How to Power Wind Turbines
- 1). Assess the maximum output for your turbine, which should be printed on a label for your turbine generator. The generator will have both a voltage and a recommended rpm (revolutions per minute) speed at which it will generate a certain amount of amps. Ideally, the turbine and blades will be designed to match the average wind speed of your location to 20 percent of the blade speed of your turbine. Occasionally, high wind speed events may produce an excess amount of electricity, which needs to be accounted for in your system as well.
- 2). Use a cable sizing chart to size your main power cable connecting the turbine to the battery bank system based on the maximum expected amperage of your turbine, plus an additional 20 percent amperage capacity. This will ensure that your wind turbine does not fry your cables during a high wind speed event. Strip the ends of the cable and screw in the hot wires (black and red) to the terminals on the turbine. Run the cable to the battery bank, which should be stored in a dry, ventilated location.
- 3). Strip the other ends of the main power cable and attach the hot wires to a blocking diode, which prevents electricity from the batteries to power the turbine during low wind speeds. Attach a shorter length of the same size cable to a charge controller's input terminals. The charge controller protects the battery bank from becoming overcharged, thus extending the battery bank's longevity.
- 4). Use the same sized cable to connect the primary output of the charge controller to one of the deep cycle batteries by wrapping the other end of the wire around a pair of eyelets for the battery terminals. Wire the secondary output of the charge controller to the dump load, which acts as a heat sink to disperse extra electricity diverted away from the batteries by the charge controller. The dump load should be sized to exceed the optimal production capacity of the turbine by at least 20 percent.
- 5). Connect the batteries together into a series circuit configuration using #8 AWG cable with eyelets connected to the ends of each cable. Alternatively, there are also battery cables specific for use on renewable energy systems such as wind turbines. A series circuit is configured by connecting opposing terminals for adjacent batteries, for example, connecting the positive terminal of one battery to the negative terminal of its neighboring battery.
- 6). Size the power inverter based on the voltage of your battery bank, which adds together the individual voltages of your batteries because of the series configuration. The power inverter should also be sized to exceed the maximum amperage load of the home appliances that you intend to power through your wind turbine system by 20 percent.
- 7). Install the power inverter to the battery bank based on the specific cable length and size specifications of the manufacturer. Each power inverter differs slightly in its design and connection requirements. Connect the power inverter to an extension cord and power strip.
- 8). Monitor the charge controller to gauge the output and electricity production of your wind turbine throughout the day. Alternatively, there are also multiple software programs that can be connected to your wind turbine system via a computer to measure your electricity production.
Source...