connecting a 12v turbine to a 24v system

[Sean_Ork]

Forget using any "solar" charge controller - you need a controller that allows you to manually enter an IV curve to suit the turbines TSR.

You'd be better off joining somewhere like Fieldlines, where their initial response will be helpful, rather than telling you that wind is non-productive.

[Mike90250]

Fieldlines http://www.fieldlines.com is much more DIY, and assumes you have workshop space to build blades and such, but they are much more familiar with wind and controlling it.

[jflorey2]

So, I could take a 24volt, 400watt three phase AC turbine that does it's own breaking and connect to Gerasun GVB-8 48volt and 48volt battery bank? And since the turbine does it's own breaking, I wouldn't need a dump load? Would be awesome if this is the case.

There's some stuff mixed up here.

First off, if what you get is three phase wild AC from the turbine, it needs a rectifier and controller. IF you add that and get rectified, regulated DC and the controller deals with braking, then yes - you could use a Genasun controller to get some power to the 48 volt battery.

You always need a dump load. This can be on the battery bank, or in the controller, or even "inherent" - the controller could short the generator and cause the power to be "dumped" in the generator's winding. But it has to be somewhere, so make sure it is.

[KMac]

There's some stuff mixed up here.

First off, if what you get is three phase wild AC from the turbine, it needs a rectifier and controller. IF you add that and get rectified, regulated DC and the controller deals with braking, then yes - you could use a Genasun controller to get some power to the 48 volt battery.

You always need a dump load. This can be on the battery bank, or in the controller, or even "inherent" - the controller could short the generator and cause the power to be "dumped" in the generator's winding. But it has to be somewhere, so make sure it is.

That is very helpful to my situation, given I have an all-in-one rectifier, controller and brake, but am stuck at 24v with my turbine. Someday I would like to go to 48v and keep my wind turbine as well.

[Aspire]

Glad it's working for you.

Sure, there are several ways to do it. The Genasun charge controller is probably the "safest" - it will output a set voltage and its MPPT tracker won't bog down the turbine or cause voltage collapse. The GVB-8 would probably work.

A true doubler is another way to do it - but you need good 12V regulation on the turbine output (i.e. it really needs to output a solid 13.8 -14.2 volts or similar appropriate charge voltage) because all it does is double voltage. Solar Converters Inc used to make a very simple bidirectional doubler but I haven't seen it around recently.

jflorey2 Indeed, regulation is done internally on a car alternator ( what i'm using, its really cheap to pick up a Chevy alternator for 25$) and as far as i know, its pretty good.

[Aspire]

Forget using any "solar" charge controller - you need a controller that allows you to manually enter an IV curve to suit the turbines TSR.

You'd be better off joining somewhere like Fieldlines, where their initial response will be helpful, rather than telling you that wind is non-productive.

Sean_Ork im planning to pick up a charge controller from Missouri wind and solar , and daisy chaining relays/ 4 pole isolators off of it. i don't know whether you you were talking to me or not..

[jflorey2]

jflorey2 Indeed, regulation is done internally on a car alternator ( what i'm using, its really cheap to pick up a Chevy alternator for 25$) and as far as i know, its pretty good.

Well, not very efficient or weatherproof, but certainly cheap. If you are using an alternator, probably a lot easier to increase the voltage at the alternator than use an additional charge controller. Simpler, more reliable, cheaper, more efficient. 24V aftermarket voltage regulators for alternators are readily available and cheap. In most cases you won't need to rewind the alternator.

[tverdok]

There's some stuff mixed up here.

First off, if what you get is three phase wild AC from the turbine, it needs a rectifier and controller. IF you add that and get rectified, regulated DC and the controller deals with braking, then yes - you could use a Genasun controller to get some power to the 48 volt battery.

You always need a dump load. This can be on the battery bank, or in the controller, or even "inherent" - the controller could short the generator and cause the power to be "dumped" in the generator's winding. But it has to be somewhere, so make sure it is.

jflorey2 Thank you, that clears it up for me. My 24 volt turbine came with a 12/24 volt charge controller with build-in dump load and rectifier, do you see any way I could connect this existing controller to a 48 volt battery bank?

[jflorey2]

jflorey2 Thank you, that clears it up for me. My 24 volt turbine came with a 12/24 volt charge controller with build-in dump load and rectifier, do you see any way I could connect this existing controller to a 48 volt battery bank?

Not directly. Your options are:

-Rewire for 48 volts (i.e. redesign the voltage regulator if the turbine is based on an alternator, or rewind if it's a PM generator)
-Boost to 48 volts with a doubler (this has several problems)
-Boost to 48 volts with a boost-mode MPPT charge controller
-Boost to 48 volts with a simple boost and a voltage-collapse preventer
-Charge each 24V segment of the pack sequentially (has even more problems, hard to do well)

[tverdok]

Not directly. Your options are:

-Rewire for 48 volts (i.e. redesign the voltage regulator if the turbine is based on an alternator, or rewind if it's a PM generator)
-Boost to 48 volts with a doubler (this has several problems)
-Boost to 48 volts with a boost-mode MPPT charge controller
-Boost to 48 volts with a simple boost and a voltage-collapse preventer
-Charge each 24V segment of the pack sequentially (has even more problems, hard to do well)

Would the connection to the MPPT boost charger controller be like this:
A: wind turbine > 24v factory charge controller with dump load and rectifier > MPPT boost charge controller > 48 volt battery bank?
B: wind turbine > rectifier > MPPT boost charge controller > 48v battery bank > dump load controller?
I have two identical wind turbines and two 24 volt charge controllers with build-in dump load rectifier, does that change anything?
Thank you again for your input

[jflorey2]

Would the connection to the MPPT boost charger controller be like this:
A: wind turbine > 24v factory charge controller with dump load and rectifier > MPPT boost charge controller > 48 volt battery bank?
B: wind turbine > rectifier > MPPT boost charge controller > 48v battery bank > dump load controller?

Option A.

I have two identical wind turbines and two 24 volt charge controllers with build-in dump load rectifier, does that change anything?

You can connect them in series (add bypass diodes to each output for protection) and use them to charge the 48 volt bank directly. You will be limited to the power of the lowest-producing turbine.