Hello RE friends
I have a small 12v system set up with 45 watt HF solar panels and 2 garbogens. These feed 2- 125AH Maxx 29 Wall Mart batteries.
My first attempt at generating power started with a poorly suited treadmill motor. I moved on to a unit I purchased from wind blue which was a permanent magnet rotor installed in a auto alternator, a delco 10si. I failed getting this windblue alternator to charge my batteries. Too many rpm needed, and I just could not make any blades that could do it in less than a tropical storm. It went into the barn.
A year or so later, I have a working system controlled by a tristar 45 and dump resistors
from GHURD.
I realized I needed somthing to help out on windless cloudy days.
Out came the not so highly praised windblue unit. I bolted it down to a couple brackets I bent up and powered it with a Briggs & Stratton 5hp engine. Below are my results.
First I tried a windblue stator #520, ment for "high wind" (not Jerry rigged)about 19 ga stator wire
Open volts at max rpm 127vdc
15+a into 15.4v battery. Belt started slipping but was a bit loose when I started so I put on the proper belt and got it tight.
Then I switched out stators to a 35a stock stator
Open volts at max rpm 56vdc
40-50a into 17.2v battery
Heres a video of it charging:
http://s298.photobucket.com/albums/mm249/Southbuck7/?action=view¤t=Movie.flv
Yes, battery volts are being pushed too high. Amperage out of this alternator is causing battery volts to jump fast. I was testing with a 85ah car battery at the time.
I then jerry rigged the #520 windblue stator and tested.
Open volts at max rpm 73
40a into (2) 12.8v batteries on cart. This can be regulated down to 15a with engine rpm. Another video:
http://s298.photobucket.com/albums/mm249/Southbuck7/?action=view¤t=MVI_0425.flv
Heat on the alternator is helped with stock fan, and Id guess it runs about the same temperatures as it would in a car. It gets quite warm, but I think it will handle it. Time will tell.
I had to detune this alternator due to my small battery bank, with this 19ga stator I can keep my amps into battery within check. My 5hp engine never seems to work hard at charging, even when I was getting 845 watts out of alternator. Hopefully this will help others in need of a fairly inexpensive, gas generator. Great for those cloudy, windless days.
Now with portable power I can use my inverter anywhere and when Im done I reconnect the batteries to a tristar 45 set in diversion, and let it maintain the batteries for me.
Fused