1.What area for wind turbine application in?
Generate electricity by means of wind power and charge storage battery via controller, then, with the help of
inverter, supply electric energy stored for illumination lamp, household appliance, communication equipment and
electric tools with AC and DC multi-system power supply.
2.Is my site windy enough?
Wind speed varies with time, from nothing on calm days to occasional violent gusts. If the wind speed at a site is
recorded over a year, it will be seen to vary about a mean wind speed value. This is the annual mean wind speed
(AMWS) and is an indication of how much wind energy is available. In Europe, the AMWS could be as low as 4
m/s (9.0 mph) for an inland site to around 8 m/s (13 mph) or higher on the most exposed sites.
In general, you need an AMWS of at least 5 m/s to be able to generate a reasonable amount of energy, and ideally
more than 5.5 m/s. The SENWEI turbine works well at low wind speeds, but because the energy available in the
wind is a function of the cube of its speed, there is very little energy available to be harvested at wind speeds less
than 4 m/s.
Seasonal Variations
Another thing to bear in mind is that there is normally more wind in the winter months than the summer ones. A
wind turbine is therefore a very good match for heating and lighting requirements which are of course needed
more in winter, but maybe not so well matched to air conditioning needs.
Wind Direction
In order for the turbine to be effective, it must have access to a good wind resource. This is one of the most
difficult things to asses but in general the further away from buildings and trees, the better the average wind speed
will be. This is especially true for any obstacles which are in the direction of the prevailing wind.
Hills and Valleys
An important consideration is that of valleys and hills. Wind speeds up as it nears the top of a slope and slows
down considerably on the other side of hill as it descends into the valley. The exact impact of this effect is very
dependant upon the exact local conditions but the diagram to the right gives a good indication of the impact of this.
This can have a dramatic effect on the energy that the wind turbine will generate.
Urban Environments
SENWEI does not generally recommend a small wind generator in an urban environment as the AMWS in a town
or city is likely to be substantially lower than in a rural environment and this will significantly reduce the annual
energy output. This is due to the cumulative impact of the buildings that may surround the wind generator causing
increased drag on the available wind and possibly severe turbulence.
Wind Speed Measurement
One thing you can do is actually measure your wind speed with an anemometer, which simply measures the wind
speed. When this is connected however to a data logger, you can collect and analyse your average wind speed over
a period of time. You would need to measure the wind speed for a period of at least 3 years to get a truly accurate
average, as the wind speed not only varies during a year, but you can get “windy” and “calm” years, which can
make a significant difference. You can however measure for a much shorter period and correlate your reading with
a local weather station.
3.What about the Structure and main technical performance?
Composed of wind wheel, generator, tail vane, bracket, cable, charge controller, inverter and storage battery.
4.How much space do I need?
This depends upon what size of turbine is installed. For a typical model SW-1500 wind turbine. It is mounted on a
7 meter tilt-up tower. The concrete base is approximately 0.8M x 0.8M x 2M deep. It needs to be in an exposed
area with minimum of interruptions from buildings or trees from the prevailing wind direction. It should be
mounted at least 20 Meters from nearby buildings or trees. In general a 400mm2 site should be a minimum,
depending on shape and orientation to the building. A power cable from the turbine needs to be connected to the
battery set or to the mains supply. There is also some electrical equipment which needs to be installed in side your
house near to the incoming electrical supply.
5.What is the best tower for me?
Tower Height
Our standard towers are 9, 12 and 15m metres high. In general, the higher the tower, the higher the average wind
speed that the turbine will experience, and it is normally the case that a taller tower will generate sufficient extra
energy to justify it's additional cost, especially if there are local obstacles to be avoided.
Compared to a 12m tower, a 15m tower may increase the annual energy by 15% and a 9m tower may reduce it by
15%. If however there are local obstructions, then the impact of changes in the tower height could be larger.
For sites where there are obstructions near the turbine, a tall tower may be needed to get the turbine above the
turbulence created by nearby trees or
buildings, as illustrated by the diagram to
the left.
The taller the tower, the more the cost of the
tower, the foundations and the installation,
so you should not simply ask for the tallest
tower that is available, but if the turbine is
to be located near (< 200m) to surrounding obstacles, then a taller tower may be the best option.
