Homebrewed Electricity > Wind

alternators: does power potential need to be designed to match the intended load

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DamonHD:
I suspect one point that is worth taking on is that *matching* the behaviour of various parts is hard to do well on the fly, and if they don't match (too big OR too little, unexpected curve shape, etc) the outcome may be relatively poor.

Rgds

Damon

brandnewb:
Thank you all thus far for the contributions.

Luckily I am able to calculate how to wind the alternator once I have the results in on how much this upgrade I briefly mentioned earlier.
So I think I should be able to end up with an alternator that outputs a specific target open voltage at a specific rpm.

For me the only thing really important is addressing the question at hand of this thread.
*) no, the alternator needs to be perfectly fine tuned to your battery array. (opening up a whole world of hurt)
*) you can get away with some mismatch as the amps will do some of the finetuning while in operation.

SparWeb:
Hi Brandnewb
I have some sympathy for what you say as some things are frustrating to me, too.  But I've overcome them and I am the better for it.

My take FWIW: Unless something is really wrong with someone, then they will be able to learn anything they want to.
Why, then, would they be frustrated, blocked, or had trouble in the past?
Many reasons: Bad teachers, lack of role models, bad influences, punitive experiences, and a host of other negativity that poisons intelligent thought.  I can't just wish it away, but there are a lot of people, pressures, and cultural forces that divide people between can and cannot - on no grounds that are inside the people themselves.  I just have to live with it and grit my teeth.

So it's hard to hear when you say you "can't" when everything you're building and experimenting with could be the basis for "you can", once you allow it to.  I have no idea what the barriers are that stop you - that's your personal journey.  If I can be a signpost on that path I hope it's an arrow "This Way" for you.

Adriaan Kragten:
I have different books about the design of wind turbines in my library which can be understood only if you have a masters degree in technology. When I worked at the Wind Energy Group of the University of Technology Eindhoven from 1975 up to 1990, we gave many wind energy courses to people from developing countries. Most of those people only had a low level of technical knowledge, so all information given to those people had to be given on that level. The basics of wind energy is rather complicated but we had to explain it in the most simple way but without making elementary mistakes. This resulted in the report "Rotor design for horizontal axis wind turbines" and many of those reports were spread all over the world. The Wind Energy Group was a part of CWD, Consultancy Services Wind Energy Developing Countries which ended in 1990 because the gouvernment stopped financing it. But there was still a need for the rotor design report. So In 1999 I have spend about four months in writing everything again but now on a computer to make the report digital. I have also added a chapter about the influence of yawing and a chapter about matching. This resulted in my report KD 35: "Rotor design and matching for horizontal axis wind turbines" which is now available for free for anyone. It should be studied in combination with report KD 196 with questions and answers about KD 35. The information given in KD 35 is given on the lowest level possible to explain the aerodynamics of wind turbines. There are no differential equations so you only need some basic knowledge of algebra and energy. Basic knowledge of energy is given in my report KD 378. I have given many wind energy courses using KD 35 to people of different level and everyone finally understood the given material. It takes only one hour to read the report but if you want to understand everything, you have to answers the questions given in KD 196. This may take you some days but then you know the basics of rotor design and you can check much better if something which you find on the Internet or on You Tube is true or false. So if you find KD 35 too difficult, you simply have not spent enough time with it.

Another very importent aspect of wind turbines is safety. A safety system should limit the rotational speed and thrust at high wind speeds. Different safety systems for wind turbines are explained in my public report KD 485. Many wind turbines are designed by amateurs without any safety system and they will all be blown apart in pieces in a heavy storm. But also many commercial wind turbines have no safety system or it is claimed that the rotational speed is limited by the generator load which is certainly not fail safe. About 35 years ago I was a member of a group of about twenty people in my neighbourhood who have built their own wind turbine. None of those wind turbines except mine had an automatic working safety system. After three years almost all of them were blown into pieces. So working with wind energy and having not enough knowledge is very dangerous especially if people are living close to the wind turbine.

brandnewb:
yes thank you all, I am really sincere with gratitude thus far.

@Sparweb, I should have found other words to state in the most polite way I know how to ask for contributors not to make things more complex then they seemingly need to be.

I can learn and do so every day. I think I remember replying to you once in where you suggested that I should not ask for hand holding and that I was proud to state that I have learned to do modeling, printing and what have we.
The nuance I am trying to apply is that I have soo much on my plate that I have to pick my battles. Or rather subjects into which dive deeper.

So It would be of sooo much help if one of you people far more versed in the field than I am to confirm if my next idea is sound or not;

I will design the alternator to output around 58 volts when spinning at an rpm that the wind at my location has on average.
The wind charge controller and the battery array it self will deal with some om the varying nature yes?
I won't be heading into a clear disaster this way?

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