Wind turbine help

S

Spartansman

New Member
Joined
23 Jan 2020
Messages
6
Location
Falmouth
Visit site
Hi folks... i have found so much really useful information here in the past but this is my first ever post... I'm sure there is some forum folk out there who will be able to help.

So I have a very old wind generator which I am hoping to put on my boat to charge the leisure battery bank.

It is a row tow vane with black plastic vanes and 3 wires red black and green coming from it.

I have been round the houses trying to work out if:
A: it is 3 phase
B: in relation to this if I need a rectifier
C: what kind of controller/wiring/fuse I need between the generator and battery...

Initially I thought it was 3 phase but I saw somewhere that usually if this is the case that the wires are all the same colour not red green black.

I then took off the vanes and found only black and red are connected anyway.

When I spin it and put a multi meter across the red black wires I seem to record some amps. .

I am a bit of an electrical plank but I cannot believe it is beyond the wit of man/me to get this thing charging the batteries.

And before anyone says this is an old pile of junk ditch it... The budget wouldn't allow for a nice new one and divorce could be on the cards if I try and force the issue??

Any help anyone can give me in info or experience with this vane or wiring diagram would be great

Thanks in advance. See attached pictures.

Attachments
 
doug748 said:
Can't help you with the electrical stuff but I seem to recall that it was designed to run in the water and wind. You may well have the water wings there and be missing the wind sails?
Click to expand...

The photo shows the wind rotor, with black vanes. The water propellor hooks on to the hole in the rotor casting.
 
Spartansman said:
And before anyone says this is an old pile of junk ditch it... The budget wouldn't allow for a nice new one and divorce could be on the cards if I try and force the issue??
Click to expand...

That'll be me then (y)

It will cost money to get it working and to bodge together some sort of charge controlling gubbins and when you get if you did manage to get it working it'll generate next to bugger all power. Stick it in the skip and buy a solar panel, probably cost less money and certainly produce more power.
 
Spartansman said:
...........I am a bit of an electrical plank but I cannot believe it is beyond the wit of man/me to get this thing charging the batteries.

And before anyone says this is an old pile of junk ditch it... The budget wouldn't allow for a nice new one and divorce could be on the cards if I try and force the issue??
Click to expand...



I know nowt about electricals so here is my advice:

- If it has only a red and black and something DC is coming out, get it the right way around and attach the wires to your battery.

- If the meter showed summat it may well charge the battery.

- If you are unsure rig it in the garden to test.

- If you have a 100amp + battery don't fuss about taming the output as long as you use it with care, ie tie it off when the battery is charged, don't leave it going in a forecast gale.

- The wires will be live right the way to the battery so use a fuse. Don't neglect this as a short will cause a fire and electrical fires put the wind up you. Anything vaguely marine size will do, if it blows in use, use larger.


I used a windgen for 25 year,s great things on an open mooring. Tell anyone suggesting buying owt new that you still accept cheques and postal orders.

.
 
Last edited:
I have an Airspeed wind generator and it has 3 wires. 2 connect directly to the batteries, and the 3rd to the sacrificial anode. Can't remember which colours go where though.
 
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC said:
Not an answer to your question; but nowadays, solar panels are cheap and very effective; no need trying to fix an old wind generator.
Click to expand...

No doubt a reasonable size solar panel and basic regulator will be cheaper than the proper regulator for that wind/water vane which I think is obsolete. I got rid of our wind generator last winter and increased size of solar panels, much better charge rates.
 
Not wanting to cast a damper on your plan but ...

That looks very similar to the innards of a Sturmey Archer bike hub dynamo circa 1955. I once took one apart only to find that separating the rotor (magnet) from the coils without transferring the magnet to a keeper meant substantial loss of magnetism and subsequent disappointing generation.

