Monitoring an Air Breeze wind generator using a Link 2000R

[westsailwill]

I am installing an Air Breeze wind generator and would like to monitor its output using the 2nd battery bank monitor on my Link 2000R. I assume this is possible to do, but have no idea about how to go about wiring this option. Any technical help (wiring diagram) would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Will

[SV THIRD DAY]

Hey Will
Not only is this a great idea but it's also pretty damn easy to do.
We have battery monitors/totalizers on both our solar, wind, battery charger and alternator along with many of our major loads like refrigeration. Knowing where your power is coming from and going is something most cruisers just don't have a clue about and leads to lots of drama in not understand theri power budget.

All you will need to do is put the shunt provided with the monitor inline with the negative power cable coming from the wind generator and going to the battery. This will give you the Amps flowing from the Wind gen into your battery bank. (NOTE: some monitors like the one I use can measure from either the positive OR negative wire....so know your meter.)

[westsailwill]

Thanks Rich,

This sounds pretty straightforward. I was hoping to find someone who has set this up using the Link 2000R specifically, as I have no clue to as to which wire I need to connect from the Link to the shunt. I also was thinking that I need to run a 30 amp breaker between the generator and battery. Any thoughts on that?

[W3GAC]

Most battery monitors use a very low resistance shunt that is inserted between the battery negative terminal and the ship's 'ground'. The link then, measures the very small plus voltage drop that develops across the shunt during charge current passing through the shunt and negative voltage during discharging regardless of the source of charging/ or load. So no new or different wiring, per se, is needed as far as the Link monitoring is concerned. The issue is... it's not a good idea to have multiple potentially high current charging sources (engine alternator, wind/ solar controller, and shore power charger all connected together to the positive terminal of the battery without ensuring that they are either switchable one at a time... or 'diode protected' from each other. Engine alternators and AC powered marine battery chargers are designed knowing they will normally both be connected to batteries at the same time and come with diode protection already built into their designs. While I would believe any wind/ solar charge controller would also come all ready with diode protection built-in, it bears checking the manual/ circuit diagram to be sure. It is also important that the line from the wind controller to the battery positive terminal be fused with a value a little higher than the wind controller charge spec as a safety factor. Also, if your Link is wired as mine/ most battery monitors... the negative lead from your wind charge controller must go to the 'ship's ground' (i. e., the other side of the Link shunt-- the side not connected to the battery), not directly to the battery negative terminal if you want to monitor the wind charging current/ maintain an accuracy count of the amp-hours chargé into the battery and discharge amp-hours.


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