Hi
I have had an Aerogen 4 for about 14 years which is in need of repair
due to the blades disintergrating by reason of corrosion of the
aluminium hub.

Purchased a new Air-X to replace it but have since decided to repair
the Aerogen and remount that as well.

Problem. The Air-X instructions say that for multiple banks, the
internal regulator of the Air-X will have to be switched to an
external one as another wind generator will give it the mistaken
impression that the batteries are charged.

I have an existing regulator for the Aerogen and a rheostat heat sink
that burns off the extra power.

Question: Any ideas on what/how I could use as an external regulator
or heat dumping device. I have heard that some people heat water with
the surplus energy.

Incidentally, I have been very happy with the Aerogen. It is extermely
quiet and vibration free. As we are normally in windy areas it has
been well worth having.

Any advice appreciated as always.

regards
Peter

In Peter Hendra writes:

Hi
I have had an Aerogen 4 for about 14 years which is in need of repair
due to the blades disintergrating by reason of corrosion of the
aluminium hub.

Purchased a new Air-X to replace it but have since decided to repair
the Aerogen and remount that as well.

Problem. The Air-X instructions say that for multiple banks, the
internal regulator of the Air-X will have to be switched to an
external one as another wind generator will give it the mistaken
impression that the batteries are charged.

I have an existing regulator for the Aerogen and a rheostat heat sink
that burns off the extra power.

Question: Any ideas on what/how I could use as an external regulator
or heat dumping device. I have heard that some people heat water with
the surplus energy.

Incidentally, I have been very happy with the Aerogen. It is extermely
quiet and vibration free. As we are normally in windy areas it has
been well worth having.

Any advice appreciated as always.

regards
Peter

In installint two windgenerators you should make sure they are not too
close to eachother at the same height. The windward one will spoil the
flow and the other one does not work. I had two aerogens, actually I had
one and was very pleased with it, and wanted more of the same good, as
the other was in a pole on the port side I thought there is plenty of
space on the starboard side, got another one and only when the wind came
from the front (as on beat) the both worked and when the wind came from
the rear (as on run) there was wery little apparent wind anyway, and if
the find came from eiter side (quite a wide angle) the leeward did not
give you about anything. I was thinking of making a pole, where the
gererators could be on top of eachother, but dropped the idea and sold
the other one.

If you want more power, sell the ones you have and get a Aerogen 6, as
it is as good as the Aerogen 4, but much more efficient.

- Lauri Tarkkonen

Peter Hendra wrote in
:

Question: Any ideas on what/how I could use as an external regulator
or heat dumping device. I have heard that some people heat water with
the surplus energy.



"Regulating" a windmill always means "keeping it loaded so it doesn't
overspeed". Once the charging has completed, you need to load the hell
out of it to keep blade speed to a minimum, but not so low it burns out
the windings. It must NEVER freewheel!

So, as it's NOT like regulators on alternators on the engine or battery
chargers that simply shut off, I'm not sure it's a grand idea to have
multiple windmills charging the same battery banks. If you're going to
run both of them, separate the two battery banks, then apply the load to
one or the other, discharging them separately, either with a split load
or by switching the load between them (i.e., A or B but not BOTH on a
battery switch). The other, simple, thing to do is to simply stop one of
the windmills while the other charges them both more slowly, I suppose.
Bungee cords work better at loading an unused windmill than electronic
loads, anyways. Bungee cords are lots easier on windings and bearings
and rectifiers, etc...(c;

Larry
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