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Forum Index : Windmills : adjusting my furl point
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KarlJ Guru  Joined: 19/05/2008 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1178 |
I have reviewed thoroughly all the posts on furling, getting the turbine into the wind etc etc by Phill Gizmo Aussie Bob and others. I did stumble across a common thread -total destruction if i get it wrong, I was hoping for some comment on the youtube video in the other post mill furling too early Is it a linear relationship to power input. EG at 10m/s there is twice the energy at 8m/s thus if she's furling at 8m/s and i want her to hold into twice as much force does the head offset need to halve? I'd like to make adjustments in 10mm increments but stopping it is impossible and taking it down in the wind would be stupid at best. i simply just dont have the time. We measured up the 100mm offset as best we could in the paddock (should have had a set square would have made it more accurate in the first place) if i halve it to 50mm will she go ballistic? How far is too far in one chunk? I'm all ears EDIT: I just read F&P@PE in its entireity.... looks like my output is very comparable to Gordons Single stator mill with 300W at 300rpm but i'm x2 stators and probably a little higher in the rpm thus 600odd watts. I also note that he sees very little difference in the max output of the 80S 2X7C vs the 100S and obviously it has a lower cutin, so if it isnt too hard I'll swap it. Just a pity as I do like the whine and I used the delta connected one on the back, thus would need to change it to the front, which means a complete dismantle. Luck favours the well prepared |
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| KarlJ Guru Joined: 19/05/2008 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1178 |
spoke to Phill in detail, damm, that guy has all the answers! i'll go for a bit more than half what I have and we'll watch the amps go ballistic, will do the 80S swap while i'm there, have one already fully prepped for the job too, may knock back some top end but should still make the round KW into the batts, looking for 18A+ and I'll be rapped. this gives me a KW delivered to the batts. I'm hoping the losses in the line will be made up by the fact the turbine will output far far more than the 55-60V she'll be clamped at thus all in-line losses will be looked after by this. Luck favours the well prepared |
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| KarlJ Guru Joined: 19/05/2008 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1178 |
DAMN I pulled the turbine down, dismantled it ready for a workover / birthday and first inspection. That bit took exactly 10 minutes! (Very happy with that) Measured up the offset that I had "measured" before at 100mm with everything assembled quite difficult and an eyeball estimation of various bits was done. -with the prop off I was able to accurately measure it, turns out it was more like 138mm......38 more than first recommended by Phill. So the fix, reduced offset back to 70mm, added a GEEZUZ rope to the tail to pull her out of the wind if anything got too exciting! Lastly -swapped the 100S in star out for one I had prepared earlier 80S 2X7C star. Put her back up after a healthy application of grease to everything, a quick re-torque to everything, some self amalgamating tape to the blades where the spinner rests on them and a few dobs of silicone sealant between the blades and the spinner. SO for the results ... Squeaking from the spinner -fixed -excellent (was giving me the sh*ts) 80S 2X7C vs 100S cutin may have dropped a fraction but tough to tell, the night before I studied it in the old configuration very carefully and the wind was from our ideal prevailing direction (accurate on the anemometer as no tree shading in that direction) in as little as 3.3m/s (~12KM/hr) I was seeing 64W (not much I know) but i think for a 100S this was just outstanding 
When the wind picked up to ~5m/s (gusts to 6.5m/s) I was seeing a solid 250W+ with peaks of 400W The following morning after the changes in very similar wind I was seeing 20-25W. (wind not from the preferred direction) I'm inclined to agree with Phill, the turbine hunts for the wind less with less offset and as a result better (more consistant) output is obtained. GEEZUZ rope 
Morning fog, almost dead calm, not enough to even move the rope OR the anemometer !! BUT spinning the blades to 20W! 
In short..... these blades are truly AWESOME low wind performers, now will test Phills blade mounting system -Which incidentally I reckon is brilliant and would stand the limit load proposed in the testing of blades post (ie 6T at 1000rpm) at the theoretical maximum of 600rpm, gives me good faith that when the small hurricane comes through, she'll have 400rpm of safety - in all honesty at 600W level, pulling it out of the wind (as if it were furling) at just 10deg to the wind it would be really tough to get enough frontal area to spin it anywhere near 1000rpm even if the furl point is 600rpm. ie pulling it 80 degrees to the wind she slows up rapidly Back up Friday with the kids as leaving the following week for Perth BTW Bob I now have two spare 100S stators, so I brought you one with a magnet hub, send me you're address again and i'll throw it in the post. Yipee.. sold the evacuated tubes for pretty much what the owe me! 
Karl BTW: Took Phills advise and put a streamer onto the tower, blades as close to the wind as I could manage with the tail rope so pretty happy with that too. I tried very hard to get the turbine to pick up speed by using the GEEZUZ rope but could never beat its natural state. A real credit to the hard work Phill has done.  Luck favours the well prepared |
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| KarlJ Guru Joined: 19/05/2008 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1178 |
i can see my reply can anyone else? Luck favours the well prepared |
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Greenbelt Guru Joined: 11/01/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 566 |
KarlJ, I see your post very well and a well written one!! I even understand it except for the streamer? is this to control the hunting or keep the slack out of rope? I must say its been satisfying to watch this project develop, the original doubts about the attributes of the aluminum blades and rigerous testing and designing that phil and others passed on to the finished product. And You now have a garden ornament worth the real estate it sits on. Time has proven that I am blind to the Obvious, some of the above may be True? |
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| KarlJ Guru Joined: 19/05/2008 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1178 |
There is the tail GEEZUS rope which can be use to pull it out of the wind in case of me going overboard with the now lack of offset (although you need a rake to grab it as it flies well aft of the rig even in 7m/s wind. Streamer is attached to the tower to show wind direction so it can be compared to the blades into the wind. I didn't think i'd see anything alarming and in fact Phill has done an awesome job setting it up with the tail kicker to keep it into the wind whether there is no wind or heaps of wind. I'd say it tracks and furls as good as anything based on the streamer. Now for the fun bit, getting SPAusnet (grid owner) to sign off and start collecting some money, the FIT could get messy -i hope not and if it does, we'll run the solar on one phase and the wind on the other phase, that way there can be no arguement as to what makes what, the wind will run the house in its entirety and the solar will have its own circuit (with the HOT water -which is otherwise never used or only at night when there is no solar being generated. (thanks be to god for smartmeter) Luck favours the well prepared |
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| Greenbelt Guru Joined: 11/01/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 566 |
KarlJ, Oh; OK! A weather vane. a visual check of furling. thanks for the info Time has proven that I am blind to the Obvious, some of the above may be True? |
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| KarlJ Guru Joined: 19/05/2008 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1178 |
Just back from the last trip to visit the mistress in a while. all running to plan and a solid day today today with 3KW in 7hrs with the best yet to come, with the big storms moving across vic today. It truly is amazing the difference when the wind is solid, no gusts and from a smooth direction (about 70% of our rotation about the pole is smooth wind with 90% of prevailing winds from these directions) I'm not convinced the 80S is any better but last week, it tested me instead of vice versa NO wind whatsoever!!! I like watching 500-700W all day, very pleasing indeed. Stand by for the big numbers from tonight's storm. Luck favours the well prepared |
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