New wind generator install

[HankOnthewater]

Originally Posted by dave777

Hadn't heard of that. How do you actually balance the blades?

Dave, the Kiss generator manual showed a way of doing it, and using leadfoil that one glues on the blades. Will check if I can dig up that info, otherwise I am sure it is on the net somewhere.

[Sputnik]

Originally Posted by dave777

Hadn't heard of that. How do you actually balance the blades?

The Rutland and Chinese knock off have removeable blades, I measured the weight of each blade with accurate cheap Chinese letter scales and paired up the blades. That clearly does not address any imbalance in the hub or spinner.

The output I measured on a very windy day!

Neil

[Bill O]

Originally Posted by Sputnik

The Rutland and Chinese knock off have removeable blades, I measured the weight of each blade with accurate cheap Chinese letter scales and paired up the blades. That clearly does not address any imbalance in the hub or spinner.

The output I measured on a very windy day!

Neil

Based on your technique, what's the difference in the blade weights (high vs. low of 6 blades?)? When you pair up the blades, how close are you getting them? And if there's a large difference in the paired blades, how are you getting the weights closer?Not criticizing your technique, just trying to understand if there is any need to doing it. Obviously, would not work on a 3 blade gen or odd number of blades.

Had our Rutland for >20 yrs and never had an imbalance issue due to the blades. Have replaced the bearings though and that reduces the noise (slight thumping at low speed) back down to the normal whoosh at all wind speeds. My understanding is that Rutland had balanced blade sets, but not certain about the newer Chinese ones.

[skipgundlach]

Originally Posted by dave777

Hadn't heard of that. How do you actually balance the blades?

Each manufacturer, out of a desire for the best outcome (happy customers mean referral business), do something about balancing the blades on their fans.

However, static and dynamic balancing are not necessarily the same. A set of blades, all within a milligram of weight, unless absolutely rigorously produced, will not, if measured in portions of millimeters, balance at exactly the same point somewhere near the middle.

That discrepancy will lead to out-of-balance vibration on rotation.

The solution is to take the blades and hub as a unit, and balance them.

That's a challenge on most boats, and less so if you had an enclosed, immobile, workshop with appropriate level spots to suspend your assembly.

However, one end on a level spot, and the other on a level with the bubble centered, will make your axle (whatever it may be; the KISS one is a tapered threaded rod, as the security of the hub is the increasing friction on the tapered shaft of the rotor) reasonably able to move as needed when you balance the blades.

With the axle holding the blade/hub assembly, I use my workbench fiddle (level) and a metal (hard so as to not have dents) torpedo level as my supports for the axle. I rotate the blades such that one is horizontal. Usually, eventually or sooner, the hub will rotate, and that blade will move. If it does, "up" means that the other two are heavier in relation to that one, and if "down", that one is heavier.

I do this for each of the three blades. When I get one which consistently is heavier, I slice off a sliver of the lead tape that went on each of the blades before I started (put them on the back side, approximately evenly spaced). Reserve that sliver, as you'll likely want to use it on the "light" blade/s.

Rinse, repeat, so to speak. When I get to the point where it takes a full minute for the apparently heavy blade to go from horizontal to vertical, in both directions, I consider that to be an acceptable level of "heavy" - but double check it with that "heavy" blade vertical as the last step. If I get no rotation in that position, I call it balanced and reinstall the assembly.

In between the start and finish, the faster and slower rotations get larger or smaller tape cutoffs. If, after a cutoff, the same blade is heavy, I put that cutoff on the end of the light blade. Etc.; I hope you get the picture.

In any event, I've found that rigorous balancing has a large impact on noise of any sort, and, of course, that of vibration.

[skipgundlach]

Originally Posted by HankOnthewater

Dave, the Kiss generator manual showed a way of doing it, and using leadfoil that one glues on the blades. Will check if I can dig up that info, otherwise I am sure it is on the net somewhere.

See my post directly above

[skipgundlach]

Originally Posted by skipgundlach

See my post directly above

And this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO_i60bczfw

You're welcome

[skipgundlach]

PS I put my lead tape MUCH closer to the hub...

