- #1
ybexcursion
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Working on a wind turbine for a class project and making an attempt to add a brake. The idea is that the turbine will generate power at a certain wind speed and if the wind speed is increased, we would slow the turbine with a mechanical brake.
We're using a 10V low-torque motor and have created the fan blades and gearing system. While running the turbine in a wind stream, we see 9-10V on a multimeter connected directly to the motor.
We then purchased a linear 10V solenoid that appears to have 8-9ohms of resistance. The goal is that it would be in parallel with whatever it is we're using the turbine to power up. When we tested the solenoid on a power source, it appears to activate around 3.3V and .36A. We had hoped to just put a potentiometer in front of the solenoid so that a voltage drop would occur and we could "dial" it into activate once the turbine was generating around 9V from the motor. As the voltage from the turbine increased, the solenoid would press against the back of one of the gears covered in rubber adding friction to the system. More voltage, more friction.
In an effort to test our design, we connected the solenoid in series with the motor assuming it would work fine (considering we generated 9-10V and the resistance of the solenoid was low). As soon as I connect the solenoid, the turbine slows down despite no change to wind velocity and doesn't seem anywhere close to activating the solenoid. We have not yet put the solenoid in parallel with the object to be powered as we do not have it yet (that will happen when we demonstrate the turbine to the class).
Overall, my electronics knowledge is novice at best. Why is this happening? How can we set it up to work without adding a separate power supply for the brake? How would we set it up with a separate power supply if that's what we have to resort to?
I do not have the measurements of current or voltage running through the circuit while the solenoid is attached...yet. Let me know if that is necessary to help diagnose the problem.
I'm not an electronic engineer so statements such as "add an amplifier or a capacitor" still leave me scratching my head and would need to know how to set it up.
We're using a 10V low-torque motor and have created the fan blades and gearing system. While running the turbine in a wind stream, we see 9-10V on a multimeter connected directly to the motor.
We then purchased a linear 10V solenoid that appears to have 8-9ohms of resistance. The goal is that it would be in parallel with whatever it is we're using the turbine to power up. When we tested the solenoid on a power source, it appears to activate around 3.3V and .36A. We had hoped to just put a potentiometer in front of the solenoid so that a voltage drop would occur and we could "dial" it into activate once the turbine was generating around 9V from the motor. As the voltage from the turbine increased, the solenoid would press against the back of one of the gears covered in rubber adding friction to the system. More voltage, more friction.
In an effort to test our design, we connected the solenoid in series with the motor assuming it would work fine (considering we generated 9-10V and the resistance of the solenoid was low). As soon as I connect the solenoid, the turbine slows down despite no change to wind velocity and doesn't seem anywhere close to activating the solenoid. We have not yet put the solenoid in parallel with the object to be powered as we do not have it yet (that will happen when we demonstrate the turbine to the class).
Overall, my electronics knowledge is novice at best. Why is this happening? How can we set it up to work without adding a separate power supply for the brake? How would we set it up with a separate power supply if that's what we have to resort to?
I do not have the measurements of current or voltage running through the circuit while the solenoid is attached...yet. Let me know if that is necessary to help diagnose the problem.
I'm not an electronic engineer so statements such as "add an amplifier or a capacitor" still leave me scratching my head and would need to know how to set it up.