windwize

Hi Wetkit 24v mean my 12v batteries are connected two-two. The alternator produces enough 3-phase AC which goes to 3 bridge rectifiers at the tower. All the DC is then about 40 % higher than the 3 AC supplies. Can anybody tell me if Microcare and other controllers work the same as the Morningstar I use: The power does not go through the controller as such but is connected directly to the battery terminals. Only when the batteries are full the controller sends the surplus power to a dump load. to prevent the batteries being fried. If a load (fridge, lights etc) is on and power is coming in from turbine or/ and panels, the power takes the shortest route to the inverter, also connected directly to the same terminals. So the electricity does not go through the batteries which extends the battery life. Furling: Look at the pics, imagine the blades at the front and the alternator upright. notice the tail up when folded/furled. Difficult to explain. Main idea = alternator is mounted off-centre so the wind tends to want to push it around the axis. WW

Hi Jakes You ask many questions at once. Let's take them one at a time: 1. How many hours? Quite some time, but I dont count hours when working for myself. But be sure: it is a lot of work. 2. Cost? I dont have a figure, because again I just know it is inexpensive if you do the work yourself. 3. All the parts are available locally. 4. As with most things in life, you have choices. The watts: output is determined by the magnets (mostly). If you use deonymium magnets for this turbine the magnets alone will cost about R5000 for 24. That is almost 10 times the price of ferrites, BUT they will not give ten times the power output, only 2 to 3 times better. So I opted for ferrites, nice big ones, 75 x 50 x 20. They give me 600 to 800 watts which is fantastic when looking at the price. I believe 24v is better than 12v. Going to 48 uses lots of extra copper which is once again very expensive. So it is 24v. 5. Shaping blades: being a sculptor who have shaped so many wooden sculptures for many years made shaping the blades a pleasure! 6. The tower: not 10, but 12 meters high. Raising the lot (76 mm and 50 mm water pipe) plus the 60 kg alternator and blades is easy. I use a hand winch with a 1: 30 ratio with lots of elbow grease. But the trick here is to use a gin (jin) pole (6m high) over which the steel cable runs. Some people say the gin pole should be a third of the tower hight, but I go for half the tower hight. The higher the easier it is to raise. Good luck with your own project. windwize

Hi Wetkit May I reply here to your question about the two solar geysers I put up in series. The photo shows our humble abode with the two silent partners in our fight agains global warming. And may I add, on clear days these geysers boil at about 13h00. They are up for two years now, but had I known they are so effective, I would have put them up years ago. Greetings, windwize

Hi Pony Shorting the three AC phases with the `kill switch' stops the turbine dead. Braking is achieved by the tail furling up 18 degrees when the wind speed exceeds about 15 to 17 m/s. Thereby turning the blades about 80 degrees out of the wind. The blades keep on producing power at slower speed and do not stop. When the wind speed drops, gravity pulls the tail down which turns the blades into the wind again. Quite ingenious and I think this plan was invented in 1860 or something! Greetings windwize

Hi Wetkit, I dont quite follow your question: what do mean by `the unit is sealed'? Only the bearings are sealed. All the coils are embedded in resin and fibreglass, but for the rest, eg the three phases coming out (the alternator is a three phase AC type) and their connections are all open to the elements. Rain water, being pure, cannot short circuit the connections on top of the alternator. Does this answer your query? windwize

I would like to share my experience with building my own HAWT. I would also like to chat to other guys who have built wind turbines - either type - to see if any designs could be improved. Maybe I will just post some pics and should anybody have questions, do feel free to reply.

Hi Clint Please allow me to tell what I did with the solar geyser issue: I took a long and hard look at the whole matter: different types, pumps, controllers etc etc. (And do remember Murphy's Law: the more gadgets there are the more likely something will break down...) Finally I decided that half-measures are not good enough. If you want to go green, go all the way. I did not want to use one kw of electricity any more. So I installed two low pressure solar geysers (without elements) IN SERIES, meaning that the one feeding the house (at almost 75 deg) is fed from preheated water in the second one. It works like the proverbial charm, we need a small amount of very hot water so it lasts longer. I close the cold water supply for up to three days during very cloudy weather so the hot water in both geysers is never cooled by inflowing cold water. Have fun. Windwize

Hi Wouter May I ask what your interest in a VAWT is? I have built both vertical and horizontal, but vertical has been proved to be much less effective. They are OK as toys or as a reminder that lots of free energy is slipping us by every day. If you would like some photo's just let me know. If you are at all serious about making some electricity, build a horizontal and at least a 1 kw. Have fun, windwize

Clint, when you get to building your dream house, consider SANDLESS CONCRETE. It is just cement (slurry)and stone for the slab with a normal screed on top. These floors are as warm as wooden flooring. Forget underfloor heating. It is a waste of energy. When calculating solar/PV the experts work on only 4,5 hours per day, not 6 hours. That is called `realistic'. Over estimating wind and solar can leave one stranded in the dark. I am using mirrors (early morning and late afternoon only so as not to overheat the panels) to get another two hours full charging time into the batteries. If you would like more info on average kilowatts available from turbines, let me know and I will post it. Keep up the good work, Windwize