Derek
 
I had one of those for quite a long time. I've no idea if they come in different models but mine looked identical to yours. Found it rather noisy and the output was so low that it didn't need a charge controler if your battery bank was sufficient.
As mentioned,solar would be better if you could manage 50w. as i recall the ro tow vane struggles just to output up to an amp.
I have 210w of solar and during a uk winter with low sun and overcast I'm lucky to do an amp with a mppt controler. In summer it's an easy 5 to 9 amps.
I have an aerogen 4 (20a in 60 knts) which pays dividens in winter but less so in the sumer.
If you could find a aerogen on ebay then go for it as they were superbly made and went on for an easy 25 yrs . They have dc output.
I would avoid a used Rutland as know so many people who have had terrible problems with theirs failing even when less than a year old.
Put it on ebay as it would be great for someone looking for hub and blades for a project
 
Spartansman said:
Hi folks... i have found so much really useful information here in the past but this is my first ever post... I'm sure there is some forum folk out there who will be able to help.
Attachments
Click to expand...

These two pictures are sufficient to tell that it is an AC generator and will therefore need a rectifier unless one is concealed inside it

If there truly are only two connections then it is a single phase generator and a suitably rated simple bridge rectifier will do the business.

The output is unlikely to be great enough to require a regulator but if it is then it will require a shunt type regulator like the Aerogens

If there are three connections it will need a 6 diode 3 phase bridge rectifier. A possible explanation for the red, black and green wires is that someone has used a length of old ( pre 1977) 3 core mains flex

Best advice is given by PRainbow ............ Ditch it and buy a solar panel and a suitable controller
( If necessary divorce the wife and go sailing with a GF )
 
Last edited:
Back in 1980 I had a similar Selectromarine Aerocharge which indeed used a Sturmey Archer hub generator. As this produced 6V AC it had a small box with a diode pump voltage doubler and rectifier. Output was about 0.5A so better than nothing when solar panels were new and expensive but now there are much better options. I think the idea of multiple blades was to limit the speed as they interfered and were inefficient at high speed but it was also very noisy in any real wind.
1580124743344.png
 
VicS said:
These two pictures are sufficient to tell that it is an AC generator and will therefore need a rectifier unless one is concealed inside it

If there truly are only two connections then it is a single phase generator and a suitably rated simple bridge rectifier will do the business.

The output is unlikely to be great enough to require a regulator but if it is then it will require a shunt type regulator like the Aerogens

If there are three connections it will need a 6 diode 3 phase bridge rectifier. A possible explanation for the red, black and green wires is that someone has used a length of old ( pre 1977) 3 core mains flex

Best advice is given by PRainbow ............ Ditch it and buy a solar panel and a suitable controller
( If necessary divorce the wife and go sailing with a GF )
Click to expand...
Thanks for your advice...
 
Daydream believer said:
Personally I would ditch the wife & get a new wind generator AND solar panel AND go sailing
Click to expand...
???
Rappey said:
I had one of those for quite a long time. I've no idea if they come in different models but mine looked identical to yours. Found it rather noisy and the output was so low that it didn't need a charge controler if your battery bank was sufficient.
As mentioned,solar would be better if you could manage 50w. as i recall the ro tow vane struggles just to output up to an amp.
I have 210w of solar and during a uk winter with low sun and overcast I'm lucky to do an amp with a mppt controler. In summer it's an easy 5 to 9 amps.
I have an aerogen 4 (20a in 60 knts) which pays dividens in winter but less so in the sumer.
If you could find a aerogen on ebay then go for it as they were superbly made and went on for an easy 25 yrs . They have dc output.
I would avoid a used Rutland as know so many people who have had terrible problems with theirs failing even when less than a year old.
Put it on ebay as it would be great for someone looking for hub and blades for a project
Click to expand...
Great advice thanks....
 
Thanks for all your comments folks... Yeah I am now erring towards the skip method of disposal ? I am however terrible at throwing anything away. my ideal would be to have wind and solar charge and think I will go with solar initially to see how it performs.

I really wanted to avoid having deck mounted solar panels for purposes of inefficiency due to shading of boom etc.

Looking at getting a gantry made was eye wateringly expensive.

I realize there are other options pushpit mount or single pole etc.

Anybody here have any cheap mounting solutions that have worked on their boats?

Thanks
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

S
Aerogen 4 capacitors
2
Replies
22
Views
586
Boater Sam
Boater Sam
wonkywinch
Interlinked Carbon Monoxide alarms
Replies
12
Views
308
PaulRainbow
PaulRainbow
Lightwave395
Wiring mess
Replies
18
Views
791
thinwater
thinwater

Share this page

Top