[Michael Cobbe]

Eeverything I hve bought from China has not worked including a quadcopter. We had an Ampair wnd generator: https://www.renugen.co.uk/ampair-100-watt-wind-turbine/

[cndcruiser]

My experience with SilentWind: not silent, created an annoying whine. Power regulation is achieved by EM braking of the generator so NO power output! This is ok if you don't want to use it when the wind exceeds 26knots. Changed over to a SuperWind, which is much quieter, does not whine. Power regulation achieved by gradual feathering of blades, so power output continues at very high wind speeds but some blade flutter noise when feathering mechanism activates at >30knots or extreme gusty conditions. Wind gen mainly useful on night passages with apparent wind >20kn or at anchor with average wind >15kn. My worst experience was being at anchor in Tasmania in gale conditions with a SilentWind that was constantly in braked mode due to high wind, so zero power output!! Have heard that D400 is also a good marine wind gen.

[Icarus]

Originally Posted by Nightsky

The ones I have been eyeing are under $200 USD. I have been watching youtube videos by John Daniels who reviews these units. Results seem impressive from a power output POV but may not hold up in a marine environment.

Don't buy cheap Chinese, they are noisy and spare parts are a problem.
I personally don't like the noise they make.
I had a SW, which was noisy as well and finally destroyed itself in a gale.

[skenn_ie]

Originally Posted by scarlet

I personally believe we should avoid buying anything from China. If you are in the U.S., buy American... if not patronize manufacturers in your home countries or those countries that don't use slave labor... steal intellectual property, put Muslims in "concentration camps", kill off political opponents, censor they citizens and freedom of the press.. I could go on and on. I'm sorry to get political. I just hate the idea of rewarding people who do bad things…

As for the wind generators.. this is a really great discussion. I'm going to follow as we are currently looking for one ourselves. really want one that is quiet...

Carry on..

Reward people who do bad things ? How about people who send cruise and Hellfire missiles into civilian rich areas on the opinion of someone who's allegiances change with with every gust of wind ?
How about people who profit from an arms industry that sells to despots like Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, one of the most contra-democracies in the world ?

[skenn_ie]

Originally Posted by Sputnik

The Rutland and Chinese knock off have removeable blades, I measured the weight of each blade with accurate cheap Chinese letter scales and paired up the blades. That clearly does not address any imbalance in the hub or spinner.

The output I measured on a very windy day!

Neil

You need to balance the turbine, not just the blades. If you can put a shaft through the hub and place on two horizontal knife blades (blades from a planer work well), then shave a little off the tip of the one that naturally moves to the bottom. Best is to bring the assembly to a tyre-fitters and put it on the dymamic balancer.

[OneHullPaul]

For what it's worth, Jeff Cote of Pacific Yachts (A marine electrical engineer) advises one apropriately sized controller per pan, mounted near battery bank.

Originally Posted by SaltyMetals

I have had exactly the same experience as Mike. About 80-85% of the energy comes from my solar (3 x 50W) to which i am now adding another 144W on the fixed section of the bimini. You need to install the absolute max of solar.

I have an Italian friend who installed a Silentwind. I dont think his support system was any good since it was not rubber-bushed on the base nor on brackets higher up. Main cabin was in the stern and the humming at night (when a windgen has advantage over solar) was so bad he had to switch it OFF. The casing of the Silentwind was totally corroded after about 3 years with all the paint peeling off.

I hv installed the Rutland 400 on my boat and i bought the rubber-bushed bracket set sold by Silentwind. Perfect. No more noise than the wind in the trees. Starts generating at about 8 kn of wind. Was it worth it? The windgen cost me as much as the 3 x 50W solar but only gives max 20% of the solar but as Mike says it fills in the gaps. I must emphasise that if what you hv chosen is noisy you will eventually get fed up with it.

On yr solar installation i find it is best to wire in parrallel so that shading of one panel by yr rig does not affect the other panels. Both my solar and windgen go through the same MPPT which i got from Marlec, UK.
Andrew

[dave777]

Great explanation, can visualize it being done

[Riddle]

Avoid Seago windgenerator (chineese) The bearings start rusting within a year.
Als the paint comes off within a year, because the alum casting is not properly prepared. The controller does not function properly and prevent the turbine from picking up speed
Last but not least the generator is very noisy.

I have experience with Superwind, German made, top quality, very quiet, very reliable.