On Just Imagine we mounted an Air X Marine wind generator on a custom made bracket on the mizzen mast. We bought the generator from West Marine for about $800.
Wind generators are great, but require a lot of wind to drive them. In 10 knots of wind you get less than 1 amp, at 15 knots : 4 amps, at 20 knots: 10 amps. They really start to come into their own at 25 knots when you get about 20 amps. The generator cuts off before it gets to 35 amps in 30 knots of breeze and it automatically slows down the propeller blades to avoid damage.
Unfortunately, most often you are anchored in more sheltered waters and do not get much output from the wind generator. But it works great when it does blow.
This is the drawing that I gave to the welder.
I gave the welder a pencil sketch of the shape of the mizzen mast. I just bent a small strip of aluminum around the mast to get a template for the shape. Before he welded the mast brackets we test fitted them on the mizzen.
Once completed, the whole structure was powder coated white. In 2005, the whole thing cost me $328.60 from Suntower Marine Fabricators in Fort Lauderdale (954) 764-0751
215 SW 28th St
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315
The small hatch was intended to make the connections, but, because the thick wires were so stiff, I ended up using this hole with a piece of string to pull the stiff wires down the pipe after the connections were made outside the pipe at the top.
The string then tucks inside the hole, ready for when you need to remove the generator again for service. This worked out well, and I would recommend including this hatch.
The brackets attached to the mast with twelve 1/4" countersunk bolts threaded into the mast, with lots of silicone sealer forming a gasket.
See the
wiring diagram here.
Howard and Jayne [ Just Imagine ] 22-Jan-2008
Service and Support (Technical)
Southwest Wind Power provides excellent service and support.
When my unit failed, I called on the telephone from Greece, and they talked me through some tests. When we determined that the regulator board had indeed failed, they sent me a replacement part, all the way from Arizona to Europe, at no cost. Excellent!
The phone number in Flagstaff Arizona is +1 928 779 9463.
Replacing the regulator board took quite a bit of skill and dexterity, even for an experienced technician like myself, but if you are careful, and follow the instructions, most anyone could do it.
Howard [ Just Imagine ] 22-Jan-2008
Mizzen Bracket (Technical)
This is the drawing that I gave to the welder.
I gave the welder a pencil sketch of the shape of the mizzen mast. Before he welded the mast brackets we test fitted them on the mizzen.
Once completed, the whole structure was powder coated white. In 2005, the whole thing cost me $328.60 from Suntower Marine Fabricators in Fort Lauderdale (954) 764-0751
215 SW 28th St
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315
The small hatch was intended to make the connections, but, because the thick wires were so stiff, I ended up using this hole with a piece of string to pull the stiff wires down the pipe after the connections were made outside the pipe at the top.
The string then tucks inside the hole, ready for when you need to remove the generator again for service. This worked out well, and I would recommend including this hatch.
The brackets attached to the mast with 12 x 1/4" countersunk bolts threaded into the mast, with lots of silicone sealer forming a gasket.
Howard and Jayne [ Just Imagine ] 22-Jan-2008
Wind Gen Wiring (Technical)
I mounted the wind generator at the spreaders, rather than the mast head for several reasons. To keep the unit at a more easily serviceable location, to keep the weight of the unit lower down, to reduce the length of the cable run in the mast and therefore the required size of the cables(The longer the cable run the thicker and heavier the cable requirements).
This position worked well when I needed to service the unit last year. I could stand on the spreaders while working on the generator. It would have been a nightmare at the mast head. The generator is quite heavy and unwieldy, and at the masthead I would not have been able to use a halyard to secure it or to lower it.
You cannot skimp on the cable sizes. I ran some heavier, #4 (20 mm
2)wires from the batteries to the mast base and then #6 (13mm
2) wires up the mast to the turbine.
At my main distribution panel I included 30 Amp breaker, which fed the turbine onto the main 1/0 AWG (50mm
2) battery bus. This eliminated the need for a fuse, and allowed me to totally isolate the wind generators from the batteries, if needed.
Nearer to the mast, I mounted a 30 Amp meter and the stop switch. The stop switch removes the connection from the battery and shorts the black and red coming from the turbine. This acts as a brake which slows down the turbine when not in use. This reduces noise, and wear and tear.
Howard [ Just Imagine ] 22-Jan-2008