Wind controller for hydro?

[Rednecktek]

So my neighbor is trying to get a micro turbine on his spring and I'm trying to do the research on the wiring involved. Right now I think he just has a AC->DC 3ph rectifier and he's trying to pipe that into a solar charge controller.

Fortunately for me he's still in the parts & assembly phase and hasn't set anything on fire yet.

I had a thought though, if a micro turbine is basically a car alternator (OK, his is) with paddles and a wind turbine is an alternator with wings, could he use a wind turbine controller on the water turbine? Would the braking control do the same thing or would it not work to stop the water turbine from overcharging the batteries?

Does that make sense?

Something like the Garosa wind/solar hybrid controller or, when we revamp his solar setup to a 48v system, something like the Furnoor Generator at 48v and parallel the outputs to the battery banks.

Or am I about to divide by 0 on this?

Also, does such a beast exist that is a MPPT controller with the 3ph AC input built in rather than the PV input?

 

[DCPower]

A vehicle alternator has a normal range of operation. Most alternators need to spin at about 2,400 rpm at idle, have their maximum output above 6,000 rpm. They’re really not suited for hydro power application due to this. Seriously.

Hydro power is determined as a product of vertical drop (head) times flow. Simple formula that doesn’t involve all the mass and gravity variables - head in feet times flow in gallons per minute divided by 12 = power in Watts at a typical 60% efficiency factor for the entire system. When I hear the word “spring” I question the flow rate.

 

[Rednecktek]

I know he's got a long pipe getting involved for head pressure, and that thing on top of the box sure looked like a car alternator

What I was wondering is that since a wind rectifier will apply the brakes when things get too fast, and as I understand it if there's no load on a water turbine it can overspeed and explode, fire, angry wife things, would the wind turbine brake function do the same thing for a water turbine?

In other words, would the rectifiers/brake/speed controller for a wind turbine work on a water turbine the same way?

 

[DCPower]

The best way to maintain a water turbine and generator at its optimal speed is by maintaining a constant load on it, through the use of a diversion load controller. The type used depends on the voltage, power etc. involved.

There are just too many variables involved to go through here … but there are many resources online to educate and assist you. Here are two:

Micro-Hydro Power: A Beginners Guide to Design and Installation – ATTRA – Sustainable Agriculture

attra.ncat.org

CO Small Hydro Handbook_0.pdf

drive.google.com

 

[Rednecktek]

Ooohhh, thanks! I'll dig into those.

 

[Ptom]

I use a MorningStar load divertor on my .9 KW hydro, though it's grid tied, thru a battery based grid tied inverter (Outback.) If and when the grid goes down, the turbine would be unloaded, not good, but the divertor instantly shunts the incoming power over to a dump load, just resistance heater coils, 24 VDC, 250 watts each, 4 of them.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

I use a MorningStar load divertor on my .9 KW hydro, though it's grid tied, thru a battery based grid tied inverter (Outback.) If and when the grid goes down, the turbine would be unloaded, not good, but the divertor instantly shunts the incoming power over to a dump load, just resistance heater coils, 24 VDC, 250 watts each, 4 of them.

That’s cool…