This statement is taken from a wind energy site (http://www.reuk.co.uk/Wind-Turbine-Water-Heating.htm):
Direct Wind Turbine Water Heating
“It is not usually possible to connect a 12 Volt water heating element directly to the output from a wind turbine. The voltages generated by a 12 Volt wind turbine are typically far in excess of their nominal 12 Volt rating – values of over 50 Volts can often be recorded in heavy winds which would rapidly burn out the heating element…”
Some figures:
Wind alternator rating: 12 volts, 200 amps @ 6,500 rpm
Heating element rating: 5,000-6,500 watts (Incoloy material)
As the figures above show, the power output of the wind turbine is well within the operating parameters of the heating element. Since the heating element can withstand the power output of the alternator (assuming it runs at a constant 6,500 rpm), in practice, will it be OK to do so? If more than two heating elements are used, will that translate to better safety and reliability?
Tnx!
2 Responses
The problem is solvable.
1. voltage regulators are ‘off the shelf` hardware.
2. You could simply add heaters in series as the voltage rises.
You would also have to control the flow of water.
Could you use the same idea as those cheap coffee/tea cup boilers? They just put the wires into the water so that the current between them would heat the water. With a little care on insulating the heated water from the user (like dropping it down into a second isolated vessel) you would be free from worries about heating elements.