Duogen in wind mode?

[Carolwildbird]

Anyone got a relatively new duogen? Just wondered how they performed in wind mode.

My brother has a very early duogen, and really only uses it in water mode- bought a separate wind generator recently. He found it a pain to change over from water to wind, and not very efficient.

However,I believe duogen have improved/changed the wind generator side since the early days.

Would be grateful for any input.... I'm considering buying one.. but also looking at alternatives of separate water and wind generators.

ta!

carol

 

[JerryHawkins]

Hi Carol,

We have a DuoGen mark 2 on our current boat (had the original on last boat). There have been many improvements, but the main problem was and still is that unless the wind is quite strong, the "yaw arm" doesn't provide enough leverage for the wind to turn the blades to face the wind; there is too much friction. I quite often find myself turning the unit manually from 45 degrees off the wind into it, at which point the blades speed up enormously and current starts to flow!

I don't find it a problem changing between water and wind mode; very quick and simple to do. Virtually identical method to the original, except parts fit better.

The original air blades used the pin drive (like the water unit), but this was quickly replaced with a bevel gear which greatly reduced losses in the 90 degree transmission.

I think you could reasonably describe the DuoGen as a water turbine with wind capability and a dedicated wind generator may offer some improvements. Having said that, I am happy with mine and the benefits of water and wind in one simple-to-change unit outweigh the issues.

 

[capnsensible]

Hiya, well I have a Rutland wind generator on our yacht and for nigh on 10 years it has worked without a problem. We use it all the time at sea and it does enough for our limited electrical needs, but the noise can be a tad iritating at times, not at all on deck, but in aft cabin.
My only experience with a towed generator though, put me off them for life. I delivered a yacht from the canaries to UK earlier this year with one of them. Flippin awful. Limited output at low speed, virtually impossible to hand back aboard even at medium speed and positively hazardous when contemplating any manouvre. Imagine you need to heave to in an emergency....best cut the line. Not impressed all round.
Hope this, er, helps!!!!

 

[Talbot]

Duogen and the aries are very different beasts. The duogen is well known as a great generator particularly if you are on trade wind passages. see the reports from the Arc.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Hi Carol

Cant make personal comment but know someone that got so frustrated with his Aquagen 6 he chucked it overboard. His comments were that it did not output untill his speed through the water was at least 4 knots giving only a couple of amps at 5 to 6 knots, he reconed that it knocked about a knot of his boat speed as well. Aparently it starts to pump out the amps when you are at 8 knots plus at which speed unless its on a run most of us will be in enough wind to power a wind turbine.

The DuoGen did not recieve good reports in the ARC gear test in Yachting World in fact most turbines had indifferent reports and no mention of the effects of drag on boat speed.
I personally think its ugly so would not choose it and before I get lambasted I know I have a monsterous great gantry with a noisey to some Air X but that does pump out the amps. I think you have to make your own choice as wind turbines seem to work for some and not for others.

Glad to see you got to Ireland and back the sail across sounded interesting, you seem to have had all the wind, a few weeks befor you we covered very much the same ground with rarely above 12 kts of wind.

 

[Carolwildbird]

Hi petehb

Funny- the reports of the duogen in previuous arc surveys have generally been very good- havent seen the latest one- is that what you're referring to?

I've heard generally good reports of duogens in water mode- but not sure about wind mode -hence my post

Yes, interesting trip over.. first experience of a F8/9! Wild Bird is still over there so another two weeks of jollity yet to come, bringing her back.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Yes it is July 08 and to be fair all had mixed reports withonly the Aero6Gen scoring lower than the Duo and non seemingly head and shoulders above the rest.

 

[Ariadne]

My Duogen is now 18 months old, running no problem. Does tend to get 'sticky' in wind mode at times, but I find a rinse down with fresh water to get rid of the salt deposits and a dose of the wifes very expensive hair serum keeps it all working fine. Also a good silcone spray works, but I found WD40 to be a pain for some reason. Ours produces power at around 6-8 knots of wind and seems to be at its optimum at 15-20.

In the turbine mode I found ours excellent at speeds above 6kts and produced about 1 amp per knot under that. But I suspect every unit will be slightly different depending on where it is fitted in relation to the centre line, and the lenght of the arm. I sent them a scaled drawing of the stern of our boat giving height above sea level and any dimesion I thought relevent. Don't know if adjusted the arm to suit or not but it works just fine.

I wouldn't be without ours, what else can I say.

 

[sailinglegend420]

We have the Mk 2 version and are finally getting some better wind genny results - in fact we now hold the record for the greatest current - 40 amps in F8 when moored up the Villaine in France. It might have been more but the 35 amp fuse blew as I was watching the current climb on the Battery Monitor. DuoGen said it is quite capable of generating that amount of current if the self featheing doesn't kick in first. In wind mode it does work much better at anchor - away from any other boats, they also gave us a little tip and that was to lock the yoke to lie in line with the boat, assuming that it is lying to the wind. To do this simply drill a hole on the back side of the pole - at the top and immediately behind the hole that is used to lock the yoke in towing mode.

If in self-feathering mode use pledge to polish the pole if you want it to follow the wind better, and make sure the pin that rotates on the nylon bush hasn't worn a flat - just rotate it a little to make it glide better.

Both our bearings in wind and genny mode have been replaced FOC because they were sticking. If you can iron out all these problems then it does work well.

 

[Carolwildbird]

Thanks aberman and sailing legend420..very useful! I assume you both wouldn't swop to separate systems?

 

[Ariadne]

No I wouldn't! i'm keeping mine.

Great idea drilling that hole to keep into the wind.

 

[jerryat]

Re splitting the systems, I think you should consider doing that IF you are long term cruising. Failure of the generator for example, deprives you of ANY charging facility.

We looked into this whole area when equipping for our long-term cruising and decided on the 913 and Aqua4gen - the latter being a dedicated towed water generator.

The Agua4gen, as I've noted on here many times, was amazing, producing a amp per knot of boat speed 24/7. I don't need to again extol the virtues of the 913 on here.

Our decision was not made lightly or without experiencing other forms of generation. Our first Atlantic circuit on a friend's boat had a Ampair Aguagen 6 (I think it was called) which performed very well in both wind and towed modes. The problem for us was that changing from one to the other was a time-consuming PITA and, as I note above, the non-duality of the system.

We also required the ability to charge from two sources simultaneously.

It was following this and other longish trips, we were left in no doubt of the way to go. Finally, I'm afraid I find the Duogen spectacularly ugly! As always, everyone to their own of course!