Aurora and backup generator

[Rob Littiken]

Rob,
I have the Aurora PVI -6000 hooked up to a 5k wind generator. I've had a fair amount of power grid outages lately and was wondering if I can hook up a backup generator and run my wind turbine too. I would be disconnected from the grid and I'm not sure if this would work with the aurora. I was afraid it might damage the Aurora. Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Rob L

[Rob Beckers]

Hi Rob,

There's not much risk of damage to the inverter, as long as the generator voltage is within limits. There are two problems however: First, the inverter will very likely refuse to come online because the frequency of the generator is not stable enough. Due to the UL1741 rules these inverters have a very narrow frequency range, and as soon as it drops outside of that the inverter goes offline. The only generators I've seen that will work with grid-tie inverters are those that themselves have an inverter inside (ie. they have a PMG, rectifier, and inverter that makes the generator 'grid').

Second issue is that you will need a load sufficiently large to use up the power produced from the inverter (if you can get it to come online). The way these inverters work it will try to feed back a set amount of power (determined by the MPPT table), and if that fails it will raise the voltage until it does. Two things can happen, most likely the inverter will run into its voltage limits and drop offline, the other one is that I don't know if backfeeding the generator's alternator will cause problems. It will try to run it like a motor. No idea how that works out, or what damage that can do.

-RoB-

[Rob Littiken]

Thanks Rob
I don't think. I'll risk it.

Rob L

[Ralph Day]

"I don't think. I'll risk it."

Oh no! Rob, please think about it! Don't risk letting out the majic smoke!:smile1:

Couldn't help myself.

Ralph

[Rob Beckers]

And we want pictures! It didn't happen if there are no pictures... :toung:

[Tom Payne]

If you can find a Kubota diesels gen set, in the 6500 w range, they are very stable in there hertz range, when they do fall off, it is usually a matter of tightening the belts, which of course do stretch. The speed adjustment is also very straight forward, and allows easy adjustment of the Motor speed.