Variable Voltage Transformer for Wind Turbine Battery Charging?

[ual8658]

We are trying to build a wind turbine which will charge a battery. Since wind speed varies (which affects the generated current and voltage), we were going to integrate a transformer in. My question is does such a transfomer even exist where the input voltage varies while the output voltage is preset by us?

 

[berkeman]

We are trying to build a wind turbine which will charge a battery. Since wind speed varies (which affects the generated current and voltage), we were going to integrate a transformer in. My question is does such a transfomer even exist where the input voltage varies while the output voltage is preset by us?

There are two approaches to this. The first is to lock your wind turbine generator to the grid, when the wind speed is fast enough to get your output voltage high enough to tie your AC generator directly to the grid.

EDIT -- Oops sorry. I missed that you are charging a battery and not generating AC Mains voltages directly.

which will charge a battery.

The second approach is to generate a DC voltage with your wind turbine, and use an inverter to generate the AC Mains voltage that is tied to the grid.

 

[NascentOxygen]

a wind turbine which will charge a battery. Since wind speed varies

You don't really need the wind generator to deliver a steady voltage for battery charging. An integrated circuit chip can provide an efficient way to convert a varying DC to a fixed-level DC, for charging a battery.

I am confident there would exist a special-purpose chip for charging your cells. What chemistry cells are you planning to use?

 

[jim hardy]

My question is does such a transfomer even exist where the input voltage varies while the output voltage is preset by us?

the term you're after is buck-boost charge controller

http://maxwellsci.com/print/rjaset/v6-825-834.pdf
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.525.7743&rep=rep1&type=pdf

 

[ual8658]

the term you're after is buck-boost charge controller

http://maxwellsci.com/print/rjaset/v6-825-834.pdf
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.525.7743&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Thanks! We will definitely research these.

You don't really need the wind generator to deliver a steady voltage for battery charging. An integrated circuit chip can provide an efficient way to convert a varying DC to a fixed-level DC, for charging a battery.

I am confident there would exist a special-purpose chip for charging your cells. What chemistry cells are you planning to use?

We're unsure of the exact cells we are going to use right now but what is this integrated circuit chip? It seems like something we could definitely use. Are they commercially made or do we have to make them or program them ourselves?

 

[Henryk]

Have you consider using a car alternator to charge a battery? They do come with controllers that regulate the voltage and current output.

 

[ual8658]

Have you consider using a car alternator to charge a battery? They do come with controllers that regulate the voltage and current output.

We wanted to use something easy to use. Are car alternators fairly easy to set to one's needs?

 

[Henryk]

Well, it comes with a pulley for a V-belt to drive it, has a terminal for an electrical connection (the other terminal is its body).
If your windmill produces enough power and RPMs (these could be adjusted by the pulley ratio) it should be easy to hook it up.