DuB-EnG: Chinese Vevor Wind Turbine Power Generator - How to install, repair and a review is it good

Solar power vs Wind turbine / wind powered generators - installation, repair and review - Load of rubbish really... just dont bother in my humble opinion.... get yourself some solar panels with no moving parts, collect those solar free range electrons instead!

[@hydewhyte4364]

I don't think I've ever seen someone fold stranded wire back on the insulation and then crimp on a connector before. And I really don't want to ever see it again.

[@DubiousEngineering]

You've got a fair point... Eventually the plastic holding the wire against the metal will perrish and the joint will become high resistance... I'll take that on board. Thanks 👍😊.

[@proppo4924]

I have no doubt it would do a lot better if it actually got some wind. What do you expect at 1-2 mph? What a dubious test.

[@DubiousEngineering]

Yeah... Sadly, even at 20mph it's not doing very much... Wondering if there is a problem with the diode rectifier... I'll get the oscilloscope out :-)

[@DubiousEngineering]

@monsDK ​@monsDK agreed... I'll do some diode checks and put an oscilloscope on the output to see if the waveform makes sense....

[@jasonbarker9943]

good review and information

[@DubiousEngineering]

Thanks Jason.... I feel the need to do a follow up once we have had a few good days of wind!!

[@ACSanchez26]

Could porentially be a good supplement to solar, as a sort of back-up power to charge a decent size powerbank. The circuitry might need some adjustments, I'm not that really familiar with electrical stuff.

[@DubiousEngineering]

It’ll definitely be working away in the background at night…. While the solar panels are doing nothing!

[@karen4you]

It looks cool but not very useful, or did you manage to get more out of it?

[@DubiousEngineering]

Still rubbish Karen... Maybe it will be better in winter with stronger winds... Hope you're well dear!! Hugs 🤗🫂

[@ngk330]

i have consistent 15 mph + wind most days and no trees, i really wish i could find a small residential wind generator that's reliable

[@DubiousEngineering]

I'll persevere with this as times goes on and keep you updated! Best, Howard

[@PaulRansonArt]

As expected solar wins again .... but at night the tables are turned! Delighted to hear you managed to get it up .... the pole and didn't strip your nuts in the process! 😃😃😎😎

[@DubiousEngineering]

Could have been a painful experience!!! 😕😞 ... I'll do a follow up on this... It's got to be worth the effort. Right??

[@ZoeyR86]

I have a dirty mind and one sentence made me laugh

[@DubiousEngineering]

Haha 😂... Got to add a little comedy in :-)

[@EleanorPeterson]

Yep. Now, has anybody seen Mike Hunt? 🐈 👀

[@DubiousEngineering]

​@@EleanorPeterson .. I've heard that in the local supermarket tannoy... Mr Michael Hunt... Aka mike!! Superstar!!! 💪🤩

[@JackBealeGuitar]

I say paint it to look like Deep Space 9 and think of it as a garden ornament

[@DubiousEngineering]

Only if I’m allowed to have a drink at quarks bar :). Awww I miss DS9

[@gordonwelcher9598]

Draw a mouth and eyes on the blades, it will look funny like a smiling moon.

[@DubiousEngineering]

Maybe I should strap a bunch of LEDs to them …. It’ll look like a flying spinning saucer at night :-)

[@Sailorman6996]

I know the wings or turbine is crap, that I can judge from its shape. I wonder how good (or bad) the generator is? What if you spin the generator at 300rpm or 600 rpm? (connecting the drill to generator)

[@DubiousEngineering]

A lot more output power when forced to spin fast!! 😁

[@Error42_]

I think you have more chance of picking up some alien transmissions from a distant galaxy than generating power with that thing 😆

[@DubiousEngineering]

Honestly, it's be happy if it did that... At the moment it just annoys the neighbours

[@dogbreath6974]

Not really a good comparison, the turbine was hardly turning, it needs to be a lot higher to catch the wind, then test the output. If you put the solar panel in the shade you would get similar results. Pointless exercise.

