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wind generators

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DrBob

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does anybody here have any experience with wind generators. I am working on a breezy 5.5 grid tied wind generator for a friend of mine.
 

Rayshields

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I know a little. I am on the Board for an electric cooperative in NC Missouri. We have two members who have invested about the same amount of money in renewable energy...one is solar and one is wind. They are tied in to the grid and sell energy back to us at the avoided fuel cost for the generator. The solar is beating the wind by more than 2:1. All this is site specific, there may be few general rules...also, a good hail storm will change the relationship.
:
 

taxedenuf

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Doc,
What's the problem with it?
The unit your speakin of uses a simple geared up overdriven induction motor.Is the paper work done for grid and you just need to fix it?

Mark in Wi
 

DrBob

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Thanks for the reply's guys
The unit is a breezy 5.5 which is indeed a overdriven induction motor. The generator did work and was tied into the grid, all paperwork is complete and the controllers are correct including the notch meter. A friend of mine bought it from a so called dealer in 2008 it worked for about 2 weeks and failed, probably from vibration. It shook and wobbled badly probably from a way out of balance propeller assembly. The dealer came to fix it but broke a propeller blade when he lowered it. He refused to repair the damaged blade and never did anything to help get it back on line.
At this time I am in the process of building a new set of blades out of laminated pine lumber cut to the correct profile as called out on the plans. The new set of blades will be laminated with 2 plys of 6 oz. fiberglass in hopes of keeping them from warping in the future. I am almost ready to glass the blades now. I then will assemble the propeller and balance the thing.
As far as electrical problems go all I can see wrong is the slip ring needs to be repaired or replaced. 1 wire was broken off at the brush probably from vibration, no burns or arcing are visable. A new slip ring will cost $360.00

Bob
The motor appears fine
 

BarG

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Thanks for the reply's guys
The unit is a breezy 5.5 which is indeed a overdriven induction motor. The generator did work and was tied into the grid, all paperwork is complete and the controllers are correct including the notch meter. A friend of mine bought it from a so called dealer in 2008 it worked for about 2 weeks and failed, probably from vibration. It shook and wobbled badly probably from a way out of balance propeller assembly. The dealer came to fix it but broke a propeller blade when he lowered it. He refused to repair the damaged blade and never did anything to help get it back on line.
At this time I am in the process of building a new set of blades out of laminated pine lumber cut to the correct profile as called out on the plans. The new set of blades will be laminated with 2 plys of 6 oz. fiberglass in hopes of keeping them from warping in the future. I am almost ready to glass the blades now. I then will assemble the propeller and balance the thing.
As far as electrical problems go all I can see wrong is the slip ring needs to be repaired or replaced. 1 wire was broken off at the brush probably from vibration, no burns or arcing are visable. A new slip ring will cost $360.00

Bob
The motor appears fine
What kind of specs or patterns did you have on the blade Dr.Bob? Does it have a straight twist like a plane propellor, That sounds like almost fun makin a wind propellor. My current curved lamination project is a straight curve with a 74.5" radius . Iwould think a propellor blade would be more complicated and have a twist in it. Tell me if i'm wrong.
 

DrBob

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BarG
The original blades were to be built out of 2x12 planks with no twist as an airplane propeller would have. They have an aerodynamic profile similar to an aircraft wing. The blade hub is built out of steel with the angle built in. The blades are bolted to that and the blade profile is designed to stall early creating drag to keep the blades from overspeeding. The plans call for the blades to be painted only. My concern was the possibility of warping of the lumber blades. I built new blades out of laminated 1x4 and 1x6 material hoping to get around warping. After the blades are shaped to the correct profile I will laminate them with 2 plys of fiberglass cloth to stiffen em up.

This wind turbine is called a prarie turbine Breezy 5.5 and is capable of producing 5.5 kw. They do sell kits yet and have sold a lot of them worldwide. Just google it up and you will see what I am working on. The also have a 10kw version now.

I was asked by my friend to build a new set of blades using composite construction, kevlar, carbon graphite and fiberglass over a foam core similar to the construction of new composite aircraft like the rutan designs. I have built my own composite airplane so the blaes should have been a snap.