Other factors, such as planning, may dictate the maximum height of tower you are able to install and some areas of
the world.
Tower Type
Depending upon the type of the turbine, Iskra can offer either a free-standing tower, or a guyed tower.
Guyed towers will tend to be used in rural locations, and have four guy wires going from the middle of
the tower to concrete ground pads. They use slightly less steel than a free standing tower, but would not
be considered suitable where people would be around the turbine a lot, as you don't want to risk damage
to the guy wires.
A free-standing tower or "monopole" has no guy wires, but stands on a single concrete foundation with
no other supporting structure. In many cases the choice is really down to personal preference, as to
which one you prefer to look at.
6.Where does my electricity come from when there is no wind?
This system uses batteries to store excess energy when you are producing more than you are using, the capacity of
the batteries is determined by wind turbine size and your requirements
7.Can I mount my turbine on the roof of one of my buildings?
This is probably the most asked question of any, and the one to which there is the least agreement in the entire
worldwide small wind industry, as to the correct answer. Senwei does not currently supply a wind turbine that can
be mounted onto a roof and does not generally recommend a small wind generator in an urban environment.
Mike Bergey, head of the world’s largest small turbine manufacturer has been quoted as saying he:
“wishes people would stop asking us about mounting turbines on buildings”
Paul Gipe, one of America’s most respected small wind experts says;
“Mounting wind turbines--of any kind--on a building is a very bad idea. I've yet to see an application where this
has worked or will likely work.”
What is however clear, and accepted by (nearly) everyone is that, if you are going to mount a turbine on a roof
then you have to consider some issues, which are more prevalent than with a mast mounted rural one;
1. There will be increased turbulence and this will result in higher stresses on the turbine and lower energy
capture for any given wind speed.
2. There will be more people living and working near the turbine so increased margins of safety need to be
applied, and lower noise generated.
3. Extra measures may need to be taken to limit the transmission of vibrations into the structure of the
building.
4. The average wind speed in a town or city environment will be a lot less than in a similar rural location,
and this will significantly reduce the annual energy capture.
The diagrams on the right illustrate
some impacts of obstacles and
ground features on the wind
resource available to a wind turbine.
The ideal location for a wind turbine
is at the top of a gentle slope and the
worst location is just to the
downwind side of a large building.
In general, if you have a number of
obstacles, e.g. buildings or trees,
within 200m of the proposed turbine
location, then you should seriously
consider a taller tower, e.g. 15m
rather than 12m. The benefit that
you will get from a taller tower will
be greater, the more obstacles that
are around your proposed location.
Space is also needed to set out the
anchorage points for a guyed tower
and to lower the tower for
maintenance. The ground area
required depends on the type and height of the tower.
Noise Issues
The wind generator will also create a small amount of noise, so planning authorities will not let you site one too
close to your neighbours. The actual distance however will depend upon a number of factors, including the local
terrain, trees and the background noise in the area. As a guideline however, the SenWei turbine should be sited at
least 100m from your nearest neighbour and at least 50m from your own house. Planning authorities vary in their
requirements and it is therefore important that you talk to your local planning authorities about their own
interpretation of the rules.
In general you should aim to site the turbine where it will not impact your neighbours either visually or with noise.
This may however involve a compromise with the best location for energy generation and you may need to enter
into negotiations with your neighbours and planning authorities.
8.How is the electricity generated?
The principal is that if you pass soft iron through a magnetic field then this generates an electrical impulse and energy.
This happens 12 times for each time the blade rotates there by creating electricity. The amount produced is proportional
to the wind speed and speed of the turbine blades.
9.How noisy is the wind turbine?
The turbine has been designed to be very quiet indeed. The rotor design and in particular, the low rotor tip speed,
coupled with the direct drive system (no gearbox), all ensure quiet operation. As a general rule, the nearest
neighbouring residents to the wind turbine should be more than 100m away from the wind turbine base The sound
from the wind turbine is however gentle in tone, and it would be quite reasonable to locate the wind turbine less
than 75m from your home .
Noise level.
