Another Wind Generator Charging Question

[purplerobbie]

I have a Air-x wind generator and i asked the other day about the best way of charging both house and battery banks.
The answer i got was a split charge diode but a couple of people said there might be a problem with the generator seeing the voltage through the diode.
Would a voltage Sensitive Relay (VSR) work?
If i connected the wind generator to the engine bank would it top off the engine battery then switch over to the house bank?

Or if i fit the VSR would it keep the engine battery toped up when the engine was run and just attach the wind gen to the house bank?

I have to replace all the battery cables as it's a bit of a nightmare in there and i'm not sure the batteries are isolated properly. i can start the engine with the batteries turned off?

I have the alternator a sterling 25 amp battery charger and the Air-x
There is a 330 amp house bank and a 110 engine bank

Rob

 

[BrianH]

I too have an Air-X wind generator and fitted a hefty rotary switch (40amp rated) to switch the output directly to either the house bank (2 batteries in parallel), the starter battery or the anchor winch battery. Most of the time, of course, it is connected to the first, which is what really depletes when the engine is not running.

I also have a control panel with amp meter, interlock and shorting switch to disable the wind generator from charging and to freewheel. I rely on the internal wind generator regulator for charge detection.

When the engine is running I have a standard split diode configuration to handle charging and the wind generator is isolated by the rotary switch.

Maybe a bit primitive but it works for me.

 

[markdj]

Yeah, a VSR charging system would work like the BEP marine cluster of master switches and VSR. Doing this would mean that the VSR would click in when the engine is on and charge both sets of batteries. IF you get a dual sense VSR or the Pathmaker VSR you can put the wind gen. onto the domestic, otherwise put it on the engine and the VSR will switch over to the domestic when charging from the wind.

After reading about the Pathmaker it seems a superior system as you can adjust the cut out voltage - I have found that the standard VSRs will remian connected after the engine is off because the batteries are at the calming down stage and haven't settled to their fully charging 12.8v state. This means that both sets will discharge for a short time until the load brings the volts down under 12.8v.