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Forum Index : Windmills : Question on a problem I have

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JimBo911

Senior Member

Joined: 26/03/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 262
Posted: 02:16pm 07 May 2010
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Sure could use some help here.

I come home from work the other day and my mill is stalled. (lots of wind) I can see that it looks as if it has been switch off by the misses but she never touched a thing. So by using the process of elimination I first disconnected the mill at the base of the tower the mill began to spin just fine hence the alternator it self was ok. Going into the house and disconnecting diodes, caps, meters etc none of this released the mill, not until I disconnected the battery bank did she start spinning again, reconnected the battery bank and all was well.
Came home from work on a different day and she was again stalled (not spinning)
I have a 1000 watt PV array that also charges the battery bank so my mill is not the only source of power to the battery. I left the system untouched, the next day the sun was shinning brightly which brought the battery voltage up and the mill was working just fine.
Next day the mill was stalled.
The battiers I have are about 7 to 8 years old and don't really push the microwave or her hair dryer very well anymore. (voltage drop with a heavy load) Cant help thinking that I may have a bad battery. I did test the electrolyte but have not done an individual load test as of yet.
Wondering if any of you have experience this sort of thing?
Jim
 
VK4AYQ
Guru

Joined: 02/12/2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 2539
Posted: 03:27am 08 May 2010
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Hi Jimbo

Have you tried to use a desulphator to revive the batteries as you mention that you have a 1000 watt pv churning in as well as the mill they may be cooking, what sort of regulator are you using and do you have a dump load in circuit as the volts come up the dump load may pull in and stall the mill.

All the best

Bob
Foolin Around
 
97fishmt

Regular Member

Joined: 19/04/2010
Location: United States
Posts: 77
Posted: 04:12am 08 May 2010
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Sounds like a blown diode.
But I would suggest the caps.

Diodes usually blow open and
it would not have come back online.

Caps? meter?


I have had static charge build up and
disable my meter for a short time and
it resets itself.
 
JimBo911

Senior Member

Joined: 26/03/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 262
Posted: 11:42am 08 May 2010
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VK4
I have not used any desulphator. No dump load in my system. At any given time I can divert any and all power to any circuit in my house so at this time no dump load has required.


97fish
Static charge build up that's interesting.



As the warmer weather moves in it's been real windy here so the last couple of days the mill has been performing well. I will have to keep a close eye on things.
It may be time for me to borrow my neighbors load tester to test each battery.
I really do need to purchase new ones. Hell I am just getting back to work so the money just isn't there yet. Bush economics is still rule the land over here, that is (the rich get richer and the rest of us get the left overs)


Thanks guys for your thoughts. Will keep you informed.
Jim
 
KarlJ

Guru

Joined: 19/05/2008
Location: Australia
Posts: 1178
Posted: 01:08pm 08 May 2010
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cant imagine the battery is stalling the mill myself
keep looking would be my tip.
caps arent carrying enough load to break..
my money is on a crappy diode or a short you havent found yet
Luck favours the well prepared
 
97fishmt

Regular Member

Joined: 19/04/2010
Location: United States
Posts: 77
Posted: 03:33pm 08 May 2010
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Sorry I don't have any experience with caps,
so I got that wrong.

Yeah I had my turbine up on a wood pole with
stormy sky's ( not grounded at all) and would
have the trace c-40 go in to fault mode some-
times.

I can relate that to lightning I guess, but
one time the turbine was not quite up to cut-
in and I saw sparks shooting from the power
cables at the base of the tower going to ground.


Very freaky thing! All I can think of is static
electricity built up by the rotor going through
the air and nowhere for it to go. So down the
outside of the cables?

Wow! scared me a bit, didn't play with the wind
for about a year.

I have a metal tower up now and still working on
a grounding system.

I think now I'm on some good conductive ground.
It is magnetic, I can pick up rocks with a neo.
 
Greenbelt

Guru

Joined: 11/01/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 566
Posted: 07:21pm 08 May 2010
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JimBo911;
Wrote;
So by using the process of elimination I first disconnected the mill at the base of the tower the mill began to spin just fine hence the alternator it self was ok. Going into the house and disconnecting diodes, caps, meters etc none of this released the mill, not until I disconnected the battery bank did she start spinning again, reconnected the battery bank and all was well.

Something here is not clear,?
The diodes in the battery circuit Were or were not disconnected as stated above?
Your problem seems to be a current leak in one phase that stalls the Turbine in null wind and the turbine can not in some cases (light wind) overcome the magnetic attraction of the several coils in this phase, other times with stronger wind the mill can startup under adverse conditions. giving the impression that all is well.
As Mentioned above in Posts by others. a leaking cap or diode seems to be the turkey to look for. I don't see any way a faulty battery could stall your mill with good diodes in place. Will be interesting to see what the culprit looks like.
Will take this opportunity to pass on KUDOS to a Craftsman. You have done a super Job putting this Mill together and also a class job on updates.
As MacGyver says. I've been hiding and watching. --RoeEdited by Greenbelt 2010-05-10
Time has proven that I am blind to the Obvious, some of the above may be True?
 
Bub73

Senior Member

Joined: 10/12/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 116
Posted: 01:28am 09 May 2010
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A leaky rectifier diode on one phase could cause something like this and appear ok once the mill starts, check them for reverse flow next time it happens.

Hope you find it
Bob
 
JimBo911

Senior Member

Joined: 26/03/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 262
Posted: 01:40pm 09 May 2010
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Thanks guys.

Shes been spinning for the last few days with no problems.


GreenBelt
Thanks for your kind words.
All I can say for sure is that after disconnecting all the component diodes, caps etc only when I disconnected the batteries did it start to spinn.
Will keep you posted.
Jim
 
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