Noise level 65dB
Noise distribution
SW-1500 wind turbine with 7m tower
When wind speed is 8m/s, with a distance of 30m from the tower center, the noise is about 58~60dB; with a
distance of 60m is about 52~54dB.
When wind speed is 12m/s, with a distance of 30m from the tower center, the noise is about 68~70dB; with a
distance of 60m, the noise is about 62~64dB.
10.How to Installation?
1.Please install wind driven generator under the condition of no wind (The wind power less than grade 2).
2. Adjust the base at level, put the washer on the foot bolt, tighten the nut. Plug the upper part, middle part and
lower part of pole together, the pole leans over the "A" pit , the lower end and base are hinged with the?6 pin, and
put the washer on in, plug into split pin.
3. Tidy steel wire according to four directions, the end with ferrule passes by suspension loop, four ferrules
together with suspension loop covers it from top, then slip it to platform.
4. In order to connect reliably, please choose the end including unbuckles with O rings, screw the turnbuckle to
middle length, the band of turnbuckle one end shall be wrapped with steel rope, and the lapping length is not more
than 15cm, fix them with rope joint temporarily. Connect turnbuckles of A, B, C pits to respective earth anchor
chain with the shackles, then pull up the pole, connect the turnbuckles of C pit with earth anchor chain, keep the
pole vertical through adjusting the connection length of steel rope, there are two rope joints for lower terminal of
each rope, at last, please fix the cable joint, don't forget to tighten the screw.
5. Put the bracket with height 1m into A pit, unscrew the turnbuckles of B, D pits about 5cm, and unscrew the
turnbuckle of C pit and connecting shackle of earth anchor, lay down the pole lightly that is supported by bracket.
6. a. Lead the cable from bottom of pole into the pipe with diameter 2～3mm steel rope, the cable is pulled out to
the end exposing 20～50cm.Distinguished according to whether it has slip ring of electric transmission or not: a.
With slip ring of electric transmission: please connect 3-wire of cable exposed at the top of pole to the connecting
terminals leaded out by slip ring, then install the generator and solid of revolution at the top of pole, tighten 4-M10
bolt of bushing of vertical shaft.
b. Without slip ring of electric transmission: Insert the cable exposed at top of pole into the vertical shaft from
bushing end, lead out it from close cover hole, then install the generator and solid of revolution at the top of pole,
tighten 4-M10 bolt of bushing of vertical shaft. The end of cable leaded out is covered with insulated elbow and
conduit, then connect 3-wire to the connection terminal of leading wire of generator, fix them with tension disc, in
order to firm the wire joint, please coat the glue around of connecting screw.
8. Install the up and down positions of tail vane are installed on the solid of resolution according to diagram 5, add
a spring washer for threaded hole, tighten M10×25 screw.
9. Before being marketed, each wind wheel has been adjusted in the state of balance, in order to pack and transport,
the wind wheel shall be disassembled, when you assemble, please see the mark clearly, put the vane close to disc
of wheel boss, supply M10×80 bolt, washer and M10 bolt for it one by one, tighten the bolt lightly, measure the tip
( same opposite position) of adjacent vane with flexible rule, the size each is a, b, c, and the difference of them is
not more than 5mm, then tighten bolt, the screwing moment of bolt shall be 40―45Nm, at last, it is locked through
inserting the split pin.
10. Install the wind wheel on the motor shaft, put the flat washer and spring pad into one by one, then tighten
self-locking nut.
11. Fix the cowl on the hub of wind wheel with M6 screw, spring washer and flat washer.
12. Pull up pole, connect turnbuckle of C pit and earth anchor, adjust length of turnbuckles of four places, strain
the steel rope to make the pole be vertical.The best tension of steel rope that lateral force and little bouncing force
is given.
13. Overall check the rope joint, turnbuckle and part of each joint, when you make sure the connection is reliable,
please wrap and lock with galvanized iron wire, in addition, supply the anti-corrosion oil grease for screw rod of
turnbuckle, connecting pin and rope joint.
