I am constructing a wind turbine of an atypical design. Apparently, most 1 kw - 10 kw generator/alternators used in such applications are 32 - 48 volts.
If the distance that the power had to be carried is 1/4 -
1/2 mile, what would be the best way to proceed?or
Most alternators can easily be modified to bring out the three phase output, conecting that to a three phase transformer allows you to step it up to a voltage that's more appropriate for the length of transmission. TTYL
| I am constructing a wind turbine of an atypical design. | Apparently, most 1 kw - 10 kw generator/alternators | used in such applications are 32 - 48 volts. | | If the distance that the power had to be carried is 1/4 - | 1/2 mile, what would be the best way to proceed?
Step up the voltage with a transformer or two. There are buck-boost transformers that have isolated secondaries (that in B-B applications are connected in autotransformer configuration) for 32 and 48 volts. There are 240/120-32/16 versions and 480/240-48/24 versions. What way to set it up depends on the actual voltage you get and the highest voltage you can (or are qualified to) handle on the feed. I have no experience above 600 volts, and I'm guessing you don't, either. So I would stay away from anything higher unless you get an engineer to design it and a qualified contractor to install it.
If your voltage is 32, use a pair of 240/120-32/16. Use the 32 volt side as primary (wire the transformers for 32 volts and run the 2 transformers in parallel, or wire them for 16 volts and the them in series for 32). Use the 240 volt side and wire them in series for
480 volts. Transport power at that voltage. At the remote end, transformer back to desired voltage.If your voltage is 48, you can use one 480/240-48/24 transformer to get 480 volts directly.
Square D has buck boost transformers in these configurations up to
3 kVA. Cutler-Hammer has them to 7.5 kVA. Acme has them to 10 kVA. There are probably many cheap ones on the surplus, used, and auction markets.Series them but do not run transformers in parrellel . That is looking for trouble if one of them is even one turn off.
YOu can parrellel the primaries of course, but do not try to do that with the secondaries.
If you step the volt up to much by seriesing secondaries, be sure the insullation can handle the added voltage.
Most electric utilities in the US would be surprised to hear that. They often run transformers in parallel (primary and secondary).
Charles Perry P.E.
I saw that a few days ago. I saw a whole sty of huge pole pigs on 4 poles, closely spaced together. Had to take a look. On the first pole were 3 that fed an industrial building, standard 3 phase feed. Each of the other poles had two huge pigs, wired in parallel as distribution voltage stepdown, each pole and its two pigs served one phase. Got me wondering how close in tolerance they'd have to be to do that. Same with delta secondary configurations.
You must match phase sequence, polarity, vectory group and impedance if you expect two parallel transformers to share load. "Network" transformers are often configured with several units all feeding into the low-voltage system for a city block - when the utility wants more kVA, it just connects another network transformer.
True, for transformers small enough to lift, a one-turn difference would probably bring the load sharing into jeopardy.
The numbers are important - what works at the VA size may not work at MVA size, and vice versa.
Bill
| Series them but do not run transformers in parrellel . | That is looking for trouble if one of them is even one turn off. | | YOu can parrellel the primaries of course, but do not try to do that with | the secondaries.
In the parallel example I gave, it was the primary side being wired in parallel at 32 volts. It's primary in this usage. The secondary at 240 volts would be
| If you step the volt up to much by seriesing secondaries, be sure the | insullation can handle the added voltage.
My understanding is all transformers in the 100 to 600 volt range have insulation rating for 600 to 1000 volts. This should be checked with the manufacturer to be sure. Just don't try to go over 600 volts doing things this way.
I think that less expensive solution (but with same power efficiency) is to use just one step-up transformer (120/240) next to the generator, and thicker wire (thick enough to reduce power loss to a level of higher voltage
recommend a higher voltage, 120 or more. this reduces the power loss in the wiring. or, conversely, you can use smaller wire. good luck, sammm
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