400 watt wind generator

[Johnny Holt]

Just installed a 400 watt wind turbine. Not sure what to expect from it in terms of amps into my batteries. I test volts with a multimeter with about a 20mph wind and am getting juice but it seems like a petty, hardly useful amount. The highest amout in amps displayed by the controller is 00.7 amps and the wind was blowing like mad to get that.
Is this just the nature of the beast? Have checked everything and find nothing wrong. Am I just expecting too much from such a small generator?
John

[Rob Beckers]

Hi John,

It would depend on the wind turbine: Some are total junk that uses automotive-style alternators that will never output anything at a reasonable wind speed, some work better. What do you have?

-RoB-

[Johnny Holt]

I have an HST-400S.
400W
12/24V
Permanent magnet synchronous generator with three-phase alternating current.

I'm thinking, if the wind would just keep a steady 80mph, I might just get a enough juice run a LED light bulb. :cool:

John

[Rob Beckers]

Well, a nice lot at the cliff's edge on a north-Atlantic island should take care of consistently getting you those wind speeds! :nuts:

https://i2-prod.irishmirror.ie/incoming/article6269370.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/I150817_163100_1838634oTextTRMRMMGLPICT00007021518 3o.jpg

I can't really find anything when I Google "HST-400S". So unfortunately no idea what it is or what the specs are.

Now, 20 mph is a bit lower than what's usually listed as "rated wind speed" for turbines. The norm would be 11 m/s, or 25 mph (if there is such a thing, some rate their turbines at hurricane speeds so nothing comes out at normal wind speeds). Also note that this assumes nice smooth air flow through the rotor. Having gusts of that magnitude from all directions near the ground is not going to help much.

At 20 mph, and if rated would be 25 mph, you could reasonably expect around 1/2 of the rated power output, or in your case 200W if rated is 400W at 11 m/s. Sounds like it's not getting anywhere close to that though...

-RoB-

[Johnny Holt]

The manual has Rated Wind Speed at 13 m/s. That's 29 mph. So I guess it's doing what it's suppose to and I'm just expecting too much from THIS one huh.? That's ok. I learn.
Need to match my generator a bit closer to the area and the wind we get and the flow I want.
I'll just leave it for a while. Little is that much better than non.:rolleyes:
John