-
-
-
-
| |
SEEN Editorial
Home Grown Wind Power *
Spring 2006, by Drs. Robert and Sonia Vogl
Last night at dusk (June 16, 2005) our newly
installed one kilowatt Bergey wind generator sat waiting for a seven mph wind to turn the
rotor to generate electricity. A morning breeze produced five amps of power. As wind
speeds pick up more power is produced.
Installing the system was like an old fashioned barn raising as ten people, including
Frank Schier, were involved in the process. Dave Merrill of Byron, who installs both wind
and solar electric systems, directed the project.
The system is known as the BWCXL.1-24. The one kilowatt 24 volt current system is designed
to charge batteries and supply electric loads as
D.C. power which must be converted to A.C. to match the power provided by Commonwealth
Edison.
The electrical generating turbine weighs 75 pounds and has three fiberglass blades that
sweep an 8.2’ diameter. It is mounted on a 64 foot collapsable tower. Steel cables
attached to the tower at twenty foot intervals connected to ground mounts hold the tower
in place.
The turbine is free to pivot around the top of the tower so the rotor will always face
into the wind. A tail boom and fin keep the unit facing the wind up to speeds of 28 mph.
Above that speed the rotor turns away from the wind to prevent it from turning too fast
and being damaged. Most of the production occurs at wind speeds between 12 and 20 miles
per hour.
The electricity generated by the rotor is carried down the hollow center of the tube and
underground to a controller. The controller limits the amount of voltage sent to the
battery pack to prevent overcharging and damaging it. The D.C. electricity is sent to the
inverter which converts it to A.C. to match the power supplied by the grid. Excess
electricity is sent back to ComEd which buys it for roughly the same price as they charge
us. With our 3.2 kW solar system and our 1 kW wind system, we should be close to meeting
most of our electrical needs with renewable energy.
With the new system we will be able to provide both solar electric and small wind system
workshops for citizens interested in sustainable, renewable energy. It is the new global
energy paradigm.
* This article was
previously published in The Rock River Times
newspaper.
|