail I have up there now is from my first turbine and it worked fine but this one is much heaver. It moves the blades into the wind, but like I said I need a little more surface area.
Regards, Mike

[breezyears]

Looks good,
 Cant wait till mine's flying.
Does yours furl?

[radmanmike]

Morning Breezyears, yeah I built to Hugh's specs. though I doubt I will see wind of the speed to cause it to furl.
Praying for wind, Radmanmike

[STYME JONES]

there is no hope for you now. that turbine is a gate way drug. looks real nice     STYME

[breezyears]

" built to Hugh's specs"
 Good, Cant really tell from the photo.

[radmanmike]

We had a really strange bit of wind yesterday, a storm was approaching and the wind came first from the west then the east then the north and the south. There were strong gusts, the turbine would start to spin up and the wind would change and it would wipe around. It never did put out more than a couple volts. A few years back we had a wind like this one and it took out a 85 foot tree that had grown about 15 feet from the house and it came down right where my truck was parked before I drove away to work.

I will be making sleeve out of 1/4 plate to connect two posts together soon. I need to get it as high as I can.
Radmanmike