Making a wind turbine, how to stop it overcharging battery?

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the construction of a wind turbine designed to trickle charge a 12v lead-acid battery, specifically addressing concerns about preventing overcharging when the battery reaches full capacity. Participants explore various methods and components, including the use of a Zener diode and charge controllers, while considering the electrical characteristics of the system.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes their plan to create a wind turbine using a 24v motor and bicycle wheel blades to charge a 12v lead-acid battery.
  • The same participant questions how to prevent overcharging the battery when it reaches full capacity, suggesting the use of a Zener diode to redirect voltage back to the motor.
  • Concerns are raised about whether the Zener diode would trip with voltage from the wind turbine and the implications of sending voltage back to the motor, including potential braking effects and energy loss as heat.
  • Another participant notes that a charge current of 2 amps or less is considered safe for trickle charging lead-acid batteries, implying that overcharging may not be a significant concern.
  • A third participant confirms the battery type and suggests that the charging setup is unlikely to exceed 2 amps due to its small size.
  • A later reply recommends purchasing a charge controller for added safety, providing a link to a specific product as a low-cost option.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the necessity of additional components like a Zener diode or charge controller, indicating that multiple competing approaches to managing battery charging exist. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best method to prevent overcharging.

Contextual Notes

Participants have not fully explored the implications of the Zener diode's operation or the specific electrical characteristics of the wind turbine setup, leaving some assumptions unaddressed.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in DIY renewable energy projects, particularly those focused on wind energy and battery management for small-scale applications.

beany_bot
Messages
10
Reaction score
0
Hi, I plan to make a simple 12v-battery trickle charger wind turbine that I will put on the roof of my garage and connect to my jetski to keep it topped off during winter when my solar panel is performing poorly.

I have a 24v Motor I will use and will use a bicylce wheel for the "blades". I was wondering, on the off chance that my battery gets to 100% capacity. How do I stop the charging?
I thought about putting a Zener Diode in the circuit so that it would sent the voltage back to the motor but this raised two questions.

The fan may be making anywhere up to 20v I estimate (depending on wind) but very low amps. Not a problem for the battery but this would surely trip the Zener diode by itself? OR will the zener only detect/trip with voltage coming back the otherway? i.e. voltage from the battery.

Also what will happen if the voltage is sent back to the motor? Will it just try and turn it in the opposite direction? effectively "braking" the motor? Will that energy just be lost as heat?

Sorry for the perhaps silly questions but I have very little knowledge about these things. Just thinking on the fly here.

P.S. I do use the JetSki in winter.
 
Engineering news on Phys.org
A charge current of 2 amps or less is considered a trickle charge. You can leave it on forever without overcharging your lead acid battery. It is lead acid, Correct?
 
Yes, lead acid. I would be surprised if the setup would make more than 2 amps. Its quite a small battery though. 18Ah
 
If you want total safety, buy a cheap charge controller. Here is MPPT controller for $2.32 plus shipping. Real cheap :woot:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CX6WVFU/?tag=pfamazon01-20
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Similar threads

Can I store electricity from a wind turbine directly into a battery?
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
7K
Choosing a wind turbine generator
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
4K
What generator/DC motor do I need for my wind turbine
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
8K
System design for charging battery from turbine alternator
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
3K
Connecting mini wind turbine to charge phone
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Wind turbine to charge 12V batteries
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
5K
Wind Turbine and Power Generation
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
Variable Voltage Transformer for Wind Turbine Battery Charging?
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
How to store electrical energy?
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
Series motors, switched to parallel
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
2K