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O.K. perhaps there is a plan B to my farm solar prediciment.
I can get good wind approx 200m away from my shed. Could I place the Wind Gen there, connect a 240v invertor straight onto the back of it, then run 240vac the 200m to the shed, then run a battery charger to charge up my batteries to run my fridge and lights.
I know there is 2 losses (invertor and charger), but surely this is much better than trying to run 12 or 24v up the 200m length from the site where the Wind Gen will run best.
This is similar in concept to what the SunCubes are supposed to do - put a 240v invertor directly on the back of the solar tracker.
Anyone got any thoughts?
Cheers
John
Gill Senior Member Joined: 11/11/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 669
Posted: 07:57am 14 Mar 2007
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No can't do that John.
The inverter demands correct voltage and will shut down for both under and over voltages.
The wind gen puts out varying voltages and relies on the battery to regulate that voltage making it then suitable for the inverter.
You would need a second battery at the wind gen for this system to be viable.
Still, for your situation, this may just be workable.
was working fine... til the smoke got out.
Cheers Gill _Cairns, FNQ
RossW Guru Joined: 25/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 495
Posted: 08:48am 14 Mar 2007
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Or.....
You could use a transformer at the mill end to step up the voltage to something like 240V, and then a switch-mode charger at the far end (switchmode, because it will tolerate the wide voltage range much better).
Downside is that transformers are not particularly efficient at frequencies other then their design freq.
Or....
A switchmode supply at the mill end, ship it down to the battery shed at higher voltage DC, then a DC-DC converter at the battery end.
RossW, I don't quite understand what you mean by "A switchmode supply at the mill end, ship it down to the battery shed at higher voltage DC, then a DC-DC converter at the battery end.".
Sorry, but could you extrapolate for me?
Thanks
John
RossW Guru Joined: 25/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 495
Posted: 10:08am 14 Mar 2007
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Yup.
You could put a switchmode power supply at the wind turbine end. It is (reasonably) tollerant of large voltage ranges, and could output a fixed (higher) voltage (albeit at low current). So your mill generates say 12V AC, your switchmode supply would send say, 50V DC down to the batteries (could be 200V, but just be cautious of too high a voltage DC).
At the remote end, a DC to DC converter could fairly efficiently convert that back down to a voltage to charge your batteries.
thefinis Regular Member Joined: 23/08/2006 Location: United StatesPosts: 53
Posted: 03:00am 18 Mar 2007
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RossW got a link to a page with the specs of a SMPS unit like that?
John
Look into a 100+ft tower near house not cheap but might be the best choice. With a long wire run I would use a mill that makes higher voltage. Use as high a voltage as possible within safe limits.
FinisTexas born and bred
RossW Guru Joined: 25/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 495
Posted: 03:19am 18 Mar 2007
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There are any number of switchmode supplies out there, but in order to even suggest one, we'd need to know your minimum and maximum output voltages from the mill, and the (approximate) peak power you can generate.
The SMPS needs to be able to operate at the lowest voltage you consider "practical", surive the highest transients you're likely to see, and handle the maximum power output.
Just as an indicator, common DC welders are in effect, just a switchmode supply, although they are dropping voltage (sure, they take AC in, but the first thing they do is rectify it to DC!).
thefinis Regular Member Joined: 23/08/2006 Location: United StatesPosts: 53
Posted: 12:18pm 19 Mar 2007
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Dang it I had not even thought of welders or stopped to think what might use that component. A quick web search had come up with SMPS that were made for the common voltage conversions. Sometimes when the computer screen comes on my brain turns off.
FinisTexas born and bred
martinjsto Senior Member Joined: 09/10/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 149
Posted: 02:58pm 10 Oct 2007
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hi,
thanks to all who post on this site, it has been an invaluable suply of info to me
i have a 75 acre farm in s/w of west australia and have a 24v solar inverted to 240v ac for power, 12v solar setup for lighting, and two 12v f&p backup windmill working as our only sauce of power for a few yrs now and i must say the f&p are a great wind generator.
we just cannot seem to use the power we generate even with 2 kids using tv and ps2 all day, fridge working 24/7 and all lighting.
in reguards to the last post here
i decided that why rectify ac current to dc at the windgenerator when that only leaves high amp cable and voltage drop senarios, etc. i maintained the ac output right to my batterie shed, then rectified to dc for only a few mtrs, \
this system you can mount a windmill 0.5 to 1 km away and still only require low amp cable.
\
just a thought keep up the good work
i am currentlky just finnishing my first 7 phase stator and today ordered 2 new 48magnet hubs to fit to the existing wind generators.
how do you all feel they will go?
more power for less wind?
thanks
martinfree power for all
McAlinden WA
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