Light Wind Heavy Weight Turbine Project - as I build it.

[Steadfast]

Quickly?  Ha.
It took me 6 months

[Steadfast]

Here are the numbers for December
Which were recorded on my Doc Wattson:

6.4 Ah
17.52 AP
.08 KWh

Ave wind speed - Raleigh, NC: 7.6 MPH
Max gusts - Raleigh, NC: 24.2 MPH

[birdhouse]

steadfast-
so you generated about two pennies worth of electricity in a month...  not try to sound like a debbie downer, but rather realistic. 

this was done with a top notch real deal axial.  i'm sure you can see the light now as we were all naysaying a redelco. 

i know that you enjoy your wind project, and i respect that you enjoy it as a hobby.  i'm glad you are finally reaping (small) benefits from your hard work. 

your heavy tree area and short tower cut into your production a ton.  this is why we gave you a hard time with your plans in the first place.  but, if you're happy, i sure am!  i'm sure you have learned leaps and bound from your install. 

merry new years! 

adam

[sean_ork]

6.4 Ah
17.52 AP
.08 KWh

a peak of 17.5A is very healthy - that's over 200 watts, 230 if the battery is at 13.2v

but 0.08KWh implies that it's only managed to briefly cut in, assuming December is pretty windy that's a dreadfully low output

am still not convinced this is setup correctly - how often does the beast spin ?

[Bruce S]

SF;
Thanks for the update!! Knowing you're like St. Louis in a 1 maybe 2 wind zone, those are pretty great numbers.
Thanks again!!
Bruce S

[gww]

bruce s
The only differance was our gust in MO got in the 60 mph range last month.  Took out my little 24' tower that I had just put up.  I knew inch and a half pipe was too small and attached to shed at 8' and guyed at around 19' it still bent the pipe and put the turbine down.

steadfast

Thanks for posting the numbers.  I agree with bruce,  your wind is probly close to mine.  with out making me read the previous post, could you refrease my memory,  did you use the built in shunt in the doc watson or did you put a bigger one on it?


Also how is your ghurd controller working out?  I was finely able to see mine in action with wind and it seemed to be working great.   Although I set it with a car first and my guage which I am not sure of shows it diverting at about 14 volts insted of 14.4 volts.  I left it that way cause my gage read the same on two different cars besides the turbine.

Thanks for posting
gww

[sean_ork]

those are pretty great numbers.

really ?

which ones ?

[fabricator]

I was wondering the same thing except for the learning a lot of stuff it looks like an abject failure to me.

[Steadfast]

I hear ya Fabs & GWW. 

I usually hit cut in around 21 MPH.
Which does not happen so often.

Useing the numbers,
what do you guys guesstimate the output was back when
The wind hit 45 mph during sandy. 

[ChrisOlson]

21 mph?  IIRC, that generator reached 12.7 volts @ about 250 rpm.  That little rotor should be spinning that fast at 6 mph.  Are you sure you don't have the blades bolted on backwards?  The concave side is facing the wind, right?
--
Chris

[sean_ork]

[birdhouse]

the blades look right.  any chance your still running on 2 of the three phases?  something seems amiss. 

adam

[Bruce S]

Sean_ork & Fab;
Owing to the fact he came so far knowing very very little, and that like most of Missouri, he's in a crap wind zone;  with trees in his way and getting any numbers means great to me.
This means it's up right and working, IF he had a full fledged data logger we could better see the numbers for the gusts.
GWW;
Bummer about the tower. While watching the wind blow crap off most everyone's roof around here in St.Louis; including a tree branch nearly taking out my 2010 I was wondering how well even a few lawn arts would do.
I was glad to see that none of my solar panels tried to take flight, the do it right the first time still works  , the extra money left over from Christmas means more new panels.
 

[sean_ork]

he's in a crap wind zone;  with trees in his way and getting any numbers means great to me.

This means it's up right and working,

oh come on, those trees arent that dense

don't these numbers ring any alarms with you ?

''.08 KWh - Ave wind speed - Raleigh, NC: 7.6 MPH''

[tanner0441]

Hi

Trees don't need to be dense to screw the wind up, they generate turbulance which can affect the wind for some distance, plus his turbine is not that high so he can still be suffering from ground effect.  I get winds that feel as if they are trying to lift you off your feet, but my turbine at 28ft just swivels on the yaw bearing. When you hold a directional anemometer the display looks like a fruit machine the numbers change so fast.

