# Small Wind Turbine-- Worse Than I Thought



## doc- (Jun 26, 2015)

I got one of those 1200W/12V lantern style wind turbines, needing to generate 1.5kW/d for my furnace.

Even knowing that power generation falls off by the cube of the wind speed, I figured I'd only need 4-6 hrs a day of wind >12mph to meet the goal, BUT-- Big Problem--

While Watts produced falls off with lower wind speed, so does the voltage, I now realize, having the thing in operation. It's "rated" to give 1200W/12V @ wind speed 27mph. At wind, say 20mph, it's only pushing the juice along at ~6V-- not enough to charge a 12V battery.

I figured the charge controller was a capacitor type set-up, able to maintain a 12V flow to the battery. apparently not. so, unless you got a steady 27mph+ wind, you got nuthin.

Fools learn from their mistakes. Wisemen learn from the mistakes of fools.


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

Should be able to solve that with a DC step-up converter, or several to cover the max. amps you need, for not a lot of money.


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## NRA_guy (Jun 9, 2015)

My favorite saying:


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## NRA_guy (Jun 9, 2015)

If he steps up the voltage, the current goes down---right?


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

NRA_guy said:


> If he steps up the voltage, the current goes down---right?


Right. Volts x Amps = Watts. Watts will stay the same for a given wind condition, so if Volts goes up, Amps goes down.


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## doc- (Jun 26, 2015)

backwoodsman7 said:


> Should be able to solve that with a DC step-up converter, or several to cover the max. amps you need, for not a lot of money.


Sounds good, but the searching I find things like this https://www.amazon.com/HiLetgo-DC-D...dp/B071WW6Y4T/ref=psdc_10967761_t3_B06XTBR15W
Adjustable to boost as low as 3.5V up to as much as 35V, but max of 6A.... 6A x 12V = 72W.....This turbine is capable of 1200W @12V, ie- 100A....??? Is this gunna be a problem?


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

doc- said:


> Sounds good, but the searching I find things like this https://www.amazon.com/HiLetgo-DC-D...dp/B071WW6Y4T/ref=psdc_10967761_t3_B06XTBR15W
> Adjustable to boost as low as 3.5V up to as much as 35V, but max of 6A.... 6A x 12V = 72W.....This turbine is capable of 1200W @12V, ie- 100A....??? Is this gunna be a problem?


Yes, which is why you'd have to use multiples in parallel. But you'd need 17 of those; I was thinking more along the lines of 2 50a, or 3 30a-40a, if a 100a isn't cost-effective. I don't have anything specific to point you toward, but they're available.

Or, better yet, get a charge controller that can go down to whatever the turbine puts out. With just a few minutes' looking, I'm seeing wind charge controllers that go to 8v. What does the turbine manufacturer recommend? Surely they have something that can make their turbine work well.


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