15. Connect the storage batteries to get a battery set, the binding posts are anode and cathode respectively, the
conductors with sectional area 6mm2 are supplied as connecting wire and leading wire of storage battery set, the
anode is marked
in red, and the cathode is marked in black ( or yellow, blue), all connecting place shall be firmed by wiring clip, in
order to get fine electric conductivity. You shall coat a layer of protective oil grease on the surface for preventing
binding post and wiring clip acid eroding, otherwise, the electric conductivity would be reduced.
16. Red (Anode) leading wire of storage battery set is connected to the anode of binding post of electrical box (or
inverter), and black (Cathode) leading wire is connected to the cathode of binding post of electrical box (or
inverter), the connecting place shall be firm and have fine electric conductivity.
18. Output 3 wires of wind driven generator are connected with 3 binding posts of electrical box respectively.
19. According to users' requirements, the electrical box has DC and AC output interfaces for your choosing. Please
switch on according to mark on the socket, while, you pay more attention to safety when the voltage higher than
DC60V and AC220V outputs.
The installation is to be regarded as permanent and consists of a tower with the turbine on top, the connecting wire
to your electricity supply and the electronic control which looks after the generated electric power. Over all it will
take approximately 2-3 weeks to fully install.
11.Will the turbine have an impact on TV and radio reception?
The SW wind turbine is unlikely to disrupt TV and radio signals as it is a refined design specifically meeting the
requirements of a small scale renewable energy source. The materials used to make the SW turbine are unlikely to
create electromagnetic interference (EMI) by "chopping up" a signal.
Any problems should be identified in the planning process and Iskra Wind Turbines will ensure that appropriate
advice is given as to the best possible location for your turbine.
12.Will I have a problem with ‘flicker’ from the turbine blades?
Potentially, reflection from the blades, or the shadow from the blades in the rising and setting sun, causes a
flickering effect. The design and coatings used on the turbine have been selected to minimise the reflection
problem. The possibility of the shadow from the wind turbine causing flickering should be considered at the site
selection stage. It is normally possible to avoid this problem.
13.How does it connect to the power grid?
The wind turbines generate power by rotating a permanent magnet generator which generates three phase AC at
the frequency of the turbine's rotation. The AC power from the generator is not only the wrong voltage to be
connected to the local power grid, but also, as the wind speed changes so does the rotational speed of the turbine,
and therefore the frequency of the power generated. The power from the generator therefore needs to be converted
to DC an co d then fed into a special electronic device called an inverter, to ensure that it is always at the rrect
frequency and voltage for the local grid.
Any power you generate will be first used by your own property, thereby saving you the maximum amount
possible on your electricity bill. Any excess energy your wind turbine generates, e.g. on windy days or at night, is
"spilled" to the power grid and your electricity supplier pays you for it.
In order to charge your electricity supplier for any energy that you export to the grid, you need to have a new
bi-directional electricity meter installed which will work both when you buy (import) and sell (export) electricity.
Depending upon your local requirements, there may be additional meters needed to record energy generation to
enable a claim for a Government subsidy.
Shown below is a simplified block diagram of how all the system components are connected in the UK.
The inverter also provides essential safety features to control the power output from the turbine, and to
automatically switch off the current if the grid connection should fail. This means that should the grid connection
fail, the inverters will switch off their output and there is therefore no danger to any maintenance engineers fixing
the fault. This does however mean that the wind turbine will produce no power to the property if the mains
connection fails.
SW however shortly hopes to offer an off-grid package which when combined with a battery pack, and optionally
solar PV panels and/or a diesel generator will enable the generation of “mains” power where there is no grid
connection
14.What will I do the Preparation and the operating?
Purchase battery, fill with electric liquid and start the first charge according to technical specification. Open box,
check the machine parts wit the list. Install wind driven generator in a place which is ventilated and no barrier, try
to shorten the distance from wind driven generator to storage battery to prevent wire power consuming, generally,
the distance is not longer than 30m.
(1) Dig a square pit whose volume is 50cm (length)×50cm (width)×50cm (depth) in the ground center. And dig a
depth 65cm and side length 65cm triangle pit for each of A, B ,C, D points that from center for 4m, the diagonal
lines of A-C and B-D shall be vertical, and the crossing point that is the center of square pit.
