Author Topic: African Wind Power comes down here  (Read 4686 times)

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oztules

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African Wind Power comes down here
« on: May 14, 2006, 09:53:34 AM »
Well I got the call..... would I like to help a neighbour to assemble and raise his new AWP....... Duh!


So I calmly ran out the door tripped over the dog and lept into the 4x4 and I was off. The first Pic shows in the top right corner.....triangle... part of my place... i was off down to the bottom left to his place... yes the mountains.





 The site chosen was about a thousand feet above the surrounding countryside and looking back at my little mountain in the distance looks like this:





My joint is where the mountains (top left) meets the sea (thereabouts).


So Now you've seen my island, you can see why i'm nuts about it...blah blah....


Ok. The site has an unobstructed view of the winds from all directions, and so the tower height is quite small... 40 feet.... Don't need a Batcape for this one, you get blown over into the ocean when you leap off... this is one windy site.


First off the fulcrum block. It's about 3feet into the rock, and the guy posts are 6 feet into the rock... this should hold the island in place.





 The platform was put down months ago, everything happens in slow motion over here. The ship never arrives on time, and nothing seems to get synchronised between the different transport systems. Sometimes the ship from Victoria may be a monthly service at best. Makes for an interesting time.


The tower fulcrum anchor was bolted in and the power box can be seen in the rear. There are surge arresters in there as well. The machine is 240v three phase, with a transformer at the power shed to drop down to 48v. The dump load is there as well, and so is the empty place for the pwm load diversion and rectifier box... it didn't turn up!.. we are assured it will turn up Soon.... whenever that is.


This is what the tower looks like after we struggle to put it all together in 40 mph winds, sometimes trying to blow us into next week. It rains, then some sun then some more wind... this is truly a s__tful day for this sort of recreation... but we press on.


Day 1 ends with us exhausted from working all day in wind conditions that sometimes nearly blew us over.....might be a great view from up here, but it is difficult to work in.


We figured it was a tribute to sound tower design that we could erect it successfully on this kind of day


Day 2.... not a breath of wind..... not a whisper...somethings not right. We venture onto the mountaintop and still no breeze. This is unheard of.... we suddenly realise the "lore"  that has been mentioned here before ie....if you erect a turbine today, there will be no.... nill.... nothing in the way of wind.... guaranteed......


I'll be danged.... it's true. For this place to have no wind, it's a abnormal event.

on this mountain.


We take advantage of this and in no time we have the tower back down on the ground (left it up last night). The AWP is assembled in short order, and we get ready to bolt it onto the tower yaw housing...... it doesn't fit. Pull the three bolts back out from the alternator that holds them to the AWP yaw housing. Somehow in manufacture they missed the fact that the four studs that hold the stator in the rotor housing are left too long. We cut them flush with the bearing housing and all is well. .... Back up the hill and bolt them to the yaw housing. No problem now.....


We then carefully drop a stainless steel washer down into the guts of the alternator....oh noo.... pull it all apart again, and spend ten minuites trying to get it out... success at last..... bolt the stator back to the yaw housing and were back in business.   Now we find the rear weather shields don't quite fit the rotor housing, a quick bend and no-more scrapes.


These turbines are rough and ready, but are robust. No frills, and nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer and grinder.... tough machines indeed.


This one has fibreglass blades, and they are quite beautiful, almost out of character with the rest of the machine...... and they fit.


The yaw bearings have been redesigned and a (Dinges this is for you) triple slipring has been installed by the guys in Melbourne. Looks good..... forgot to get a pic of this, next time it is down I will try to remember.


We bolt the nose cone on and were ready to go:





There is now no visable means of support, a quick spin by hand and a measurement at the power box reveals 70-100v at only a handspin of the prop. All phases are equal, and we short them all together at the fuse box..... now it is difficult to spin up, and should hold the prop in stall until the power box arrives.... we hope.


The weight does not even slightly bend the tower and she is ready to go up




Well it's time to winch it up, and it goes no problem. The 6" pipe has no trouble, and the 5/8 winch cable pulls it up without serious strain.


Here she is half way up.





Well at this point you'll have to take my word for it that it made it, the batteries in the camera have given out... i knew the day had gone too well.


...............oztules

« Last Edit: May 14, 2006, 09:53:34 AM by (unknown) »
Flinders Island Australia

oztules

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2006, 03:59:29 AM »
This is what the tower looks like after we struggle to put it all together in 40 mph winds, sometimes trying to blow us into next week. It rains, then some sun then some more wind... this is truly a s__tful day for this sort of recreation... but we press on





missed that one somehow


......oztules

« Last Edit: May 14, 2006, 03:59:29 AM by oztules »
Flinders Island Australia

whiskey

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #2 on: May 14, 2006, 04:35:19 AM »
Nice work done there oztules, and with a decent tower installed too. I have heard some time ago about the quality control problems AWP were having. Welding in particular was bad. The QC problems have not yet being sorted out and thats not much good when your in a remote place. Their first machines sported no sliprings. The machine was of little benefit when installed in remote places, how AWP ever thought it was a good idea not to use sliprings boggles the commercial mind.