[@DubiousEngineering]

I'm not convinced the turbine is working properly... I've had 20mph winds and the voltage/current output is still way too low. More testing required in stronger winds

[@sjdtmv]

Brought two similar type ones a few years ago, absolutely crap, one is still in the box, as the first one I tried be lucky to produce enough power a 1 watt LED

[@DubiousEngineering]

Yeah... That's what I'm nervous about too... I'll wait for a windy day and try again... But not convinced 🤔

[@AndyM...]

You tried your best...small scale wind turbines have never matched solar (or unlikely to) too much hassle for such a small output !!! 🤠😎

[@DubiousEngineering]

Yes, you are right... I'm also wondering if it's still broken... I think I need to connect up an oscilloscope!!

[@Jsellers1965]

Good information. You may get better performance from the turbine if you get up above your roof a bit. I don't know what is allowed in your region but eh wind blows harder above the roof peaks and may give you more wind to spin it. The blades are a bit rudimentary as well, maybe they need an upgrade. . Just my thoughts. Thanks!

[@DubiousEngineering]

Great thoughts... Yeah, we had some gusting 20mph winds and it still didn't offer much past 12v at 140mA... I'll have another look at the coils on an oscilloscope

[@monsDK]

@@DubiousEngineering i think you need to look at that rectifier, could be the reason for the low output...

[@tomthompson7400]

yep they may be rubbish , but they look way better than solar panels

[@DubiousEngineering]

Hahaha.... It does look like an alien 👽 spaceship landing on the roof :-)

[@michaelvanallen6400]

*All practical tests show that small wind turbines hardly generate any electricity! And only at very high costs!* Because there is hardly any wind close to the ground. It is also extremely gusty, which usually shortens the service life. Only if you need to be self-sufficient from the power grid & live close to the sea, you should install the largest possible wind turbine on a high mast. *With solar modules, on the other hand, reliably generate electricity for 25 years at approx. 3-10 cent/kWh!*

[@DubiousEngineering]

Yup, agreed! Simples! :)

[@MagicianMan]

Seems about right. I always wondered if it was a better option to use an E'bike Electric Hub as the generator for a Wind Turbine. They usually operate at 48-72V and much larger currents.

[@DubiousEngineering]

What a cracking idea!!! ... If this turns out to be rubbish, I'll have a look for a used hub!!!

[@gatecrasher1970]

@@DubiousEngineering what about inline water generator everytime you use water it would generate electricity?

[@DubiousEngineering]

@gatecrasher1970 were on a water meter now, so we're really careful how much water is used! ... I've a feeling it would be similar to having a chocolate tea pot!

[@Everythings_Adjustable]

Interesting stuff Howard 💡 👍 😊

[@DubiousEngineering]

Glad you enjoyed it ! 😄 ... So folks, please give everythings_adjustable a follow!! Because everything is adjustable!!!

[@Everythings_Adjustable]

Thanks Mate, I need to get back into making stuff again.....when I get some time....

[@akshonclip]

Vevor will slap their name on anything that they think some poor schmuck will buy.

[@DubiousEngineering]

I've got a micro inverter with their name on... That's still working well

[@daemoncan2364]

Not going to generate any significant power with the turbine in the lee of your roof.

[@DubiousEngineering]

A very fair point! ... I'll get a longer pole! 😁

[@daemoncan2364]

@@DubiousEngineering Phrasing... ☺

[@dirtmcgirt168]

A tiny bit of power overnight. They are not replacements for solar panels, but having a few could complement the panels perhaps.

[@DubiousEngineering]

I'll be sure to do a follow up... :-)

[@paradiselost9946]

the ammeter is a dead short, or a very low resistance. all they do is measure the voltage across that resistor... and as a voltmeter, theyre a very high resistance... nearly "open circuit"... from that little clue, one could put their thinking cap on and start to wonder about how the power output is dependent upon the LOAD. how the resistance alters power transfer... that the current has to flow through the generator as well, with its own resistance... and internal losses... and how batteries have very low internal resistances... how that relates to voltages required for charging, and how that relates to the generator and its resistance and how it gets "loaded"... but thats all complex stuff, why bother with theory when you can guess and wing it! its only money after all, easy come easy go. meh. those blades are a joke from the start. stick to standard HAWT blades, they actually work.