(2) Plug foot screws into the base, and give M16 screws for each of them ( Screw them up to bolt end exposing
about 15mm), the axes of pin shall align with B, D pits (or A, C pits), from ground 4~5cm, the bed plate shall
flatten the concrete ( the scale of cement, sand and stone is 1:2: 3) poured on the base.
(3) Stick the earth anchor outside, and put it in the bottom of the triangle pit, the chain link shall lean to the center
of ground, put the crushed stones in the bottom of pit, then pure the concrete, and put the blocks ( Weight of
2~5kg), then pure the concrete again, do this operation by turns, when it is flattened, please make the chain link
lean to center of ground and stretch it at level or 600 included angle.
(4) The curing period for concrete is 100 hours, don't install wind driven generator during curing period.
Notification for operating
A、Operating principle
Wind driven generator shall be installed in a place that is ventilated and no barrier. Most electric energy from
off-grid type wind driven generator is reused through the storing of storage battery set, it consumes the electrical
energy of storage battery without wind, on the contrary, it compensates the electrical energy through generating
electricity with wind, therefore, please charge the battery in time after it discharges, especially, the lead-acid
storage battery. During operating, if you over discharge, over charge and don't supply charge in time after over
discharging,thus, it will result in reducing service life, so users shall choose the wind driven generator with proper
power capacity according to local wind situation and consumed electricity quantity, or you can adjust the
consumed electricity quantity properly according to current wind situation and electric energy through output of
wind driven generating. Wind driven generator transmits three-phase AC power
supply, it will output with DC power supply via bridge type full-wave rectification,it is
DC24/DC36/DC48V/DC120V in general, only the voltage of storage battery set is the same with DC voltage of
wind power generating, it can fully exert.
4. Input DC voltage of inverter mated shall be the same with DC voltage of wind power generating, the capacity of
inverter shall be more than rated power of wind electricity.
B、 Safety attentions
No allow to run continuously when wind driven generator is in the state of no load and high rotation speed .
（2）Often check bracket and 4 ropes, if showing the loosing, please remedy it in time to prevent the machine
inversing.
（3） When the wind wheel rotates fast, person can't stand under the machine.
（4） When the wind speed is beyond grade 10, to make sure safety, please stop machine running by hand.
（5） Please stop the wind driven generator running and check it when it sends normal sound and vibrates.
（6）The power circuit of wind driven generator shall give individual layout, it can't be mixed with other power
circuits; illumination lamps use DC power supply
that takes more safety and economical; when the household appliances use AC power supply of inverter, we
suggest the plug of fridge shall be inserted into the special socket.
（7) When proceeding connection for wind power generating, please switch on the storage battery set first, and
then put through the output line of generator. When disassembling it, please disconnect the output line of generator
first, and then disconnect the connection of storage battery.
（8） The "OFF" switch of electrical box is usually set at ON position, only when the storage battery set is fully
stored or when there is harmful strong wind, the switch will be dialed to OFF position to switch off the machine.
Only when the rotation speed of wind wheel is slow that you can dial it to OFF position, and it is not allowed to
dial the switch when the wind is strong and the wind wheel rotates quickly.
（9） The installation place for storage battery shall be far away from fire or heat, and the harmful gas produced
during charging shall be out let to outdoors.
C. Keep the wind wheel in balance and eliminate vibration, when there is strong vibration caused by vane losing of
balance due to external damage, please stop the machine and check and repair immediately. Please use the special
tools to disassemble the wind wheel, demount the nut and washer that on the shaft terminal of motor first, tight the
tool sleeve on the hub, screw in the holding screw M16×30 by spanner, and finally remove the wind wheel from
the motor shaft. The unbalance torque of repaired wind wheel should not exceed 0.02Nm
15.How to do the Battery charging.?
If you choose the off-grid system, you will need storage batteries and some where to house them. The batteries sit
between the turbine and the inverter, which turns the battery output in to standard voltage so you don? need change you
appliances. When the charge voltage reaches DC60v, the wind turbine will go into the unloading and shunt; when the
discharge voltage of the batteries reaches DC44v, it will automatically cut down the power supply. The whole process is
automatically controlled by controller.