Over time it would be great to hear about the ongoing machine longevity and how it performs.


I hope the remaing parts arrive soon and you get some power.


Whiskey

« Last Edit: May 14, 2006, 04:35:19 AM by whiskey »

oztules

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2006, 04:55:31 AM »
"Their first machines sported no sliprings. The machine was of little benefit when installed in remote places, how AWP ever thought it was a good idea not to use sliprings boggles the commercial mind."..............they still don't have slip rings that I know of.


These were incorporated when the machine was transiting through Melbourne Australia. Mc Farlane Generators handled the import of this one, and decided under their own volition that the yaw assy should be rebuilt internally. Precision bearings and hollow shaft with the slipring system (that's why they needed to rebuild the internals to precision stuff). Looks like a good job now. They must have been a little unhappy for them to not release it until they had rebuilt it to their own spec.


How AWP missed that the Yaw assy could not ever have fitted to their bearing housing is beyond me. The four stator carrier studs protruded at least 1/4 inch above the level of the bearing boss which flush fits to the yaw housing.... curious...


McFarlane also added more weatherproofing to the coils and more binding for the coils (and more lacquer on them as well). So I can only assume that there were some perceived weaknesses in this area.


Apart from that, (which is pretty serious if you don't have support or access to support), they look like a tough unit.


I will give reports on it when the "bits" come to finish the electrical side of it


..........oztules

« Last Edit: May 14, 2006, 04:55:31 AM by oztules »
Flinders Island Australia

vawtman

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2006, 12:02:17 PM »
What are the average temps on your planet(oohps island).Would be cool to see a pic of your joint.I always thought it would be cool to retire somewhere outthere.No diggin little trenches across the valley.Cool pics and nice turbine.
« Last Edit: May 14, 2006, 12:02:17 PM by vawtman »

oztules

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2006, 04:32:49 PM »
Hi Vawtman answers to your questions:


 1. Current weather is shown from this site:

 http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDT65028/IDT65028.94980.shtml  


 2. Climatic averages is shown here  

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_099005.shtml  


 3. pic from down the back of my joint:

   


 There's about 400 acres of this rubbish.......damn tough to put up with I know, but someone has to do it. The Mountain range in the backgroud at the top right is where we put up the AWP yesterday.


 Have no idea what snow is here........ no good for us monkeys


.............oztules

« Last Edit: May 14, 2006, 04:32:49 PM by oztules »
Flinders Island Australia

willib

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #6 on: May 14, 2006, 07:49:52 PM »
yeah i can see why you hate it there
« Last Edit: May 14, 2006, 07:49:52 PM by willib »
Carpe Ventum (Seize the Wind)

oztules

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #7 on: May 14, 2006, 08:33:58 PM »
Damn tuff alright, but someone has to do it.... thats a winter scene by the way.


.........oztules

« Last Edit: May 14, 2006, 08:33:58 PM by oztules »
Flinders Island Australia

WXYZCIENCE

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #8 on: May 15, 2006, 12:50:45 AM »
Well Oz the snow is finally gone here for awhile started getting green. You know the saying the grass is always greener on the other side. Looks like you worked for your lunch putting up the AWP. Did it fly while you were there? Pics look great. Joe.
« Last Edit: May 15, 2006, 12:50:45 AM by WXYZCIENCE »

oztules

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #9 on: May 15, 2006, 01:44:01 AM »
sadly no Joe.


In keeping with the long held tradition of this board, the actual day we erected the mill up in the air..... not a breath of air. The day before building the tower, you could barely stand up half the time, but as soom as the windmill gods percieved that we would raise the mill itself..... the stillest day in the history of that mountain.....spooky..


It has not got the controller at present, so the phases are tied together, and the mill will probably turn slowly until the controller arrives and it gets hooked into Jamies power system.


There is some irony here, Jamie is a linesman for the local power supply company, but his new house is so far off the beaten track, he's not on the grid himself.


Good to hear the white stuff has gone away for another year, now you can get stuck into the outside jobs. I'm looking forward to see what you get up to next.


As soon as the controller turns up, I'll give some figures of an AWP in a good wind site.