The story can get long and is a little out of the scope of this forum. But I was really hoping to find someone with some real hands on experience with this system.

Thanks
Dr.Bob
 

BarG

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What your doing is intrigueing.I have 0 experience in any aero dynamic any thing .I wish you would find a place to post some pics of your project. I'd bet i'm not the only one interested. If you got into any compound curves, its a wild ride.tough enough for solid lumber but laminate a whole nother ball park. You said you didn't have that situation though,[ Are you shaping a flat laminate to meet the profile but not bending.] lightbulb lights up. . I would be thrilled to see some of your pics .
 

BarG

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A blade hub and a flat shape with a tapered feathered edge? I'm thinking air craft wing, would still require a fair amount of shaping. I'm starting to picture it a bit now.Is it one solid piece or 2 for at hub attachment. If the picture in my mind matches I'll truly be amazed.Every thing keeps going back to a wooden airplane blade.Ha ha.
 

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This wind turbine is called a prarie turbine Breezy 5.5 and is capable of producing 5.5 kw. They do sell kits yet and have sold a lot of them worldwide. Just google it up and you will see what I am working on. The also have a 10kw version now.

I was asked by my friend to build a new set of blades using composite construction, kevlar, carbon graphite and fiberglass over a foam core similar to the construction of new composite aircraft like the rutan designs. I have built my own composite airplane so the blaes should have been a snap.


Dr.Bob

Dr.Bob, you might want to consider a built up structure like the wings we build for large model airplanes. They are light weight, quite rigid and can be covered with aircraft fabric. Plans for a huge variety are readily available and can be scaled to fit your needs. Since weight is not a problem for you the amount of weather proofing you used would be your call. Once the jigs are set up cranking out wing after wing is a snap.

John
 

DrBob

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john,
weight is a consideration. and in this case heavier is better. heavy blades do not want to speed up or slow down due to enertia. Being a grid tied system it has to stay at a constant speed to deliver power. The weight helps dampen out wind gusts, think flywheel effect. This is a whole different animal than an airplane. The rules are different.
Home tobacco growers are of a different mind set. We are not normal. We think differently than other people. Myself, I grow my own tobacco to save money. It aint a hobby it is a money saving deal to me.This wind generator is a money saving event also.
I heat my house with a earth coupled heat pump (geothermal system) been doin it for 24 years now....
I guess I am just cheap.
Dr.Bob
 

DrBob

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Mr BarG
I had a cabinet maker laminate up the 2x12 blanks for me, he actually milled the lumber to make exactly what I wanted with 1x4 1x2 1x3 material.. they were built to resist warpage by swapping the grain pattern. After he was done with the blanks he cut the rough profile for me so I could do the final shaping by hand. I used pine as it is easy to work with, easy to sand I guess. The strength will come from the fiberglass overlay that I am going to apply.
Look up prairie turbines breezy 5.5 and you will get a better Idea of what I am doing. I am only improving the blades for the machine
Bob
 

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A friend of mine had a geo thermal heating cooling system put in for his house about 12 years ago . Everything was buried about 5' deep. The problem he had was his ground was too much clay and when it expanded and contracted it broke apart his fittings so he had to dig a huge hole at each one and replace with new fittings,some had separarated by as much as 6" and backfill with bank sand. He says he likes it after everything said and done.
 

DrBob

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workhorse
during the heating cycle there is no waste heat. during the air conditioning cycle there are tons of waste heat. 4 tons, or 48000 btuh. I do have a desuperheater, but no on demand hot water heater.
bob
 

workhorse_01

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In GA and FL. we add waste heat recovery units to our heat pump units then we just use the hot water heater as a storage tank for the hot water. 40 gal. of 140* hot water from a 5 ton system in 1 hr. what is nice is down here we get the hot water all year long whenever the outside unit runs. My customers have said they turn the breakers off to the hot water heater except for two weeks in the spring and fall when they open the windows.
 

DrBob

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I guess I forgot I was talking to a georgia guy. I use my heat pump mainly for heat in the winter. some days It is hard to keep up just heating the house. But during the a/c cycle all the hot water you need! I wash the car with hot water, just turn the air on and presto free hot water.
In northern wisconsin the a/c is on only 5 weeks of the year.
 
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