Wind Generator (My Logic & Questions)

[theway]

Originally Posted by mbianka

Ideally the Air Breeze should be connected directly to the battery via a fuse and switch made for it's operation (check the manual). Since you have two house banks I would connected directly to the output of the house bank switch. That way which ever bank you are switched to will be charged by the Air Breeze. As others have said you will need a fuse in the air breeze wiring and switch to manually stop and disconnect the Air Breeze when you want and also if you should turn the house battery switch to off. You should turn the Airbreeze off via it's switch too in that case.

Thanks, thats the kind of stuff I'm looking for. I have found this Rutland charge controller which will feed both banks, and seems nice, it has meters and switch built in.
Rutland 12V/24V HRDi controller
Has anyone use this or have any advice about such controllers?

thanks

[insalt72]

Down at my local yard,a guy has the rutland 913 and his regulator caught fire.
Luckily he was on board at the time.. So quite or not, It's off my want list...

[Dockhead]

Wind generators are pretty simple to install. Just buy one and follow the instructions. You will benefit from a MPPT regulator (some wind gens have them built in).

As to your first question -- well:

1. I use plenty of power at anchor. I always leave my instruments on so I'm ready in case I need to make a quick getaway. Anchor light at night. Domestic power needs. I think power use is much greater at anchor than underway under sail, at least on my boat.

2. A wind generator will supply most of your electrical power needs only if (a) you have a big one; and (b) you have exceedingly modest power needs. The realistic power you get out of them is much less -- maybe an order of magnitude less -- than the theoretical output. Keep in mind also that wind speed at deck level is typically much less than at the masthead, where your wind instruments are. You may be disappointed at the practical output. I was! YMMV.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by theway

Thanks, thats the kind of stuff I'm looking for. I have found this Rutland charge controller which will feed both banks, and seems nice, it has meters and switch built in.
Rutland 12V/24V HRDi controller
Has anyone use this or have any advice about such controllers?

thanks

I have that. But my Rutland 914i puts out so little power that I can't tell whether the regulator is any good or not.

[SimonV]

Originally Posted by capta

I'm sorry but you should NOT get an Air Breeze, Air-X or any other cheap wind gen, unless you don't give a damn about others around you. { Capta, you have some real issues, firstly you are relying on your prejudices of the old 403 and Air-X, to rubbish the Air Breeze, which is a completely different animal.}
THEY ARE VERY, VERY NOISY. Some, so much so that we have trouble talking in OUR cockpit when they are anchored next to us and we can hear the damn things over a fan in our aft cabin at night when the wind is over about 10 knots. {Again either you are mistaken and it was not an Air breeze but one of the others, or you are exaggerating.}
I'm not going to get into a pissing match with those that own the damn things, { Maybe not a pissing match but you should get you facts right.} but I absolutely HATE those people who insinuate themselves into a group of anchored boats with one of these cheap windgens{ they are really not that cheap, and we don't hate you} (you really do get what you pay for in windgens) {Not if you look at the $ per Amps}. Save up a bit more money and get a better unit; {And what do you consider a better unit, all the latest tests put the Air Breeze at the top}I and all the other boaters around you will thank you (and it will last MANY years longer) {And you quantify this with}.

Please do not use our prejudices for a thing, when the thing, you are prejudicial about is not the thing you thought it was in the first place

[theway]

A continued thanks for the all the replies. It seems like some love their wind genny or are very disappointed, regardless of brand. It does look as though the Air Breeze has the most satisfied audience. I don't know if I have read a review or thread where the owner if the AB used the term "very disappointed". Maybe the KISS is runner up. The KISS is now $1395, and is moving production to the US so they don't have any for sell.

Also the $2K+ models get all positive, but there aren't enough reviews to swing me up that high. I may spend a day look specifically at those to see what I can find.

I think I want to buy from a place with a name so I can return the item if its lousy. This would at least give me a second try.

I also wonder if it could be individual installations that make the results so mixed. Charge controller vs not using one or maybe just how the owner has it wired without a CC could be the bottle neck.

I like the idea of wiring to my house battery switch so I could switch house banks, but worry about switching while under load for some reason. But I think my switches are "make before break" (maybe I should confirm that, anyone know a good way? Maybe just google my switch...)

Also if anyone get this far in this post, how do the on off switches work on wind gennys? Does it just cut the connection and rely on the internal break? If you have a link that explains this that could help, I'll look a bit more myself but most places just show a simple wire diagram and don't explain it.