................oztules

« Last Edit: May 15, 2006, 01:44:01 AM by oztules »
Flinders Island Australia

commanda

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #10 on: May 15, 2006, 02:42:15 AM »
Tules,


Just to put things in perspective, any idea on what it cost? I Googled McFarlane Generators, but they don't seem to have a web presence as such.


Amanda

« Last Edit: May 15, 2006, 02:42:15 AM by commanda »

oztules

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #11 on: May 15, 2006, 06:55:53 AM »
Hi Amanda,


I didn't bother to  ask how much it was (too busy clinging to the mountain against the wind), but will find out when next I see him.


try this address.


http://www.macgen.com/index.html


I only opened the front page to check it's ID. Didn't go further .. (bloody bandwidth). It does mention windgenerating equiptment and pricelist and inventory. They are princilply into large (100w - MegaWatts) generator gear,but dabble in remote stuff as well (mining would use the big remote gennies (megawatts), and have other smaller wants as well I surmise )


How extensive it is I guess you will know in seconds. (I don't want to know how few,.... the front page took me two minuites and then stopped..bummer...)


Let me know if this helps at all.


.........oztules


ps If you want to test your  F&P ,try it on Jamies mountain,.... cogging will not be an issue.

« Last Edit: May 15, 2006, 06:55:53 AM by oztules »
Flinders Island Australia

commanda

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #12 on: May 15, 2006, 04:40:22 PM »
Looking at their website, they seem to be mostly pushing the AIR. Lots of pictures of them bolted to buildings. No mention of the AWP, and no prices.


Amanda

« Last Edit: May 15, 2006, 04:40:22 PM by commanda »

willib

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #13 on: May 15, 2006, 08:11:36 PM »
oz i cant find where you mention the blade dia?
« Last Edit: May 15, 2006, 08:11:36 PM by willib »
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oztules

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #14 on: May 15, 2006, 08:43:13 PM »
Hi Willib


I cunningly left that information out so you would think it was a "Biggie"


It's3.6 meters.


The web site for it is here: http://homepages.enterprise.net/hugh0piggott/african36/


And Mike Sagrillo says this about the AWP 3.6:


"This is a very simple machine that does what it is supposed to do.  It is quite heavy duty and build to last a long time.  The turbine is easy to install, with simple tools.  I am most impressed with the turbineís slow speed and quiet operation.  It is refreshing to see that a modern wind generator can be manufactured that is absolutely quiet in its operation.


 This is a very nice machine.  I only wish someone in the US

could build something as good as the AWP.  We could use the competition, to

say the least.  And the low speed reliability.  This is heavy metal, which

is right in line with my ideas on wind turbine design.  Nice job!!! "


But the part thats annoying is that we won't know till the bits turn up.....


It's interesting that we have a direct drive machine using fairly weak ferrites and an iron stator, and yet it seems (on paper) to do the job of the expensive neo's.


I can buy 100 of the ferrites in this machine for less than $150, I bought 100 n45 neos for near $1000 (2"x 1/2" round)...for the difference I could laser cut the stator and buy the wire.....interesting to follow up.


The power curve for the 240v model is significantly higher than the one shown. It reaches a peak about the 1.2kw mark. Better efficiency at the higher voltage.


Notice the tail linkage. I feel it is much superior to what seems to be being done here at the moment. It relieves the torque on the tail fulcrum, and allows for much stronger tail arrangement, with less stress on the parts.


................oztules

« Last Edit: May 15, 2006, 08:43:13 PM by oztules »
Flinders Island Australia

willib

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #15 on: May 15, 2006, 09:38:19 PM »
why does the power drop off after 12m/s

maybe it needs a better furling system
« Last Edit: May 15, 2006, 09:38:19 PM by willib »
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willib

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #16 on: May 15, 2006, 09:42:12 PM »
they dont use neos either , interesting
« Last Edit: May 15, 2006, 09:42:12 PM by willib »
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oztules

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #17 on: May 15, 2006, 09:51:48 PM »
I'm guessing that it is difficult to make best use of the blades whilst they are held out of the incident wind in furl.


Away from their best efficiency, the pressure to hold it in furl added to the  change of the angle of attack of the blades to a less efficient arrangement, must mean that for the same energy being absorbed by the blades, there is less rotational energy left for the alternator.... just a guess.


Hopefully someone else will shed some better explanation on us.


...........oztules

« Last Edit: May 15, 2006, 09:51:48 PM by oztules »
Flinders Island Australia

hvirtane

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #18 on: May 16, 2006, 07:24:47 AM »
I'm wondering if anybody has built a big diameter dual magnet rotor axial flux alternator using microwave oven ferrite magnets. It could make a really cheap machine.


