How to wire my solar panel, wind vane and alternator?

[chriscorr]

I have a single 12V domestic battery, an outboard with an alternator, a wind vane with nothing but the two wires which come out of the turbine and I want to add a small solar panel (the boat lives on a detached mooring). Currently there is no charging circuit for the battery. I've seen different boxes for charge regulating with the alternator, regulating the solar panel etc etc...

My question - how many extra boxes of electronics do I actually need to wire my solar, wind and engine chargers into the one battery?

Thanks in advance...

 

[ShipsWoofy]

One

The engine will go straight to battery as it has a regulator.

Solar and wind can be joined up and fed through one regulator, this is what I do, 2 panels + 1 wind.

The only thing you will need on-top of the regulator are some diodes, which when it comes to the time, many on here will be able to help you with.

To see a diagram and set up as you describe, this is from the aerogen systems..

EDIT>> You will probably find some of the more modern regulators will have multiple inputs for wind/solar/pedal power etc.

 

[VicS]

Whoa!

The engine output can only go direct to the battery if it is rectified. Not if it is unrectified AC. Vital to check that first!

If the engine is not fitted with a rectifier then either a battery charging kit is required or at the very least a suitably rated bridge rectifier obtained and used in its place (That may be simple but if the AC output is 3 wires as is the case with some Johnsons and Evinrudes, like mine, not so simple).

Small outboards with a 5 or 6 amp stator coil do not necessarily have a regulated output but larger ones with a more powerful stator do have a regulator, possibly water cooled and combined with the rectifier. It will not matter if the output is not regulated unless perhaps fed to a very small battery.


A small solar panel can be connected directly to a battery without a regulator. Say up to 5 watts into a 60Ah battery or 10watts into a 110Ah battery. It is generally advised that panels larger than 10watts are used in conjunction with a regulator or charge controller.
Solar panels connected directly must incorporate a blocking diode. Hopefully a panel sold specifically for battery charging will incorporate a diode but that must be confirmed.

Larger solar panels and wind chargers would best be combined using a regulator designed specifically for the purpose. Eg one of the Rutland controllers.
Modern ones use a pulse width modulation technique rather than dumping the excess power into shunt resistors

 

[William_H]

Vic is right however the OP did not give much detail.
If indeed it is a small o/b with coils in the flywheel and external rectifier this can be connected to the battery without a regulator.
Similarly a small solar panel and large battery can be connected without regulator.
And again a small wind gen can be connected to a large battery without regulator. This is all based on the max charge being only one or 2 % of total battery Amp hour rating. However the total of all the charging sources may overcharge the battery.

a trickle charger can bbe left on a battery 24/7 provided the charge current is small compared to the battery so also can your other charging sources.

Many small regulators have a series regulator to reduce the o/p voltage to 14v or so ( terminals for in and out) and providing the charge sources at any one time do not collectively exceed the regulator rating they can all be fed into the one regulator. Another kind of regulator simply connects across the battery terminals and starts to pass current if the voltage exceeds 14v. Also fine provided the total charge does not exceed the capacity of the regulator. All this assuming the o/b is crude and simple., If it has a regulator (usually with electric start) then connect it straight to the battery.

So more detail needed. olewill

 

[chriscorr]

Thanks, already sounds cheaper than I'd feared /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I have a Ampair Dolphin (the vertical one) which I was given for free. I was thinking of getting one of the semi-flexible solar panels (http://www.seateach.com/Solar.asp 5W?) to hang on the back. I have a 4HP Mariner OB which will have a Sailmate kit installed.

None of this kit is installed yet so I can choose the most worthwhile combination. As the boat lives on a detached mooring I'd just like to keep the battery topped up between weekend sails and hopefully have enough power to spend Saturday night in an anchorage. She's only a little 24ft boat so there isn't a huge drain on the battery.

 

[VicS]

I reckon you can forget about regulators. The power from your outboard wont need one. Hopefully you'll be sailing not motoring much anyway.

5 watt solar panel wont need one.
I have had a 5 watt panel permanently mounted for a good few years. It does just what you need ie tops up the battery between weekend outings.

Very unlikely that the Dolphin will need one. Its obsolete so specs not now on Ampairs website but probably still around somewhere. IIRC output is similar to the Forgen 500. Takes a gale to get an amp out of that. Typical max is nearer ½ amp IIRC.

Provided the solar panel has its own built in diode just connect 'em all up. Schottky diode best choice if you have to add one because of its low volts drop.

Jammy bu**er getting a free Dolphin /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[VicS]

Dont forget appropriate sized fuses in all the connections

 

[William_H]

Yes fuses at the battery end to protect the wiring from the power in the battery causing a fire if there is a short. olewill

 

[chriscorr]

Thanks for all the advice - if I did want to be cautious and add a regulator, is there any difference between regulators sold for outboards, solar and wind (except for input current)? Could I put both the wind and solar (and engine?) through one solar regulator http://www.force4.co.uk/747/Sunware-Solsum-6-6-Regulator.html?