Wind Turbine and solar modules

[rickley]

My question is that I have 8 solar modules and one 1600 watt DC wind turbine. I have 12 deep cycle batteries and I am trying to keep the batteries charged up with the turbine and the solar. 1440 watts with the solar. I hooked up the turbine to send what it produces to the same batteries as being charged by the solar also. The turbine has a charge controller separate from the solar charge controller so finally to my question. When the wind is blowing and the sun is shining the turbine keeps shutting down the battery bank when it reaches a certain voltage. 29.9 to be exact. The selonoid clicks off on the wind controller and any more voltage coming in is turned off. IS THIS THE WAY IT IS SUPPOSED TO ACT????? To anyone who can answer that question I will be eternally grateful.

Rickley

[Sunking]

When a battery is fully charged, charge controllers disconnect as there is no place for power to go. Just like filly your gas tank, when it is full, it is full.

[Mike90250]

Maybe. What voltage do you want to charge the 24V battery bank to ?

Most wind charge controllers are simple shunt controllers, that apply a heavy load to the battery to bleed off surplus power.

[inetdog]

Maybe. What voltage do you want to charge the 24V battery bank to ?

Most wind charge controllers are simple shunt controllers, that apply a heavy load to the battery to bleed off surplus power.

The reason being that you cannot safely just turn off the load on a wind turbine or it will spin out of control and self destruct.
So wind Charge Controllers (CCs) are designed to keep a load on the turbine whether the batteries can accept current or not.
If they shunt the battery through a resistor instead of just shunting the turbine output while isolating it from the battery, that will not play well together with a solar PV CC.

[Amy@altE]

What does the manual say it is supposed to do when the battery is full? What voltage does it consider full? When a solar charge controller is charging the battery, it will be sending a higher voltage to it. The wind controller may be seeing that voltage and translating it as full. Does your manual say if it has an adjustable voltage range that you could possibly set higher? Does your solar generate enough power during the day that you can deal with 1 or the other charging, but not both at once?

Does your turbine have a brake that stops it when it turns off, or is the turbine spinning when it is "off". Does the manual recommend a dump or diversion load to deal with excess power when the battery is full?

[rickley]

The reason being that you cannot safely just turn off the load on a wind turbine or it will spin out of control and self destruct.
So wind Charge Controllers (CCs) are designed to keep a load on the turbine whether the batteries can accept current or not.
If they shunt the battery through a resistor instead of just shunting the turbine output while isolating it from the battery, that will not play well together with a solar PV CC.

I understand that the turbine has to have a load on it. I don't understand what you mean by shunting the batteries thru a resister instead of shunting the turbine. I guess I need to really understand what a shunt does? I do have a bank of resisters that get fairly hot when the wind is really doing its stuff. Bare with me as until recently we ran solely on Solar ( 2 years ) and that took some time for me to sort out. A quick learner I am not. But living in South Dakota we have a bunch of days that we have no sun at all. So I figured the turbine was the next installation and so far it has me talking to myself although it seems to put out quite well.

[rickley]

What does the manual say it is supposed to do when the battery is full? What voltage does it consider full? When a solar charge controller is charging the battery, it will be sending a higher voltage to it. The wind controller may be seeing that voltage and translating it as full. Does your manual say if it has an adjustable voltage range that you could possibly set higher? Does your solar generate enough power during the day that you can deal with 1 or the other charging, but not both at once?

Does your turbine have a brake that stops it when it turns off, or is the turbine spinning when it is "off". Does the manual recommend a dump or diversion load to deal with excess power when the battery is full?

I also have been wondering it the wind controller is seeing the higher voltage and translating it as full. The manual for the wind does have a way to set the higher voltage. I will give that a try. My solar does generate enough power when we have sun I have no way to turn off the turbine completely. My turbine does not have a brake and it is still spinning when it is "off". I have a bank of resisters for dumping excess power and when the turbine is spinning and the sun is out the resisters are really getting hot. Thanks for all the info.

[Amy@altE]

I also have been wondering it the wind controller is seeing the higher voltage and translating it as full. The manual for the wind does have a way to set the higher voltage. I will give that a try. My solar does generate enough power when we have sun I have no way to turn off the turbine completely. My turbine does not have a brake and it is still spinning when it is "off". I have a bank of resisters for dumping excess power and when the turbine is spinning and the sun is out the resisters are really getting hot. Thanks for all the info.

That sure sounds to me like what is going on. If the dump load is getting hot when it is sunny, it sounds like your system is well balanced. The sun is doing all of the work on sunny days, the extra wind power is getting burned off as needed, and when it is not sunny, the wind turbine is charging up the batteries. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, I think it sounds fine to me as is.

[rickley]

That sure sounds to me like what is going on. If the dump load is getting hot when it is sunny, it sounds like your system is well balanced. The sun is doing all of the work on sunny days, the extra wind power is getting burned off as needed, and when it is not sunny, the wind turbine is charging up the batteries. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, I think it sounds fine to me as is.

I want to thank all of you for the help. You folks really jump in there and help a fellow alternative energy person out. I guess I worry because in the summer I can run off the grid 24 hrs a day but since the turbine I can't run all day and all night, also. But there again it has been a windless and cloudy winter for days at a time.
rickley

[Mike90250]

My turbine does not have a brake and it is still spinning when it is "off". I have a bank of resisters for dumping excess power and when the turbine is spinning and the sun is out the resisters are really getting hot. .

You need to quickly find out, what your turbine is supposed to be doing. When switched OFF. it should have a stiff load, or short across it's leads, so it does not unnecessarily spin too fast, and wear out it's bearings. If completly unloaded, it's likely to over speed and throw a blade. Wheeeee!!

[Amy@altE]

You need to quickly find out, what your turbine is supposed to be doing. When switched OFF. it should have a stiff load, or short across it's leads, so it does not unnecessarily spin too fast, and wear out it's bearings. If completly unloaded, it's likely to over speed and throw a blade. Wheeeee!!

HE said he has a bank of resistors that get very hot when the sun is shining, so I believe he has a dump load set up, and therefore keeps the load on the turbine at all times.

[Sunking]

I understand that the turbine has to have a load on it. I don't understand what you mean by shunting the batteries thru a resister instead of shunting the turbine. I guess I need to really understand what a shunt does?

Shunt:

With respect to electrical a place to divert current or power. In your case a big resistor (Dump Load) to burn off power as waste heat from the turbine. It puts a load on the turbine so it does not fly apart.

[rickley]

You need to quickly find out, what your turbine is supposed to be doing. When switched OFF. it should have a stiff load, or short across it's leads, so it does not unnecessarily spin too fast, and wear out it's bearings. If completly unloaded, it's likely to over speed and throw a blade. Wheeeee!!

Mike, No it doesn't have a brake but it does always have a load so I am not to worried about that but thanks for mentioning it.

[russ]

Mike, No it doesn't have a brake but it does always have a load so I am not to worried about that but thanks for mentioning it.

Meaningless- what happens in 100 mph winds?

[rickley]

Meaningless- what happens in 100 mph winds?

I am not sure what you are referring to when you say meaningless. According to the manufacturer the turbine can handle 110 mph winds and it will still have a load during that time. Also if the wind is blowing at 100 mph, my solar, home and anything else that isn't tied down will be gone or in big trouble.

rickley