I only mentioned the PV's because both circuits are intended for PV's, and the designers of the circuits say they're not suitable for wind turbines...why?...because they create a short circuit.......which they state is safe for PV's......but not for a wind turbine
So....what if they didn't create a short circuit?
If a zener diode by itself will act as a spike-killer and dump-load wouldn't an amplified zener do the same?
Flux mentioned using a big resistor to dissipate the current rather than dissipating it in the semiconductor(zener).
So if I'm reading this correctly you want to place a big zener between the positive and negative leads of your wind turbine to act as a dump load/spike killer.
The zener rating determines when the short is created and the current is dissipated by the zener in your description.
The zener "is" the dumpload.
Flux said that adding a resistor to that might make the zener run cooler and live a bit longer.
So now we've got a zener and a big resistor between positive and negative.
The zener trips at it's rated voltage and current passes through it and is dissipated by the resistor.
Is this correct?
One article says that an amplified zener is just a "big" zener and can be used as such with the only real difference being that the current is dissipated by the power transistor rather than the zener itself, which only triggers the transistor. And the transistor can be heatsinked, so now the transistor "is" the dumpload...
Is this correct?
OK......so can we add a resistor to that and use the resistor to dissipate the current?
If so, now the zener is a trigger and the transistor is a switch, and the resistor is now the dumpload......
Heck.....I'm heading to radio shack now, as you folks got me thinking about this yet again (laughing)
I'll let you know if I make some smoke........