Measuring for best location of Wind Turbine

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Measuring for best location of Wind Turbine

ANglEAUT

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#295304 20-Mar-2022 16:02

I saw this Wind Turbine Delivered with Dump Load for sale & it got me wondering: How do I know where to place this wind turbine on my property in the city.

Click to enlarge view

So my question is, just like you get humidity & temperature sensors, are there cheap sensors available to measure wind speed & direction to identify the optimal spot for placing a wind turbine?

Really just curious? Not planning on buying the above. Don't know about the build quality. Don't want to know about alternative turbines.

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davidcole

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#2889276 20-Mar-2022 18:44

Not really answering your question. But for resindentiial, I’d always thought the vertical plane turbine were a better fit, due to not needing to be directional, sightly lower speed winds and lower noise levels.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical-axis_wind_turbine

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tdgeek

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#2889282 20-Mar-2022 19:07

How does it connect to the house power for generation?

Ge0rge

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#2889283 20-Mar-2022 19:12

You'd normally have batteries that would charge from the turbine and feed an inverter.

tdgeek

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#2889294 20-Mar-2022 20:10

Ge0rge:

You'd normally have batteries that would charge from the turbine and feed an inverter.

Ok. While we have a large house and its North facing we cant really get much solar here. Wind would be a nice option. Are there any or many wind residential operators?

pih

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#2889304 20-Mar-2022 20:20

I'm not sure how it would go in the city, the small domestic turbines can create a fair bit of noise and you probably need consent and very obliging neighbours. As mentioned, the vertical plane might be much easier.

I've been thinking of a wind turbine or two at our rural place in the coming years, and have thought about sampling a bit. One sensor doesn't really tell you where the best spot is, it only tells you what the wind is doing in that spot at that instant. I think using a few (calibrated together) low cost wireless weather stations would do the trick, so you can compare locations concurrently.

With a turbine like the one pictured you'd need to mount the sensor at the height you expect the turbine to be, which could be >6-8m up. You'd probably want to keep sampling for at least a few months if not a whole year, perhaps testing a few locations each in that time and you'd want readings to be automatically collected and collated.

You could probably manage it for around $100 parts plus a Saturday or two of tinkering per sensor if you're handy with that kind of stuff. The best I can find off the shelf is around $350 for a smart weather station. Which is not bad if you're looking where to mount a few grand worth of turbine, wiring and battery storage.

Senecio

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#2889305 20-Mar-2022 20:22

Wind turbines are completely unsuitable for a residential property.Most people just don't realise how much noise they make.

DS248

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#2889310 20-Mar-2022 20:45

Many weather stations include anemometers, typically ~#120 - $400+++.

https://www.bunnings.co.nz/products/garden/watering-accessories/watering-conservation/weather-stations/home-weather-stations

https://weatherstation.co.nz/collections/wifi-enabled-weather-stations

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/263591411133?hash=item3d5f45bdbd:g:23kAAOSws6tehCQr

(which is the current one I have, though now have an upgraded version yet to be set up)

Or can buy standalone or even a hand held anemometer for less than $100. https://www.jaycar.co.nz/hobbies-gadgets/environment-monitoring/anemometers/c/4DB?sort=popularity-desc&q

Or some dearer ones https://nz.rs-online.com/web/c/test-measurement/environmental-test-measurement/anemometers/

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Behodar

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#2889311 20-Mar-2022 20:47

Senecio:

Wind turbines are completely unsuitable for a residential property.Most people just don't realise how much noise they make.

Yep. We have one on top of the building at work and you can definitely hear it!

davidcole

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#2889312 20-Mar-2022 20:55

I can’t remember the actual brand of the one I read about a month or so ago. But this sort of style.

https://flowerturbines.com

elpenguino

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#2889912 22-Mar-2022 10:21

ANglEAUT:

I saw this Wind Turbine Delivered with Dump Load for sale & it got me wondering: How do I know where to place this wind turbine on my property in the city.

So my question is, just like you get humidity & temperature sensors, are there cheap sensors available to measure wind speed & direction to identify the optimal spot for placing a wind turbine?

For a commercial turbine, normal wind sensors are used for a 'site measurement campaign'. This is usually multiple wind sensors at various heights. Since you're going to miss out on making energy at any location that's less than optimal, it's worth investing in a measurement campaign upfront.

A home user is unlikely to go to all that trouble. You can use long term weather records from a station nearby to see if the wind speed in your area is likely to be high enough to justify the investment. From memory, you want 4 m/s or more as your average speed. Direction is less important to the turbine although you don't want your location to be sheltered from the prevailing wind.

Any home installation's efficiency will be dependent on terrain and obstacles. Assuming your terrain is open and unobstructed, you're greatly encouraged to install the turbine sufficiently high enough to escape the ground effect - the drag of the ground on wind.

I didn't check how much that turbine costs but it is likely a robust structure to support the turbine will be a bigger expense than the turbine itself.

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