Need schematics for a wind generator made by American Energy Savers

Co. which is now out of business. It is a GT 225-10KWH serial no.

090237. The unit goes into fault after it has run for awhile. It

goes past the point where the zener diode should put it on line and

then it faults. Or help on pinpointing the probelm and solving it.

-- Verna Brandt (jbrandt@grundyec.net), April 01, 2002

Answers

A zener diode is like a "check valve" for electricity, it allows passage one way but not back the other way and in this processes there is a lot of heat exhausted. To cure the heat problem a heat sink is installed such as fins with air flow for cooling. This was a constant problem with older British motorcycles until someone invented a double sine zener diode - but its use was for alternating currant. Generators supply DC. not AC. (unless it is modern and the inverter is built in). Any one with starter/alternator rebuilding experience or electric motor rewinding ability should be able to help.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), April 02, 2002.

A zener diode is not an ordinary diode. It is designed to breakdown at a specific voltage. Let's say we wanted to build a circuit with a constant 6.2 volts across. We could use a zener diode for this and if the current draw was not especially high, say 25ma., any voltage across the diode would be clamped at 6.2 volts, the diodes breakdown voltage. A silicon rectifier diode, the type used in 3 phase alternator rectification, passes only the positive side of the sine wave across it at a voltage drop of around .7 volts. So if we have 12 volts going through the diode the output would read around 11.3 volts. I don't know your windmill but I do know electronics and 3 phase alternators. I don't completely understand your question. Could you please restate it so that I can help put you in the right direction. Regards, Rob

-- RobDee (euclid@catskill.net), April 02, 2002.