Brian

[just-doug]

your wind cut-in speed tells its own story.voltage line losses are killing your cut-in.basiclly the bigger your wire running to the batteries,the lower your cut-in.use some big wire and you will see your cut-in come down and the mill producing some power a higher percectage of time.use the biggest wire that will fit threw your stub and then transtion to #4 in the tower and down to your stop switch.this will lower your cut-in.

[birdhouse]

i still think something is wrong.  .08Kwh

that's 80w for an hour, or 20w for four hours...  in a MONTH 

or even 1w for 80 hours... 

seem way too low to me.  even in a terrible wind zone, especially in the middle of the winter! 

SF-  do you have any data for the month of december from your weather station?  high wind, average wind ect??

adam

[DamonHD]

At home my nice little MotorWind only even turns about 10% of the time (when I was last measuring).

Urban wind is just hopeless for most.

Which is not to say there isn't something wrong also, that should be fixed.

Rgds

Damon

[sean_ork]

I'd bet a pound to a penny that something is wrong

but if that's really all it's going to produce then it's time to drop it and donate the mill to someone who can make productive use of it

currently this is just a vanity project

[DamonHD]

One man's vanity is another's lawn art and/or DIY fun.

People build lots of stuff that isn't even intended to "produce" anything of value; this is at worst no more than a pleasant folly.

Rgds

Damon

[sean_ork]

well I doubt the OP would have received so much help, nor such generous donation if ''lawn art and/or DIY fun'' was the stated goal

and I'd quite like a pint of whatever the poster who said this was drinking ........

''those are pretty great numbers''

I'll say it again - that turbine setup should either be fixed (if there is a problem) or the head of it passed onto someone who can make productive use of it - in the same spirit as the OP received it

[Bruce S]

Sean_ork;
Then go to the nearest store pick up a 1/2gallon of 1% milk and pour yourself a nice cold tall one.
Then go re-read the entire post and see where SF came from and where he is now, then stop take a minute to think, really think about what you're posting.
Then come back and post a little more, about how a waste of time, money, energy would be wasted times 2 , if SF was to even contemplate doing what you're suggesting.
I'm pretty sure if ChrisO didn't already know what the outputs could be, he would not have even offered the mill.
SEE, there's a difference between seeing what's right here and now and what's to come.
Not only did SF learn what a correctly built mill looks like, how to put it up and "possible" output, but if there's a problem he can work it out too.
This coming from the guy who put that quote up there.
DO you have any helpful suggestions to SF other than give it to someone else? As I quickly tire of your posts of this nature, so either post helpful suggestions or go play somewhere else.
PS>> In the beginning this was not only a mill going up but it was to be a learning challenge too , Lawn art or not.

[sean_ork]

well I've read your post a few times and still cant see where you've mentioned what's so great about those numbers

celebrating failure and mediocre performance isn't my cup of tea - however in your capacity as a moderator you will for sure have the last wood on this topic if you so wished but I still cannot for the life of me see what is great about any of those numbers

If these numbers are correct then SF has learnt a lot, including now knowing that no productive use can be made out of the wind available on his plot - so, really what is the point of having a mill running there, when productive use of the donated components could be made by another member ?

[Bruce S]

As a GM I could have the last word and put you in Read-Only in one keystroke, BUT what purpose would that serve? One of the others can.
I however see the amount of time you didn't take to react to my post, which tells me you didn't get or understand what I was trying to point out.

SO as an enforcing GM, I will ask you NOT post anymore to this section about his mill unless YOU have constructive/useful suggestions such as how to test for a bad phase, what to go looking for on his connections.
WE the mods are enforcing these rules

[niall2]

read only stuff  ....whats that mode exactly ?

the axial seems to have a problem ....something wrong ..... 21mph cut in is just way to fast ....

8 mph sounds better .....maybe the T bird with a cut in of 80 rpm might have suited better  ......everything has got a bit vague ......not a good result

problem is this thread  doesent help anyone looking into wanting to spend with their hard earned cash ....

hurricane wind power has an option now ....i still would,nt be temped though .....

[birdhouse]

"read only" is when a member misbehaves, and is put in a time out, so to say for a while.  the member can read, but not post. 

