AIR 40, AIR Breeze, AIR 30, AIR X MARINE and AIR SILENT-X are trademarks of Primus Wind Power 2013 Primus Wind Power Inc.
AIR Owner’s Manual
3-CMLT-2020-A
32
ADJUSTING REGULATION VOLTAGE
The voltage regulation set point is adjustable using the potentiometer on the
side of the AIR turbine body.
To accurately set the regulation voltage, disconnect the turbine from the
batteries and use an adjustable voltage source (i.e. power supply) and or multi
-meter to apply the desired voltage across the positive and negative turbine
leads. With the target voltage applied, turn the potentiometer fully clockwise,
then slowly turn it counter-clockwise until the LED just illuminates. The regu-
lation set point is now fixed to the voltage applied across the turbine leads.
A second method is to turn the potentiometer fully clockwise. Then monitor
battery voltage while charging and when the desired battery threshold level is
reached, disconnect all current sources (other than the wind turbine) and
loads. This may take a few attempts so that the desired voltage equals the
resting battery voltage. Slowly turn the potentiometer counter clockwise un-
til the LED begins blinking.
Alternatively, the regulation set point voltage may be adjusted using a trial
and error method. Use the accompanying chart as a guide to increase or de-
crease the voltage regulation set point. Monitor the battery voltage over a
period of time and make small adjustments until the regulation set point volt-
age is at the desired level.
* Adjustment ranges are approximate; actual ranges may be greater.
** Turn clockwise to increase voltage, counter-clockwise to decrease voltage.
USING AN ALTERNATE CHARGE CONTROLLER
There are some conditions under which the AIR wind turbine’s internal regu-
lator is not optimal as the primary regulator and instead an external diver-
sion load controller can be substituted. These conditions include:
• Systems where battery temperature varies widely: Battery charge effi-
ciency varies in extreme temperatures. If these conditions exist, use an
external regulator with a temperature compensation sensor to optimize
the charge rate.
•
Batteries that are extremely sensitive to charge voltage: Follow the rec-
ommendations of the battery manufacturer. For most batteries the tur-
bine’s internal voltage regulator is adequate. However, the most con-
servative approach is the use of a diversion load controller due to 3 stage
charging.
•
Multiple turbine installations with a bus system will typically function
best using a single voltage regulator (i.e. diversion load controller) close
to the battery bank. This is particularly true if the wire lengths connecting
each turbine to the bus vary by distance or wire gauge. Without a diver-
sion load controller, multiple turbines may shift into battery regulation at
slightly different times due to line loss differences, etc.
CAUTION:
I
ncreasing the voltage regulation set point above the ini-
tial factory setting will NOT increase the power output of the AIR wind
turbine. This adjustment changes the voltage at which the turbine
stops charging the batteries. By set-ting the voltage too high you may
increase the probability of overcharging and damaging the batteries.
System
Voltage
Factory
Set
Point
Voltage Regulation
Set-Point
Adjustment Range*
Voltage Change
due to 1/8 Turn of
Potentiometer**
12 Volt
14.1 Volts
13 – 17 Volts
0.5 Volts
24 Volt
28.2 Volts
26 – 34 Volts
1.0 Volts
48 Volt
56.4 Volts
52 – 68 Volts
2.2 Volts
