Clean Energy Scrapbook
This page is a scrap book for my ongoing clean energy projects. It’s not meant be tidy or well formatted. So don’t bite.
My first project here will be based around this motor:
http://www.youtube.com/wat
http://www.youtube.com/wat
http://www.youtube.com/wat
I’ve recently acquired a fisher and paykel smartdrive 503 washing machine for $50 of ebay.
Some other good link from a company who makes generators based on the reconditioned units can be found here:
http://www.ecoinnovation.co.nz/links.php?code=8
http://www.thebackshed.com/windmill/assembly2.asp
http://www.watchtv.net/~rburmeister/smart.html
At the moment I’m trying to figure out how the motor of the Smartdrive washing machine is designed. It is a brushless alternator with permanent magnets in the rotor. Technically I will be making a ‘synchronous permanent magnet generator’. Wikipedia provides a good overview of alternators.
Wish list for project
- Maximum Power Point Tracker
- Variable speed system optimised for Brisbane, Australia climatic conditions.
- Optimize motor windings for maximum power and minimise cogging (results in lower start speeds)
Resources
- Australian Bureau of Meteorology – Awesome collection of climate data for Australia that I will use to modify the design to obtain maximum power possible for the region where the prototype with be deployed.
There are lots of resources out there including countless papers in IEEE. While the basic concepts are simple, optimising the whole design will be a bit complicated. Blade angles, and sizes for RPM to match alternator optimum etc. I’ll keep you posted. Should get back to my study now.
More soon…
27/02/08
Well I’ve been reading lots of papers on synchronous permanent magnet machines, and the supporting systems to assemble a grid interface, optional battery, low wind speed, system. The low wind speed means the device will have to have a low cut in wind speed, thus low cogging. I just stumbled upon this article which talks about creating a 7 phase rectifier to reduce torque.
http://www.thebackshed.com/Windmill/articles/coglessFP.asp
Overview: The electronics will consist of the following three major subsystems
- regulation
- dc link
- inverter
Specifications & Notes: Some initial specifications I have drafted for the project are:
Cut in speed: below 2.7m/s
Rated Wind Speed: 12 m/s??
Shutdown Wind Speed: 25 m/s??
Shutdown method: Furling (noisy)/Blade Stalling (noisy)/DC Duty Cycle regulation
Rated power: ??
Variable speed synchronous wind generator
Maximum Power Tracking: MPPT/Lookup table??
optimal blade design/profile ??
low audible noise: below ?? dB
grid connectable inverter:
Bridge -> DC Chopper (Buck | Boost | buck-boost) (Generator control) -> VSI (supply side control)
- strong/weak/standalone integration
- Grid Side & Domestic Circuit Isolation
- Detect when grid is down and supply only Domestic Circuits with seamless transition.
- When grid comes online synchronizes with it.
Preferred Rated DC Link voltage: 48v
optional 48v battery bank
Posted on October 24th, 2007 :: Filed under
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