Testing wind generator electronics

[duncan99210]

I have an Aquair unit. If, under no load conditions, you spin the unit using an electric drill, you get 40 volts or so. However, when you hook that up directly to a battery I've never got more than a 1 volt rise in the circuit, as the battery resistance drops the voltage. The manual for the Aquair states that you only need to use a regualator with a heat dump for excess current (which is the kit the OP was asking about) if you leave the thing hooked up when you're not there to turn it off if the battery is fully charged (ie, has next to no resistance and will therefore not cause a large voltage drop in the current coming from the generator.)

 

[sailorman]

The SB unit will dump power into the ballast resistor to maintain the volts at the specified/set value, not that the volts would rise as high as 40 while a 12 volt battery is connected.


BTW The instructions for the Aero4gen can be found in the download section of Bluemoment.com if you do not already have them

see #18

 

[VicS]

see #18

[/COLOR]The same as i sent Single on Sunday via email along with other info in LVM.

Sorry. I did not know that "other info" included the instructions. Or for that matter you had sent the instructions for the SB regulator.

At least now if all else fails he can read the instructions.
With luck he may even be able to persuade his auto electrician friend and his local marine electronics guy to read them too.

 

[sailorman]

The YBW chaps assisted in repairing my Aerogen & its working just as it should
replaced all the bearings, the outer 2 were replaced with ss ones from bearing boys £50. Rectifier from RS £20 & treated it to new blades £100, can of white spray paint £5
sold other 7 old blades on ebay £20
so a newly refurbished unit for £155

 

[J Neeves]

I know I stand to be accused of not reading all the instructions but I wondered what size of fuse people use, as opposed to what is recommended, for an Aerogen 4. maybe to put the question another way - do people blow fuses and what size were they?

Jonathan

 

[sailorman]

I know I stand to be accused of not reading all the instructions but I wondered what size of fuse people use, as opposed to what is recommended, for an Aerogen 4. maybe to put the question another way - do people blow fuses and what size were they?

Jonathan

from memory a 15a in line fuse
a previous controller had a fuse out of sight when the controller was screwed to a bulkhd. my later version had a 1 amp fuse to protect the controller circuit + the in line fuse to protect the gen wiring

 

[J Neeves]

Thanks sailorman,

Our aero4aquagen has its own in-line fuse in the yachts circuitry, which was 10amps - which we kept blowing so I increased to 15 amps. I had assumed the 10 amps was the recommended size and this thread happened to be topical - so a good time to ask. In water mode the power generated is never more than about 10 amps as the boat speed, 10 knots, to produce that power is at the point where the impellers starts to leap. I have not really found a way to stop it leaping other than slow down though I made 2 small stainless impeller blades which might have reduced leaping but not by much. LVM suggested adding anodes to the rope but we have never tried it. But the windmill has no such restrictions, more wind - more power!

I'm not sure if 15 amps is large enough! but have not blown one yet!

Jonathan

 

[VicS]

I know I stand to be accused of not reading all the instructions but I wondered what size of fuse people use, as opposed to what is recommended, for an Aerogen 4. maybe to put the question another way - do people blow fuses and what size were they?

Jonathan

from memory a 15a in line fuse
a previous controller had a fuse out of sight when the controller was screwed to a bulkhd. my later version had a 1 amp fuse to protect the controller circuit + the in line fuse to protect the gen wiring

Thanks sailorman,

Our aero4aquagen has its own in-line fuse in the yachts circuitry, which was 10amps - which we kept blowing so I increased to 15 amps. I had assumed the 10 amps was the recommended size and this thread happened to be topical - so a good time to ask. In water mode the power generated is never more than about 10 amps as the boat speed, 10 knots, to produce that power is at the point where the impellers starts to leap. I have not really found a way to stop it leaping other than slow down though I made 2 small stainless impeller blades which might have reduced leaping but not by much. LVM suggested adding anodes to the rope but we have never tried it. But the windmill has no such restrictions, more wind - more power!

I'm not sure if 15 amps is large enough! but have not blown one yet!

Jonathan

The recommended fuse size is stated in the instructions.

For the Aero4gen its 20 amps for the 12 volt model (15 amps for the 24 volt model).


There are tables of recommended fuse ratings for different LVM models in the instructions for the regulators.


.......................................................RTFM

 

[sailorman]

The recommended fuse size is stated in the instructions.

For the Aero4gen its 20 amps for the 12 volt model (15 amps for the 24 volt model).


There are tables of recommended fuse ratings for different LVM models in the instructions for the regulators.


.......................................................RTFM

Having read TFM (that is at home due to copying for a forumite & emailing to him) The FM states 15A

 

[VicS]

Having read TFM (that is at home due to copying for a forumite & emailing to him) The FM states 15A

20 amp for the 12 volt models , 15A for the 24 volt models!

 

[sailorman]

20 amp for the 12 volt models , 15A for the 24 volt models!

LVM89 regulator info states 15A :encouragement:

 

[VicS]

LVM89 regulator info states 15A :encouragement:

I thought the questions were about an Aero4gen (with 2SB or 2TB regulator.)


All of sudden you seem to be quoting for a different regulator, (and generator ??)

 

[J Neeves]

Just to excuse myself, my instructions are on the boat and I am at home and I posed the question as possibly producing a quicker answer, and one based on experience, rather than downloading at 11pm. Having been using a 10 amp fuse, that blew a couple of times, I've been using a 15 amp in line fuse but I think I'll increase to 20 amp. Thanks for the info.

When at sea we find the water generation much better than wind but its a bit of a fiddle to swap. One reason being you need lots of room, the fan is quite large when you lay it on the deck to disassemble. Its a pity they discontinued this aspect of the device. Water generation has this issue (for a multihull) of leaping out of the water at about 10 knots which causes twists in the tow rope. But if we are at boat speeds of 9 knots it produces copious levels of power. When in wind mode it is virtually silent, gets nosy at wind speeds of 35 knots - but its noisy then anyway.

Jonathan

 

[single]

Ref. fuses. I bought these, so you know if they are working or not. (20A for Aero4gen)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LED-Fuse-Holder-Waterproof-20A-12V-24V-Inline-ATC-Blade-with-4-Fuses/221686230031?_trksid=p2047675.c100012.m1985&_trkparms=aid%3D444000%26algo%3DSOI.DEFAULT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140221143856%26meid%3D6480b861e007403385eeeb92e28105c6%26pid%3D100012%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D321638682983

 

[J Neeves]

My fuses are the same, except 15 years older! I have banks for them, half of one of the banks is one dedicated to the charging circuits, but need to pull each fuse out to check. But looks to be self same blade fuses.

Jonathan

 

[VicS]

Ref. fuses. I bought these, so you know if they are working or not. (20A for Aero4gen)

what would be useful would be fuses with an indicator on them which is visible when the fuses are in a fuse board.