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Charge Controllers and Clippers => The "Clipper" => Topic started by: wbuffetjr1 on August 06, 2019, 10:50:14 AM

Title: Axial Flux turbine at 10,000' with Clipper and Classic
Post by: wbuffetjr1 on August 06, 2019, 10:50:14 AM
Hello!

It has been a long journey but the wind adventure has begun. I have a turbine up and running. Currently has 8.2' blades from CMS Magnets. 4,000W AC Clipper and Classic 250. Now to get the wind curve in the Classic straightened out and see what this thing can produce. Here is a quick video of it up and spinning at ~6mph - not producing any power at that wind speed though. Would a larger blade set help produce power at those lower speeds or is that going to be dependent on the power curve?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHS3Ke9JtPU&t=6s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHS3Ke9JtPU&t=6s)
Title: Re: Axial Flux turbine at 10,000' with Clipper and Classic
Post by: bee88man on August 07, 2019, 09:34:05 AM
Thanks for sharing!

Am looking forward to seeing and learning of your progresss.
Title: Re: Axial Flux turbine at 10,000' with Clipper and Classic
Post by: boB on August 07, 2019, 02:27:14 PM
Can you show a picture of the Classic status screen and maybe the wind curve you have in there now ?

What is your battery voltage ?   What kind of nominal voltage is the turbine made for ?  i.e...  48V  ?  24V ? etc...

Are you sure that the clipper is not trying to clip and keep the turbine loaded down ?  What is the wind speed there approximately ?

Is it windy ?  Looks like the turbine is probably high enough to get you something out of it if the wind is blowing.

I do see a tree behind it.  Are there many trees in the area where that turbine tower is ?

Title: Re: Axial Flux turbine at 10,000' with Clipper and Classic
Post by: wbuffetjr1 on August 09, 2019, 03:41:32 PM
Bob,

Thanks so much for the response!! Sorry for the delayed answer!

-Battery Voltage is 48V. 690AH of batteries.
-Stator voltage was supposedly built for 48V up to 64V. 15 coils of 15 gauge wire. I can't get the builder to tell me if it was 65 turns or 70 turns, but I know it was there
  somewhere.  Builder says this stator can handle 250V or even up to 300V. Not sure if I believe 300V.
-I have manual setting for the clipper set at 200V. I THINK I left the Classic set to clip at 190V.
-I know this curve is not optimized especially at the top end. I will gone from the site for 6 weeks so wanted to set things conservatively while I am unsure and still trying to test it out. I tried several versions with Step zero starting at 80V and couldn't get anything going. The turbine just seemed like it had the brakes on. I had someone with a 24V battery bank tell me they had the same problem until they started step zero at 48V and then they started making great power. I heard that and ~doubled my voltage for step zero. That was the first time I saw any power made at all. I FEEL like the 3 amp jumps in the beginning are too aggressive.

Step    A    V
1         0     100
2         2     105
3         5     111
4         8     116
5         11   122
6         14   128
7         17   134
8         20   139
9         23   145
10       26   152
11       29   160
12       32   167
13       35   171
14       38   174
15       39   179
16       40   180

There are some trees behind it but wide open for a big portion of it's view. I have a TON of wind! We have recorded almost 50mph winds. Here is another video to show some wind. Lack of wind is not my problem, especially when I need it the most in Winter.. Now I will say it seemed like as soon as I stood the tower up I couldn't get the wind to blow if I paid it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xroaPt9pDOw&t=38s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xroaPt9pDOw&t=38s)
Title: Re: Axial Flux turbine at 10,000' with Clipper and Classic
Post by: boB on August 09, 2019, 06:39:14 PM
WoW !  It sure looks like you might have some wind there !

Maybe put the turbine IN the water ??  :)

What wind curve did you recall or set the Classic to in the MODE menu under Wind Track ?   Hopefully something that starts around 60 volts or somewhat higher ?

The Classic 250 will "handle" 300 volts or so input with a  48 volt battery BUT it will stop running at 250V or greater input so you won't want to set the clipper at higher than that voltage.  200V to start with is perfect.

