Shore power VS Wind generator

Ross · Dec 9, 2010

You probably should have a switch in the circuit to make it an either or but never both.

JohnShannon · Dec 9, 2010

Each power source should have its own charging algorithm. Highest wins.

So if the AC charger is in float mode, but the wind gen decides to charge with 2A then that is what going to happen.

So in bulk charge charge current is going to be the sum of the two output currents. Float voltage will be the highest of the two.

RichH · Dec 9, 2010

In float mode, If you have a controller on the wind gen. input, the controller will automatically shunt the excess charging (based on the actual battery bank voltage) from the wind gen.- battery circuit to either a resistor bank (heat) or if you have one, the 12vdc heater element in your hot water heater. In bulk mode, you get a higher (amperage) rate of charge.

Rich Stidger · Dec 9, 2010

I have an Air-X 400W wind generator. It has an internal regulator that senses the battery voltage and begins charging if the voltage drops below 12.6V and stops charging when the voltage rises to about 13.6V. If the alternator or battery charger is operational, the charging voltage on the batteries is much higher than 12.6V so the wind generator "thinks" that the batteries are fully charged and will not contribute to the charging.

If I have a battery load and the alternator or charger goes offline, the wind generator will begin charging the batteries as soon as the house voltage drops to 12.6V.

There is no conflict in the system.

Bill Roosa · Dec 9, 2010

You should not do that

If the controlers from each charging source are figuring out that the batteries are at different states of charge you are going to have problems.
controlers typically shut down the charging device every so often to monitor the "resting voltage". Yea, I know, it is not really a resting voltage but that is what I'm going to call it. It then determines which phase it should be in.
If the WG checks the voltage while the SP is charging it is going to see an artifically high voltage and turn the WG off or put it on trickel charge and vica verca.
worse since the WG controler is now dumping current to the water heater what do you think is happening to the SP charging current? Depending on how they are wired you may be heating your water with your battery charger or backfeeding the WG
What you really need is one controler for solar and wind, one for the alternator and the battery charger has its own. You should not operate them together or you will get odd results. Typically you do not need any other charging source when on SP. Also, you can't bulk or absorption charge a battery with solar or wind so you are kidding yourself if you think the WG/solar panels are going to contribute much of anything when the SP is on.

Rich Stidger · Dec 9, 2010

I guess there are some wind generator controllers that dump excess power into an alternate load (like the water heater) but my AirX simply shuts down the generator internally and produces no power. This internal shutdown is the same shutdown mechanism that occurs when the WG is subjected to extremely high winds.

Bryce22345 · Dec 9, 2010

my amp air 100 works the same as Rich's wind charger does. if connected to shore power or running my genset, the amp air controller shuts off the charging to the batteries.

Stu Jackson · Dec 9, 2010

It all depends on how it's wired. And what equipment you have.

Some people have been known to run their engines at the dock while still connected to shorepower. Some of them even ask why their tachometers aren't working!

Multiple sources to bank, depending on how they're controlled, may not make any difference, pending the discussions made above about how the controllers work.

F'rinstance, our small solar charger is always connected, regardless of alternator use or shorepower availability. Granted it doesn't have a controller, but the battery acceptance often governs how much they take, too.

Ed A · Dec 9, 2010

The must be a book about it, Oh yeah, the big bang hook up!

dont to that!