Electrical Installation
Please refer to the
generic wiring diagram (page 15)
for a battery charging
renewable energy systems, as there may be different ways of wiring small wind turbines, photovoltaic
panels, charge controllers and batteries together. This type of system will often expand ‘organically’, but
the following guidelines should be adhered to:
•
Follow the appropriate electrical code -
The electrical wiring of your Chinook 200 turbine and
associated electrical systems must be done in accordance with national and local electrical codes
and regulations.
•
Do not connect the turbine or batteries during the installation -
Ensure that the turbine is not
running or connected to the batteries during the installation or wiring process. Connect the output
wires of the turbine together to prevent the rotor from starting up.
•
Galvanic corrosion of electrical joints -
Try to avoid connections between dissimilar metals.
For example, connecting copper and aluminium together will result in galvanic corrosion of the
connection. This will increase the electrical resistance of the connection (wasting energy), and
reduce the mechanical integrity of the joint. Where possible, use a fluxed solder to make electrical
joints.
•
Protect the cables -
The power transmission wires must be protected from mechanical damage
and fatigue. Run the wires through an approved conduit.
•
Cable strain relief -
Prevent mechanical strain on the transmission wires running down the tower
from the turbine. Clip the wires to the inside of the tower. Failure to do this will result in excessive
mechanical strain on the wire joints within the slip-ring assembly and may cause a failure. Wire
ties or cable glands are a good way to prevent mechanical strain on the cables.
•
‘Negative Earth’ System -
The
Chinook 200
turbine is based upon a ‘negative earth’ system.
This means that the negative output wire and the turbine chassis is ‘grounded’ at 0 volts. The
negative terminal of the battery bank should also be earthed. This provides protection against the
build up of static and lightning strikes. The tower should be earthed separately with its own
ground rod if there is a long transmission distance between the tower and batteries. An appropri-
ate surge arrestor should also be used to help prevent damage to the battery charging system
during a lightening strike. Ensure that the earth cables are of the same rating as the positive and
negative cables.
•
Wire Selection -
The wire size table shown on page 11 should be used to select the minimum
sized wire for a given transmission distance. Voltage drop in the wire will be improved if a larger
wire is used.
•
Fuses -
The turbine and charging circuit should be protected with a suitably rated ‘slow-blow’ DC
fuse or DC circuit breaker. Please refer to the table below for the correct rating. The fuse or
breaker should be positioned between the turbine and batteries (on the positive wire). If a stop
switch is used (recommended) the fuse should be positioned between the switch and the batter-
ies.
User Manual (Chinook 200) Rev D Final Page 13
