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Old 31-03-2020, 15:52   #46
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Re: Wind Generator- The Good The Bad and The Ugly

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Originally Posted by a64pilot View Post
Chart is in 24V so maybe about 180 watts? 7.5 x 24.
Take another look

Right hand scale is 24V, left hand scale is 12V.
At 15 kts, right hand scale shows about 3 Amps, left had scale about 6 Amps.


7.5W @24V occurs at 20 kts. That extra 5 kts makes a big difference.
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Old 31-03-2020, 16:08   #47
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Re: Wind Generator- The Good The Bad and The Ugly

I have a Rutland 1200. Am happy with the noise level, it is unobtrusive. I originally bought it because of the controller. The controller is an MPPT controller, so optimizes output, and it also allows for up to 20 amps of solar to be connected. There are outputs for two battery banks, so in my case seemed the perfect solution. I will say, that in practice, the controller didn’t perform as advertised. I now have the controller only managing input from the WG, and only connected to the house bank. And I bought the remote, that actually allows you to see output and control stop/start. I would not own this WG with out the remote. In this configuration it has been reliable, and effective. It is also proven to be quite robust. Survived hurricane Irma, following the manuals instructions to simply just shut it down and let it free wheel slowly.
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Old 31-03-2020, 16:30   #48
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Re: Wind Generator- The Good The Bad and The Ugly

Has anyone noticed any drag effect when sailing upwind with their wind generators producing power? No experience but I assume any effect is minimal but again, any comments from experience?
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Old 31-03-2020, 17:38   #49
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Re: Wind Generator- The Good The Bad and The Ugly

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Has anyone noticed any drag effect when sailing upwind with their wind generators producing power? No experience but I assume any effect is minimal but again, any comments from experience?
It’s there, it’s windage. How much? Hard to qualify I’d guess but would think at least as much as the same size parachute would be.

On edit you should be able to calculate it based on its output if efficiency is known?
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Old 31-03-2020, 17:41   #50
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Re: Wind Generator- The Good The Bad and The Ugly

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Originally Posted by StuM View Post
Take another look

Right hand scale is 24V, left hand scale is 12V.
At 15 kts, right hand scale shows about 3 Amps, left had scale about 6 Amps.


7.5W @24V occurs at 20 kts. That extra 5 kts makes a big difference.
I’m on an IPad, small screen must have misread it. Seems silly to show both 12 and 24 though.
I would have thought they would make more than 6 amps, that’s only about what a 100 watt panel makes on average I’d say, and yes I know the wind often blows in the dark too.
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Old 31-03-2020, 18:28   #51
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Re: Wind Generator- The Good The Bad and The Ugly

I've read through the thread, so will add my 2 bits...

(I've had a Rutland 913, and now have a SilentWind)

First, A LOT has changed since the 10 year old Practical Sailor article.

There are cheap, noisy units, there are more expensive units that are generally quieter. (IMHO, the Rutland and SilentWind are the 2 quietest brands I have come across.)

They all vibrate at some speed. You can use rubber mounting pads to minimize the transference of vibrations to the hull.

Some units have brakes that engage to stop or restrict rotation. For example the SilentWind will brake in winds above 32 knots automatically. There is also a switch to stop/retard rotation. This is a great safety feature. (BTW...this is one thing I specifically did not like about the Rutland 913. It was very quite, but it had no electric/electronic break.)

Unless you mount all your solar panels above your mast...you will have shade on your panels at some point (of course it is best to minimize the shading, and buy good panels that are not as temperamental to shading).

Peter O. said it best...if you are in an area where sunlight is limited but there is wind, you still have energy going into your batteries. Making long passages you will have energy going into your batteries 24 hours a day (unless you sit and bobble in the doldrums).

Virtually all new units have good controllers that show outputs (and some with bluetooth outputs to device software).

Someone mentioned drag. I'm not really sure how many cruisers are really worried about drag or windage. I have solar panels on an arch...that's a hell of a lot of drag and windage; especially when the bimini is up. I have panels mounted on my hard dodger. That's a lot of drag and windage. I have 2 panels on rails along the cockpit....they create a lot of windage when they are down, and probably some drag when they are up. Seriously...I don't care. I would venture to say that a 200 lb man standing on the foredeck adds more windage and drag than a wind generator mounted on a pole on the stern.