Sounds like the turbine has to get started running first maybe ?  While watching it, you could either turn the Classics' mode OFF to see if the turbine starts spinning up and generating a voltage higher than 60 or 70 volts input and then turn the mode back on...  OR if it is just kind of running and doesn't go too high of voltage above 100 or 150V you could see what kind of voltage it puts out open circuit ?  Just to get a feel for it ?

boB



Title: Re: Axial Flux turbine at 10,000' with Clipper and Classic
Post by: wbuffetjr1 on August 10, 2019, 08:52:37 AM
Bob,

Haha! Put it in the water on the back of a boat! Could be like one of those swamp rigs in Florida!

When I first raised the turbine I selected the HY 2000 48V curve just because I thought it might be close. The turbine did nothing. Fairly quickly I moved onto a custom curve. I tried starting at 60V then 80V and got nothing. It was once I moved to starting at 100V that I saw a little power made.  The curve I posted above is a combination of me experimenting and a curve suggested by MNS.

I will be back on site up there for the last two weeks of September. I will certainly try your suggestion of turning the mode to off. I am not sure how to put what I am thinking into words, but I was wondering how the heck one goes about starting to get a feel for their turbine so that they can then tune in their power curve.

I had someone tell me the 3amp jumps were too much too soon. Since I have been back home and watching remotely a handful of times I have seen the output go up to 100.2V and then stop. Of course I have NO IDEA what the wind speed was at that time. In September I plan on installing a remote reporting adapter for my Davis weather station so I will at least have the wind speed data with the My Midnite data.
Title: Re: Axial Flux turbine at 10,000' with Clipper and Classic
Post by: boB on August 10, 2019, 03:45:41 PM

It takes a bit of getting a feel for the turbine in wind.  The best way to make a power curve is in a real wind tunnel but that's a bit out there for most of us mortals.

Part of getting that "feel" for the turbine involves knowing that when the turbine is spinning fast, generating a good amount of voltage and then turning the Classic ON, there will be a burst of energy while that stored rotational inertia.  And, while the Classic is running, turbine making some power and then the input voltage raised, the power will come down until the turbine's inertia allows it to speed up and catch up with the wind speed...

The wind will never sit still for a measurement unfortunately.   I believe that the correct power curve can be "learned" over time but we (I) ran out of time to work on that.

Title: Re: Axial Flux turbine at 10,000' with Clipper and Classic
Post by: mike90045 on August 11, 2019, 01:33:12 AM
Quote from: boB on August 10, 2019, 03:45:41 PM

It takes a bit of getting a feel for the turbine in wind.  The best way to make a power curve is in a real wind tunnel but that's a bit out there for most of us mortals......

So you use a pickup truck with a ladder rack, strap the turbine on and watch the speedometer.
https://www.otherpower.com/bdwm53.html

Title: Re: Axial Flux turbine at 10,000' with Clipper and Classic
Post by: wbuffetjr1 on August 11, 2019, 08:08:14 AM
Quote from: boB on August 10, 2019, 03:45:41 PM

It takes a bit of getting a feel for the turbine in wind.  The best way to make a power curve is in a real wind tunnel but that's a bit out there for most of us mortals.

Part of getting that "feel" for the turbine involves knowing that when the turbine is spinning fast, generating a good amount of voltage and then turning the Classic ON, there will be a burst of energy while that stored rotational inertia.  And, while the Classic is running, turbine making some power and then the input voltage raised, the power will come down until the turbine's inertia allows it to speed up and catch up with the wind speed...

The wind will never sit still for a measurement unfortunately.   I believe that the correct power curve can be "learned" over time but we (I) ran out of time to work on that.

Bob,

I will try turning the Classic off and on with the turbine spinning and see what happens. I will post my results here when I get back early October. I hope you will have time to check back on me and provide some more input. Thanks so much for the help!!

-Mike - That is AWESOME!! Necessity breeds invention!

Title: Re: Axial Flux turbine at 10,000' with Clipper and Classic
Post by: FNG on August 12, 2019, 09:43:29 AM
Works on a front wheel drive car too :)