i have the option to change wires and thus change volt output...my question is what happens to the amp output? does amps follow volts as they are raised? more volts more amps?
Hi Fixitguy, Figure it as Volts x Amps = Watts ... so if you have a 100 Watt PMA or generator then as you raise the Voltage, you lower the Amperage or visa-versa. So, no, Amps do not go up with Voltage at a given Wattage the Amps will go down. Dave
yes a 12v puts out more amperage but also adds more resistance..The higher the volts the more efficient and less line loss..
Your best bet is to run your turbine and battery bank at the highest voltage possible. Your wind turbine, and all other generators that you are using, have to over come the voltage of the battery bank to start charging the battery bank. What does this mean? Your turbine should start charging your battery bank in around 8 mph wind. So, if your turbine can only hit 15 volts open circuit in 8 mph wind, then charge a 12 volt battery. If it can hit 30 volts open circuit in 8 mph, then charge a 24 volt battery, etc etc. I think 24 volts is the way to go for a small system.
Josh to follow up on your post what do you think about a 48v turbine on a 12 or 24v system? My thoughts are you would hit 12v real fast as well as 24v in low winds. I have found that a 24v turbine works well hitting 12v or 24v but i was not sure if a 48v would cover everything acroos the board for 12, 24v, and 48v systems. I would aslo immagine at the higher winds speeds ther would be some sacraficing of power with a 12 or 24v system but the low to mid range wind watts would be there a lot more for annual production. Just curious Larry
guru you say open circuit??meaning no load??if so my rig can hit 50+ volts at 10 MPH...so your saying crank it back up to the 48 wiring config and still use my 12 volt batt bank?
Fixitguy, I am saying that if you can hit 50+ volts at 8-10 mphs (no load) then you can make more Watts using a 48 volt bank compared to a 12 volt bank. Power (Watts) = voltage x amps. So if you can have a 48 volts instead of 12 volts, you are going to make more power. It is a little more complicated than just that because generally if you are talking about a generator head, you can only fit a finite amount of copper into it. If you want more volts, you need more turns (or length) of copper in the generator head. Since the space the copper stator can occupy is limited, you generally have to use thinner copper wire if you want to add more length of copper. The thinner wire gives you more resistance and you will wind up making less amps. But, in general, you still get more power by increasing the volts. The bottom line is that if (1) you have the equipment to charge a 48 volt bank and (2) your generator can hit 50+ volts in less than 10 mph, then you will make more power charging a 48 volt bank compared to a 12 volt bank. The only way you get the extra power is by charging a 48 volt battery bank. Wiring you generator for 48 volts and charging a 12 volt bank offers no advantage at all (and possibly is a disadvantage).