My recommendation would be to find boats in your area that have wind generators, sit on the dock next to them on a windy day 10-20 knots and listen. If the boat owner is there ask what model year the unit is, and ask if you can see the controller output (in SilentWinds' case, I can pull it up on my iPhone).
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Old 31-03-2020, 18:30   #52
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Re: Wind Generator- The Good The Bad and The Ugly

We just removed our wind generator and upgraded our old panels to three new 375 watt LG panels with a Victron 150/100 MPPT controller. Couldn't be happier with the results. The new panels are so much more sensitive than the old ones and they begin putting out soon after sunrise to almost sunset. And they charge well on cloudy days.

You could replace your one panel with just one of these panels and produce more than what a wind generator will give you and spend less and have a much more reliable source of power. That is, unless you live where the wind is always 15+ and you're not heading downwind, and the sun doesn't shine...
Good luck,
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Old 31-03-2020, 19:08   #53
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Re: Wind Generator- The Good The Bad and The Ugly

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Originally Posted by a64pilot View Post
I’m on an IPad, small screen must have misread it. Seems silly to show both 12 and 24 though.
To you, certainly.
But not for the edification of all those who don't understand the relationship between Watts, Volts and Amps (like many posters here on CF who get them all screwed up. ).
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Old 31-03-2020, 19:21   #54
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Re: Wind Generator- The Good The Bad and The Ugly

I have my D400 mounted on a pole from Kato Marine and not on a fabricated arch or off the stern pulpit. I don't notice any vibration anywhere on the boat or noise at all. I do get comments from folks walking down the dock that they cannot hear it at all.

Not inexpensive but a very solid mount and I would use them again if I needed anything like that. I think it contributes to the no noise a no vibration situation for us

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Old 01-04-2020, 06:07   #55
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Re: Wind Generator- The Good The Bad and The Ugly

does a WC make you loose speed under sail ??

I think the answer depends in part from which direction the wind is coming from, the wind strength, amount of sail up, your own sailing skills, etc.....

Even so, from my experience, the difference in boat speed is marginal or even noticeable.
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Old 01-04-2020, 11:15   #56
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Re: Wind Generator- The Good The Bad and The Ugly

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does a WC make you loose speed under sail ??

I think the answer depends in part from which direction the wind is coming from, the wind strength, amount of sail up, your own sailing skills, etc.....

Even so, from my experience, the difference in boat speed is marginal or even noticeable.
Comes down to wind speed and direction in relation to the course the boat is steering only.

If you are sailing down wind it assists and upwind it retards you. If it's prodicing any electrical power under the laws of conservation of energy it has tpo do either one or the other.
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Old 01-04-2020, 13:14   #57
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Re: Wind Generator- The Good The Bad and The Ugly

Seriously? The only effect a wind gen can have on boatspeed is its own windage. On my 12 ton vessel, this is extremely small, not worth consideration. The horseshoe fenders on my pushpit or the barbecue on the stbd rail have a bigger effect because at least the wind gen is streamlined to a large extent.
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Old 01-04-2020, 16:37   #58
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Re: Wind Generator- The Good The Bad and The Ugly

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Comes down to wind speed and direction in relation to the course the boat is steering only.

If you are sailing down wind it assists and upwind it retards you. If it's prodicing any electrical power under the laws of conservation of energy it has tpo do either one or the other.

Surely, the energy exchange is between the KE of the moving air and the WG, not between the KE of the boat and the WG.


It's not the boat that slows down through the conversion of the energy in moving air to electricity, the air slows down when it passes through the WG.
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Old 01-04-2020, 19:30   #59
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Re: Wind Generator- The Good The Bad and The Ugly

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Surely, the energy exchange is between the KE of the moving air and the WG, not between the KE of the boat and the WG.


It's not the boat that slows down through the conversion of the energy in moving air to electricity, the air slows down when it passes through the WG.
Sorry for what follows SruM but I can't help myself.

The energy exchange is between the KE of the moving air and the WG, unfortunately the WG is usually bolted down to the boat and that damned Newton blokes laws come into effect.
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Old 01-04-2020, 20:14   #60
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Re: Wind Generator- The Good The Bad and The Ugly

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Sorry for what follows SruM but I can't help myself.

The energy exchange is between the KE of the moving air and the WG, unfortunately the WG is usually bolted down to the boat and that damned Newton blokes laws come into effect.

I should have been more detailed.


The energy exchange is between the KE of the moving air and the blades of the WG. The KE of the air is converted to rotation of the blades which is in turn converted to electrical energy.
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