12v turbine for 48v bank

[Shaun Howe]

I have a 12v 1600w turbine that I want to upgrade to a 48v bank. How would you recommend doing that? Thanks for any help in advance.

[Dave Lahar]

When we upgraded our system from 12 - 48V some years back we faced this. The best solution is probably to get a turbine rated at 48V. There are now charge controllers, like the MS Classic & Kid, that can buck (drop) a higher voltage input into a lower voltage battery bank. I'm not sure that they can go the other way - perhaps Rob may know, or know of one that does.

If it is a transitory stage, you might be able to do a 12V "tap" on your bank and then install a DC-DC equalizer to balance the bank. There's a manuf in Can. called Solar Converters that makes these devices. It's not ideal for the long-term health of the batteries but it does work.

Good luck.

[Shaun Howe]

Thank you for you're input, I actually had just found out a few days ago that I can change out the coil to a 48v coil so I'm thinking that the avenue I'm going to take. Thanks again.

[Rob Beckers]

Dave, Shaun, regarding the MidNite Classic charge controller (and all the other MPPT controllers I know): They're strictly "buck" converters. They can convert from higher to lower Voltage but not the other way around.

New coils would be the best solution by far.

There are also circuits for doubling and quadrupling the Voltage. I don't know anyone that makes them commercially, but that would be another avenue (much more experimental and uncertain that it'll work).

-RoB-

[Shaun Howe]

So I undergraded my PMA from 12v to 48v but I can't help but notice it's having a really hard time spinning while under a load when it didn't used to; thus making it hard to generate any useful power. Is this normal? Is there a way to help this?