leave running or shut down

[Shaun Burgess]

Hi All, I am moving to USA for a year or so after xmas and my question is this: Should I leave the turbine running or shut it down for the year? Its a Fortis montana 5kw but it now has a lot less output - I am making it furl sooner. Its about a 3kw machine now. I am using the Fortis controller recterifer. The dump on this is set at 380vdc and the dump load is a 6kw series of resisters. I also have built robs controller - the dump in this is set to 350vdc to a 6kw heater element. If the grid fails it goes to dump. Everything is working perfectly. I do have a few friends that will turn it off in a storm but that's their limit. Here is a few pictures1050

1051

[Rob Beckers]

Shaun, nice installation of the electrical parts. Very neat!

I would be extremely hesitant to let a wind turbine run unattended for any amount of time. Stuff breaks, and if you're there to notice, and shut it off, it can be the difference between a minor repair and a trashed turbine.

Unless your friends are close by, where they can see (and more importantly, hear the turbine in case something goes wrong), I'd get it stopped, tied off or tilted down (if your tower allows). Small wind turbines have not reached the point yet where they will work reliably, unattended, for months at a time. To qualify that, some will, but you're certainly rolling the dice if you're hoping yours will do so for a year.

-RoB-

[Shaun Burgess]

ya it will break my heart to turn it of for the year. The people who would be keeping an eye on it can all see it from there houses. But i no your right..

[Shaun Burgess]

hi rob can the inverter be connected to the internet. . So i could watch it on a laptop . thanks

[Rob Beckers]

While it's possible to have Web monitoring, it's expensive if Power-One's solution is used. Their cheapest option is about 800 bucks...

Depending on how handy you are with the computer, it may be possible to use the AuroraCommunicator software, with a locally installed Web server, to make stuff available over the Web. Or, even simpler, set up a computer to allow Remote Desktop, and run AuroraCommunicator on there from afar.

-RoB-

[Cor van Houtum]

just use the advantech EKI 1351
works like a charm with the Aurora

good luck

Cor

[Cor van Houtum]

http://www.advantech.com/products/EKI-1351/mod_9C1793A9-C3E4-412A-B8BB-62224359F530.aspx

[Rob Beckers]

Cor, what kind of range do you get with this in an 'urban' environment? If your PC is connected to the network, you only need one of these (on the Aurora side)? It has software to create a virtual COM port on the PC to connect to the remote RS485 port?

Looks like a nice solution...

-RoB-

[Cor van Houtum]

the EKI has a rs485 port with 9 pin connector
just connect data + and data - and rtn

you can daisy chain as mutch inverters as you have


the EKI has a wifi wireless connection
this thing acts like a user in your wireless network
in the setup you must give in the password of your accesspoint

the EKI CAN WORK IN TWO MODES

infrastructure mode
peer to peer mode

the most easy way to work with this thing is
open up your router software and disable all securety
so put it in OPEN mode

power up the EKI
it will autoconnect to the router/accesspoint

install the advantech software on your pc
this will find the EKI
Go to the ethernet adress tab and give the EKI a permanent address what is free and in range
go to the port tab and insert a port number (1)
then create a virtual com port with a portnumber (like com 20)
put the speed on 19.200 baud

now you can startup the aurora communicator
set it up using com 20
and find your inverter


the Eki works now in your home infrastructure
the distance depends on the wireless router to Eki
but wih a wifi repeater it easy to extend the range

you can monitor the aurora now with any pc in your network that has a port setup and communicator software

to access from a remote location
in your router route the eki port to the ethernet adress from the eki
portnumber 5201 5202 5203
route these ports to the eki ethernetaddress
so when somebody from the outsite calls for port 5201 then your routing table will steer this call to the EKI

install the advantech software on the remotesite pc
and communicator software
create a virtual com port with the eki advantech software
BUT THIS TIME USE THE ETHERNET ADDRESS OF YOUR HOME ROUTER
offcourse the outsite adress to the internet not the insite range
to find out what your outsiteadddress is just google on WHOAMI


good luck

Cor

[Shaun Burgess]

thanks cor . am still spinning the figures in my head..

[Cor van Houtum]

when you visit me I show you how to configure the Eki

its not so difficult when you have seen it work