KID Clipper

[dgd]

Talk of a Big Kid is referring to a large controller that , like the KID. has no fan. The features will be more along the lines of the Classic though. We will have lots of good stuff here, especially communications

Thats good to hear although I really do hope that this time the communications is more world compatible and means a built in web server.

The KID itself won't be getting Ethernet anytime soon. We would like some of the smart Forum guys to create this from boards such as the Raspberry Pi or others like that. The KID may be able to have a remote display at some point. It does have a communications jack that was originally put there for stacking, but it can be used for other communications as well.

I suspect this will probably progress once Mario gets the firmware sorted out to provide the basic running data via the communications port or usb port.

dgd

[Robin]

The communications display for the KID is not on the new updated engineering project list. Thanks for reminding us. We will add it. There are 35 significant projects on the list now.

[bennyspoon]

It is hard to justify spending the resources at all for this Clipper. We are doing it due to the turbine that we are building. Any other turbine that falls into that category is gravy, but we won't be adding any cost to it to satisfy other turbines.

Robin,
          i wholeheartedly endorse the gravy, having both hydro and wind turbines under 1kw on a 48v system.

any idea when this will be going into production?

is there any more information on the turbine that you are building?

ben.

[Robin]

The reference to other turbines being gravy means that other turbines up to 1KW at 48V or 600 watt at 24V or 400 watt at 12V should work just fine with the Wind KID and Clipper. It is possible that some turbines may not put out very high voltage unloaded. Those turbines, if they exist, do not need the Clipper, but the only way to get a Wind KID is to also get the Clipper. The Clipper and Wind KID are a good 4 months away. We are just now starting to ship non ETL listed production KIDS. That takes some of Mario's time to help manage the production test process and training. We have the entire Classic line helping to build KIDs this week, but already we are falling behind on Classic orders because of it. We do not yet have the Clipper circuit board or metal work. Things will get moving much faster once the prototypes for those show up. Mario wants to try doing Wind Learn. That should be very interesting. Figure out the best program for the turbine and program it on the fly.
Our turbine is coming along slowly. Not enough people to devote to it full time. We are messing around with about 6 different stator designs. At the moment the turbine is good for about 500 watts at 24V. We are attempting to increase that closer to 1000W. The turbine is literally built like a tank and the cost shows it. We believe we can redesign the stator for more power although three parts that are tooled up will have to change. We don't think at 500 watts, the turbine is going to be cost effective for the masses. It sure is pretty though.
We should be testing new stators in about 6 weeks.

[Boondocker]

What will be the rotor size of the turbine?  500 watts can be respectable output achieved at 15 mph.

[TomW]

It sure is pretty though.

We should be testing new stators in about 6 weeks.

Cool beans!

Can't wait to see one flying. I agree 500 watts might be a bit undersized for the masses but you gotta start someplace. With my 17 footer on the disabled list until better weather and probably new bearings, 500 watts would beat zero by a large factor.

Got any photos of this thing to share. Nothing like a bit of sexy RE graphics to make me grin.

Tom

[Robin]

Tom, we may get you one of these to play with. The rotor size is 6 foot diameter. We are going to add larger coils to the stator to increase power. Logan is messing around with the stator to try making it into a VAWT. Good luck!
Some pictures attached.

[TomW]

Tom, we may get you one of these to play with. The rotor size is 6 foot diameter. We are going to add larger coils to the stator to increase power. Logan is messing around with the stator to try making it into a VAWT. Good luck!
Some pictures attached.

Robin;

Sounds great, I will have a spot free when decent weather shows up while I decide what to do with the 17 footer.

I see it has no furling. My 2 meter (~6 ft) motor conversion turbine built by Zubbly (RIP) flew for years with no furling and would still be flying if I had not taken it down to redo the badly eroded wooden blades and have not received the replacements for yet. Seems like 6 foot is small enough to survive high winds flying head on. That Zubbly turbine survived multiple 60 and 70 MPH wind events unscathed.

Tom

[Robin]

Tom, it is better than that. We don't need furling. The turbine will come one of three ways.
1. With the Kid and Kid Clipper
2. With the Army Wind controller (with built in solid state Clipper
3. With our wind grid tie inverter (with built in solid state Clipper
We won't be shipping the turbine without a controller or inverter to control the speed.

See, no furling required. The Clippers will allow full output in 60MPH wind by controlling the speed.
We don't yet know the limits of the turbine, stator or Clippers. We will have some fun blowing things up to figure out all the best compromises in software and hardware control. We are constructing a powerful wind tunnel for development. Ryan says the VAWT has "Active blade release". I guess that is a form of speed control? I am certain we will try that method more than once!

[Highflyer]

Robin,
That project looks great.  Any chance to test one in Texas were I have mechanical compression of my winds?  I have a dam that points into the prevailing wind and there are hills on both sides.  They really get the wind going over the dam.  I am going to fly two windmills there as time allows, but testing one like that would be fun!!  And I can use the power as it is 1300 feet from the cabin to the dam and I am planning on adding aeration to the deep end of the big pond this summer to try and cool the surface during the hottest part of the summer using deeper water (currently a Beta Kid project in work).

The engineer in me has followed the Dans just outside of Fort Collins for years and they are the inspiration for my windmills.  And I have not forgotten my hydro project, but with the drought, it is on hold for now.

Second thought:  Any chance you guys are going to curve the blades to quiet down your windmill, or is the packaging more important?

Third thought: Any chance it would work side by side with a solar Kid setup so there would be two ways to collect power for one bank?

[Robin]

Just like with the KID, we will have a Wind beta program. It is still a ways off though as all the projects are still in development.
The blades will not be curved, but what we see is greatly reduced noise due to speed control. Let's say that we are successful in getting up to 1000 watts out of the turbine. Let's also say that in your location you don't like the noise when it is putting out 1000 watts. Simple, just dial the speed control down to something that you find tolerable. It may turn it into a 600 watt turbine? The good thing is that it doesn't quit making power, it just holds the speed at some user defined maximum.
I do not know if the Solar KID and the WIND KID are going to communicate for coordinated battery charging. The Classic does that for sure, but Mario will have to chime in here. We haven't discussed this yet, but since we can stack two KID's together for solar, I bet we can do a coordinated charge for these two also. It should be easier because we only have to coordinate the output, not the input. I would bet a nickel that Mario can and will do this. It may be as simple as putting them in follow me mode rather than Bully mode?
I am headed out the door in an hour to Colorado (COSIA show). I hope to see Dan and Dan.

[mahendra]

looks great hope i can afford one when its on the market.vawt looks kool.

[dapdan]

Midnite has just re-energized my interest in wind with the nice looking turbine.

Cheers...
Damani

[Highflyer]

Robin,
If I can afford it, I am in!!  I really like the craftsmanship put into your products (hardware and software) and I vote with my wallet. 

About the noise of the windmill, I am not worried about it, but others might be.  I remember you talking about being able to use the controller to limit the output and thus noise, but I want as much power as I can get and the farm is big enough that any noise will not disturb anyone.

[Robin]

The turbine is not a cheaply made turbine. It was designed for the military in combat applications. They don't need a lot of power, but in order to make it a viable commercial turbine, it will need to put out about 1000 watts. We didn't design it for that, but due to the cost of all the castings and such, we need to upgrade the output power. We have all the tooling paid for now, so increasing the power should only require one casting change and two plastic changes.
I don't know the price yet, but you all will get a great deal for sure.