[SOLVED]Testing one's wind potential. How to do it in Europa

[brandnewb]

I have a wind turbine

Cheap chinese horizontal wind turbine, an in depth exploration.

--- Begin edit Please do not reference to unproven products. A proven product should at least have an rpm vs some kind of output graph with warranties. for the building of a DIY alternator that actually works please see...

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What would be the most simple way of testing it's output.If there is anything to be bought from local sources then I will do do.
TL;DR
it's an 48V AC alternator and now if at all possible ow do we test what it can actually produce?

 

[brandnewb]

If one is willing and able then please see

https://diysolarforum.com/threads/cheap-chinese-wind-turbine-an-in-depth-exploration.30146/URL]

 

[brandnewb]

for example, I am having a hard time buying 12 volts car lights, let alone serialize them to 48 volts.

What would be your suggestion on how to create a DIY load for a 3 phase AC wind turbine source as to be able to assess what it can actually output?

 

[Porch]

A) Why are you having a hard time buying a car tail light? They don't sell them in your country? If you can't get light bulbs there, then I don't see how you can get the needed test equipment.

B) First issue with trying to test the max output of this, so you have the needed wind speed to run it at it's rated power? Aka, can you strap it to the top if your car?

 

[brandnewb]

@Porch I was still looking for the 3 phase car lights that can be placed into a 3 phase socket like you suggested.

 

[brandnewb]

I have even gotten out my cristmast light at tme moment

 

[brandnewb]

also I am still looking for a local electro hobiest. It seems that electro knowledge is rare and you pros should all ask more per hour than lawyers do.

 

[brandnewb]

A) Why are you having a hard time buying a car tail light? They don't sell them in your country? If you can't get light bulbs there, then I don't see how you can get the needed test equipment.

actualy good point I can but a car light easy. But aren't we looking for a 3 phase one?

That fitting I can't find as of yet

 

[brandnewb]

B) First issue with trying to test the max output of this, so you have the needed wind speed to run it at it's rated power? Aka, can you strap it to the top if your car?

It's already strapped to the top of my roof. And it keeps spinning while shorted even on slow days.
Can anyone please advice how I get a video shared on here? You can see how the turbine is rotating like a young puppy

 

[Porch]

@Porch I was still looking for the 3 phase car lights that can be placed into a 3 phase socket like you suggested.

I never said 3 phase, or 48 volts. Just a normal 12v taillight. And it's only going to tell you that it makes power. Not how much.

 

[Porch]

also I am still looking for a local electro hobiest. It seems that electro knowledge is rare and you pros should all ask more per hour than lawyers do.

Ya, school fails us. But YouTube is making up for it.

 

[Porch]

It will spin when shorted. Just slower.

Without putting the max rated wind against it, there is no way to tell how much it can make. We can guess, but it's still a guess.
Your best bet is to wait for the regulator you ordered, and connect it to a partly discharged 48v battery, and measure DC amps. That will tell you how much power it makes at whatever speed the wind is happening to blow right that second.

 

[Smokin]

Get a 48 volt wind turbine and hook it to a 1500 watt ebike controller with a 70 volt battery. Run the fan up untill it smokes. The log the results.

 

[brandnewb]

i managed find 12 volt 55 watt and 24 volt 70 watt lights that i believe I can wire in series.

I will update when they arrive in a few days.

 

[brandnewb]

I plan to start wiring 2 x 24 volt 70 watt lights in series first. Can someone please confirm that would make for a load of 48 volts at 70 watt?

And what if I were to wire 2s2p would that make for a 48 volts 140 watt load? Because if it would then I could keep adding parallel lights (e.g. 2s3p and 2s4p) and see when the AC generator is no longer able to light up the lights so that we can have a rough estimate about how many watts it can produce correct?

 

[Porch]

Incorrect. Lights are a very poor load for testing like this. As I stated above and also stated in the other post, this will indicate that it makes power by lighting up, not how much.

 

[brandnewb]

Hmm ok, then I suck at reading responses while excelling at being dyslectic. Please accept my humble apology.

Is there any kind of viariable load we can think of? Or a viariable transformer to put in between the alternator and a load. So that we could slowly increase the load and enable us to measure when the alternator has had enough and can't go any better

 

[Porch]

We sort of have a gap in knowledge here. I am skipping over a bunch of technical aspects of this to simplify for you, your situation, and knowledge level.
So when I refer to getting a car tail light bulb (non LED), in my head, I am taking into account the 3 phase of the generator, the fact that it generates AC, how temperature curve/ohms of the lamp, voltage, and cost of the lamp if it burns out. That is why I say it's an indicator that the wind generator is making power, and nothing else. It can't be used for anything else (not without a lot of other work).

But all of this is mute as stated above several times. There is zero ways to find the rated power output of this generator without A) a full computer fluid simulation of the air, how it interacts with the blade design, along with motor construction, or B) placing it front of a known source of clean air blowing at a fixed speed and do load test on the generator using proper test equipment.

Eyeballing it, by just looking at how fast it's spinning, or how bright a light is, is a horrible way to guess, and not something I want to send you down a path thinking you will get an accurate number and you won't.

Air resistance is cubed, so even a small change in air speed makes a massive difference in the power output.

http://drømstørre.dk/wp-content/wind/miller/windpower%20web/en/tour/wres/enrspeed.htm

So without getting the the generator in the right air flow, nothing else matters. Zero. Zip.

At best, with what you have, get the controller, connect it to your battery, put an amp hour meter to track how much power you get out of the generator, then figure out in your head, adding up the cost, effort, and maintenance, if you are getting good value for your money. That is all that really matters at the end of the day.

 

[brandnewb]

At best, with what you have, get the controller, connect it to your battery, put an amp hour meter to track how much power you get out of the generator, then figure out in your head, adding up the cost, effort, and maintenance, if you are getting good value for your money. That is all that really matters at the end of the day.

Good news, That charge controller did arrive earlier than expected.

Cheap chinese horizontal wind turbine, an in depth exploration.

It just needs a way to regulate the generator itself. Exactly how a car alternator does it. Or adjusting the pitch of the blades. It's just added parts and cost and these little units are designed to be cheap. Electrical control vs. mechanical makes it simpler and more robust. Automotive...

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Also the 12 volt 55 watt and 24 volt 70 watt lights are ready and waiting. Yet I am not sure anymore if they well be of any use ;(

THe status on the battery pack is undetermined at this stage, please ready the link above.

 

[brandnewb]

I really do not wish to step on @Porch 's toes But I've got halve a mind hooking up some of those lights I bought in serries and just see what happens. If nothing else it could provide for some entertaining pastime

Unless any of you lot really recommends against that? The window of oppertunity to prevent that is getting quite close now perhaps 1 to 2 hours