[@DubiousEngineering]

One way to fix this... Connect the unregulated output of the unit directly to battery and use a current clamp meter to measure the current? ...

[@paradiselost9946]

@@DubiousEngineering simple resistor... bring total resistance to at least something higher than the generator itself. then limit the charge current and that helps it deliver a voltage thats high enough to actually charge. but at those speeds, its never going to produce a voltage worth doing anything with anyway.

[@DubiousEngineering]

@@paradiselost9946 ok, I’ll measure the resistance of the coil and stuff a slightly higher value wire wound resistor on it, measure current and voltage to see what happens. It’s not spinning at all today, so a project for the future! Thanks for the good tips! Best, Howard

[@paradiselost9946]

@@DubiousEngineering little bit more complex than that, but thats basically it... you really need to test the generator itself. grab a bunch of 10W wirewounds, 1R to 100R say. spin it up with a drill. measure results... voltage drop across resistor, current due to resistance... ohms law. at a certain speed it will peak out. any faster, output drops. thats the ideal speed. it has to spin at that speed for it to ever deliver its full power. unfortunately wind power doesnt let you stay at that speed! then playing with the resistances, you will find again, a sweet spot... and thats the ideal load it can work into. but it will also overheat the generator if it can even be spun hard enough to make power with that load. it will extract a lot of power, but waste half of it... with the load a fair bit higher, say 10x, you only lose 1/10th (1/100? i think its squared...) of the power in the generator... what you get in your load is closer to what the turbine is harnessing. note that the total power delivered will drop though. you limited the current that can flow in the circuit. when charging a battery... you have to spin the generator fast enough to produce the voltage regardless... the battery, once charging, acts like a dead short, and drags the voltage down as it pulls more current than it can deliver, power being voltsxamps.. the resistance, the load, limits the current that can flow. if its not enough, its still sags too low. if its too high, you just dont extract as much as you could. best to err on the too high side! excess power is lost as heat in the resistance. another loss. a MPPT or similar is monitoring the voltage and current... it turns off, and the voltage rises, it turns on, current flows, and it just keeps rapidly turning on and off as required. sort of like a flywheel, its using the energy stored in the system to pump the current in at the required voltage, then once its depleted and the voltage starts sagging, it turns off and gives it a chance to build up energy again...

[@piclife1178]

Interesting video thanks. Would be nice to see readings for current and voltage with the unit operating into to a normal load, like a power resistor. Then consider output as a power figure. Using open circuit voltage and short circuit current doesn't really give any idea of the power performance. That is a pretty big 3 phase generator so if you get it spinning properly in a good wind it should give many watts of output.

[@DubiousEngineering]

Great suggestion! More experimenting required in windy conditions... I'll be sure to do a follow up... :-)

[@timballam3675]

the 6 diodes make up a 3 phase (3 wire) rectifier, wind if good for nights and winter.

[@DubiousEngineering]

I wonder if there is still a problem with the diode pack... Its not doing much even in 20mph winds... :-(. I guess I'll take it down again!! 😕

[@Gergus]

That can probably do a lot better if you put a load on it :( You might not get a high voltage no, but what's its current capacity? You can step that up to 24, 48 volts just like the solar panel. Using voltage and amps to measure that isn't a good method - you should be looking at how many watts of power it can supply. Get a 100w light bulb on both and see if it can produce more power then. I suspect with the strength of the shorted circuit, the buckets can overcome that and product more Watt-hours than the solar panel.

[@DubiousEngineering]

I'll be sure to do a follow up... :-). I'm not convinced it's faulty but more tests required!!

[@athurvlotman5917]

0 FROM ME FOR EFFECT

[@DubiousEngineering]

I think I understand your comment... There's almost 0 coming out of this!!