- Hannu

« Last Edit: May 16, 2006, 07:24:47 AM by hvirtane »

Warrior

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #19 on: May 16, 2006, 09:37:06 AM »
Hannu,


Someone has built something similar to what you suggest, look here:


http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2005/2/24/62721/0494


Dual stator...


Warrior

« Last Edit: May 16, 2006, 09:37:06 AM by Warrior »
Why can't Murphy's Law be used to my advantage?

hvirtane

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #20 on: May 16, 2006, 09:58:37 AM »
Someone has built something similar to what you suggest


Thank you a lot for the link. I've missed many posts during the first half of 2005, because I was not at home. I tried to find by searching some time ago posts about microwave oven magnets, but for some reason that project, which would have been the most interesting for me, escaped my search.


- Hannu

« Last Edit: May 16, 2006, 09:58:37 AM by hvirtane »

electrondady1

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #21 on: May 16, 2006, 04:48:42 PM »
your place looks wonderful. i guess my great great grand father didn't see the aussie brochure before he and the family left ireland for canada.
« Last Edit: May 16, 2006, 04:48:42 PM by electrondady1 »

oztules

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #22 on: May 16, 2006, 06:32:55 PM »
Maybe he didn't want to go from one ireland to another island :)
« Last Edit: May 16, 2006, 06:32:55 PM by oztules »
Flinders Island Australia

wdyasq

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #23 on: May 16, 2006, 07:00:46 PM »
His great, many times removed, grandfather might not have commited a serious enough crime.


Ron

« Last Edit: May 16, 2006, 07:00:46 PM by wdyasq »
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dinges

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #24 on: May 17, 2006, 05:43:20 AM »
Ah, Australia.


That beautiful land the people of which got selected by the finest judges in England.

« Last Edit: May 17, 2006, 05:43:20 AM by dinges »
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oztules

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #25 on: May 17, 2006, 06:00:52 AM »
Hi Dinges


And what fine taste they had.


We got the best riff raff in town, the second rate criminals were sent to Sydney.


The first rate criminals were sent to Tasmania. (bottom of the barrel)


The ones not good enough to get "selected"  stayed in England.


You guessed it, I'm part of Tasmania.


Next time the AWP is down, I'll snap a pic of the sliprings arrangement, just to satisfy the "Engineer in you"


Well, think I'll pick up me pick and shovel and get back to the chaingang.


..........oztules

« Last Edit: May 17, 2006, 06:00:52 AM by oztules »
Flinders Island Australia

dinges

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #26 on: May 17, 2006, 06:04:40 AM »
Read 'The Fatal Shore' by Robert Hughes once. Very impressive reading. I know about Tasmania ('Van Diemensland')...


I think I could settle for a single trip to modern Botany Bay :)

« Last Edit: May 17, 2006, 06:04:40 AM by dinges »
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hvirtane

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #27 on: May 17, 2006, 07:50:19 AM »
You guessed it, I'm part of Tasmania.


The place looks really nice.

Could you, please locate it in the map:

http://www.atn.com.au/tassi/tas-map.htm


- Hannu

« Last Edit: May 17, 2006, 07:50:19 AM by hvirtane »

oztules

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #28 on: May 17, 2006, 08:47:06 AM »
Hannu, I'm part of Tasmania, but ofshore to the North. Flinders Island.... the red circle upper right.





The red circle on this one is my place on Flinders Island from space:




Is This ok Hannu?


It looks a long way down from up here


.......oztules

« Last Edit: May 17, 2006, 08:47:06 AM by oztules »
Flinders Island Australia

dinges

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Re: African Wind Power comes down here
« Reply #29 on: May 17, 2006, 08:56:17 AM »
Giggle...


Someone just showed us a map from Tazzie.


More giggles


Peter.

« Last Edit: May 17, 2006, 08:56:17 AM by dinges »
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hvirtane

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Playing with maps
« Reply #30 on: May 17, 2006, 11:27:38 AM »
Good pictures. Thank you.

I like to locate places on maps.


I've never been in Australia.

Tasmania looks so nice.

The nearest place

I've been to, is in Japan, Miyakojima:

http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/map/okinawa/Miyako-jima_Island.html


I spent there once a two weeks'

holiday time with an Yugoslav Artist

(during a two years' stay in Japan).

We stayed in a tent two weeks

on the beach.

Doing nothing besides

I read a book called

'Religion and Nothingness'.


At my own place it is so much colder.

The place is called 'Lievestuore'.

By playing with maps

you might try finding it here:


http://uk.multimap.com/wi/29313.htm


I'm living on the top of an old

railway station. In an old picture

the place looked like this:





- Hannu

« Last Edit: May 17, 2006, 11:27:38 AM by hvirtane »