Thanks again, I feel like I'm making progress,
austin

[mbianka]

Austen:

I believe the switch I have for my Marine Air X is a specialized switch that came with the wind turbine it has three positions. On, free run, Off . It is specialized in that the contacts NEVER short out the battery leads but, do short out the wind generator leads when in the OFF position so the Marine AirX and Breeze stop spinning by shorting their power leads which stops the blades. One would usually either operate in the on or off positions. Though I can't think of a reason why I would want the turbine blades to ever free run. Again this a specialized switch and what should be used. You never want to take the chance and use a regular on off on switch is used because of the chance of shorting out your battery bank through it. Again this is for AirX and Air breeze units I can't speak what other turbines do.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by mbianka

Austen:

I believe the switch I have for my Marine Air X is a specialized switch that came with the wind turbine it has three positions. On, free run, Off . It is specialized in that the contacts NEVER short out the battery leads but, do short out the wind generator leads when in the OFF position so the Marine AirX and Breeze stop spinning by shorting their power leads which stops the blades. One would usually either operate in the on or off positions. Though I can't think of a reason why I would want the turbine blades to ever free run. Again this a specialized switch and what should be used. You never want to take the chance and use a regular on off on switch is used because of the chance of shorting out your battery bank through it. Again this is for AirX and Air breeze units I can't speak what other turbines do.

I think that you will find that the switch is a simple STDT center off, with the output of the generator on the "swinger", one side to ground, one side to the battery. Nothing magic, but it must be able to carry (and break) 50 amps or so.

Cheers,

Jim

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

I think that you will find that the switch is a simple STDT center off, with the output of the generator on the "swinger", one side to ground, one side to the battery. Nothing magic, but it must be able to carry (and break) 50 amps or so.

Cheers,

Jim

Jim

Yeah, you are probably right about that. It's the high amp spec that probably makes it a little harder to find at the local hardware store. Just looking at the manual it states also states it has to be a "break before make" switch. Just to please the insurance company I'd always go with the switch from the turbine manufacturer just to play it safe.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by mbianka

Jim

Yeah, you are probably right about that. It's the high amp spec that probably makes it a little harder to find at the local hardware store. Just looking at the manual it states also states it has to be a "break before make" switch. Just to please the insurance company I'd always go with the switch from the turbine manufacturer just to play it safe.

I think that the center-off design automatically makes it a break before make switch. However, you are correct about not finding it in a Home Depot. An electrical contractor's supply place should be able to find one for you, and as long as it has the correct rating I don't think that the insurers would get their knickers in a knot... but then I don't understand lots about insurers!

Cheers,

Jim

[SunDevil]

Also the $2K+ models get all positive, but there aren't enough reviews to swing me up that high. I may spend a day look specifically at those to see what I can find.
...

I also wonder if it could be individual installations that make the results so mixed.

Different installations and different locations will impact the results. Also how much they are trying to power will effect it too. If they are in a protected marina with tall buildings, cruise ships, or cliffs, that is different than using it on a night passage with a good breeze. Also know that the power it generate increases a lot with higher wind speeds. On one hand, you should like calm conditions for quality of life at anchor, but to generate power, you will need it to be windy.


tsautoserv.com/shop/t/tsautoservice/img-lib/spd_20100701180314_b.JPG

Then you have the potential noise issue. I've never been close enough to one when it was spinning fast to have any opinion or knowledge.

38 kWh/month at 12 mph (5.4 m/s) is what the 200W model Air Breeze says it can do. So, about 1200 Watts per day (some days more, less other days though.) It averages out to about 50 W per hour, even at night though. Make sure you have a good feel for power draws for everything on your boat.

[theway]

Originally Posted by SunDevil

Different installations and different locations will impact the results. Also how much they are trying to power will effect it too. If they are in a protected marina with tall buildings, cruise ships, or cliffs, that is different than using it on a night passage with a good breeze. Also know that the power it generate increases a lot with higher wind speeds. On one hand, you should like calm conditions for quality of life at anchor, but to generate power, you will need it to be windy...

38 kWh/month at 12 mph (5.4 m/s) is what the 200W model Air Breeze says it can do. So, about 1200 Watts per day (some days more, less other days though.) It averages out to about 50 W per hour, even at night though. Make sure you have a good feel for power draws for everything on your boat.

Yes different installs make a big difference as well as conditions, but I'm referring to what people are saying about specific win speeds, i'm not so much concerned with their general results over time or at anchorage.

And yes, theoretical output is nice to look at, but is most often not what happens with real world test, even at a given speed.

I have a good idea of my boats draw, which I posted a few pages back. I'm looking at about 5amps while sailing. Which is my main use case for a wind genny. Thanks for contributing.

[denverd0n]

One issue to consider, if planning on a wind genny providing your power when sailing, is that if you are going downwind then the genny will produce less. If you are sailing really well, and going downwind at almost the same speed as the wind itself, your wind genny will produce practically nothing.

[SimonV]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

One issue to consider, if planning on a wind genny providing your power when sailing, is that if you are going downwind then the genny will produce less. If you are sailing really well, and going downwind at almost the same speed as the wind itself, your wind genny will produce practically nothing.

That is why I carry and use a Hamilton Ferris Towed water driven Generator.

[theway]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

One issue to consider, if planning on a wind genny providing your power when sailing, is that if you are going downwind then the genny will produce less. If you are sailing really well, and going downwind at almost the same speed as the wind itself, your wind genny will produce practically nothing.

Has already been covered a couple times. Thank you.