SF-  if i remember right, the rectifiers are on the turbine head?  if so, would it be easy for you to put them in the shed with a three wire coming down the tower?  then they could be tested very quickly and often.  got an old 12 gauge extension cord lying around?  10 gauge would be better, but spendy and more rare to find around. 

adam

[niall2]

maybe the member is just calling it....as it is

[Mary B]

Better research here about Hurricane Wind Power, it is aptly names, you need a hurricane to generate anything.

the axial seems to have a problem ....something wrong ..... 21mph cut in is just way to fast ....

8 mph sounds better .....maybe the T bird with a cut in of 80 rpm might have suited better  ......everything has got a bit vague ......not a good result

problem is this thread  doesent help anyone looking into wanting to spend with their hard earned cash ....

hurricane wind power has an option now ....i still would,nt be temped though .....

[niall2]

 ...well i,m not trying to promote the red delco , far from it ...but anyone researching the red delco on this thread wont find much to suggest that a decant axial with a proper blade set is necessarily any better ....

so i hope Steadfast gets some better production figures ( finds the problem )

because its far from a garden ornament .....looking back at the pics its got a fall zone that seems to include your neibhours property and possibly your own house , its a substantial lump of metal and wood thats going to need periodic maintenance ...often when things dont function well they can be neglected over time ...

having a fall zone that includes your neibhour is pretty unusual.....keep a close check on those guy wires

i do hope you get the cut in problem sorted......theres nothing worse than a windmill that doesent move     

   

[Crispy]

I second the fall zone concern. Big liability risk. My zoning requires the height not exceed the distance from the base to the property line likely for that very reason. Beyond that, a flying blade is not going to honor any property line. Makes me hesitant to put one up even if I adhere to the zoning rules, especially with kids playing next door.

Those very concerns caused me to switch gears and go with solar. Maybe I'll play with a VAWT to get my wind fix once the solar is up and running, key word being "play", in my 110' wide back yard 

[tanner0441]

Hi

Some time ago last year a post was put on here with a bit of pipe clamped to the side of a shed, there were a lot of detractors (me included) who pointed out the dangers of the thing. SF didn't go away he listened and when the bit of pipe bent he posted pictures of the failure. He came in for criticism and the inevitable I told you so comments. After some of the photos he posted, the site itself came in for more comments on the poor quality of the site for wind, but SF was determined to stick it out.

Over a while he built another proper mast, was given a decent turbine, and put it in the air. He now has produced enough power to charge a battery and run a light or so. That in itself is an achievement.

Now those few months later he knows enough to trouble shoot a faulty stater and the confidence to drop and raise his mast safely. He   also knows the type of questions to ask to be given the help he needs. In doing so he has managed to earn a modicum of respect from several people on here, if only for his perseverance. The site he has is crap and and very turbulent, he has trees and buildings all round him.

So when I see people being critical who weren't posting on  here when he started I feel strongly enough to comment.

I live in a turbulent poor wind site, my turbine is only 200W (Commercially made) when the trees at the end of my garden are bending over I only see a few watts, though I have seen it double its rated output.  It is now shut down waiting for me to remove it.

Brian.

[niall2]

sorry...i was,nt trying to be critical and yes i didnt post much or early in this thread or the redelco one

i certainly dont know enough about mast construction to give advise but having seen the aftermath of a total collapse lately it,s changed my perspective on guyed masts ... .....all hindsight now i know...

thats why i suggested he keep a close eye on his guy wires.....i,m sure Steadfast checked out the ordnance on mills for his area , .....

but the 21mph cut in posted lately could indicate an overspeeding axial...thats sitting on a tower footing 2m? of the neibhours boundry.....

that 21mph figure seems the worring aspect ....and not much in evidence any where earlier in the thread ? i could be wrong there though ...  

edit...
if it is the case that thats the figure it could be running into overspeed.....either that or theres a bearing problem or stator rubbing which is clamping the rpm .....not an ideal situation either ...   

[Steadfast]

I am home working on yet more raised gardens. 
We are having 10+ MPH gusts.

I just ran into my shed and watched as it cut into
My system which was running at 13.4 volts at the time!

So. . . Cut in MUST be around 10-12 mph.

The gusts I witnessed ran for about 5 minutes
And the my system I now sitting at 14.45 volts with
Gurds load dump control flashing away.