Envirotek V20 VAWT Generator
Envirotek V20 VAWT Generator
Find out more about the Envirotek V20 vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) generator
wind | shoppingThe
Envirotek V20 is a new small
vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) battery charger. The three
vertical axis wind turbine blades drive a 20 watt
permanent magnet generator. The generated AC electricity is then
rectified into 12V direct current, passed through a 5A
charge controller, to then maintain the charge on a 12V battery or
battery bank. This is a
Savonius type wind turbine.
The rotor sweeps an area of 26cm wide by 60cm high (= 0.156 square meters). Therefore (according to the
calculation of wind power) there is around 8 Watts of wind energy available in a 10mph wind, and around 60 Watts in a 20mph wind. However
VAWT type wind turbines are inherently quite inefficient and so no more then 20-30% of this wind energy can be exploited and sent to the batteries.
Specifications
According to the
Envirotek V20 information published in 2007 the following daily (24hrs) 12V charge rates are possible:
| Wind Speed | Charge Rate/day |
| 10mph | 3 Ah |
| 20mph | 8 Ah |
| 30mph | 20 Ah |
| 40mph | 30 Ah |
These seem very reasonable - e.g. 3 Ah at 12 Volts in 24 hours equates to a current of 0.125 Amps and a total power output of 1.5 Watts (19% efficiency).
However, these
charge rates have been changed in the 2008 Envirotek specifications to 6Ah for 10mph, 16Ah for 20mph, and 40Ah for 30mph - i.e. all have been
doubled suggesting that this wind turbine is approximately
38% efficient, a claim which would need further testing.
Envirotek Wind Turbine Costs
Envirotek are selling this unit for under £300 (without batteries but with a 6A
charge controller) suggesting use with caravans and trailers, cabins and farm buildings, electric gate openers, water pumping, and moored craft for keeping
12 Volt battery systems topped up with power. A turbine of this size would not be much use for applications where batteries are regularly drained and need full recharging, but is perfect for occasional use applications such as the electric gate opener mentioned where batteries need to be constantly topped-up with power.
Cost wise this is quite an
expensive unit for what it is. With average winds of 5-10 mph typically in remote UK areas, the 1.5 Watts of generated wind power could be replicated using a 15 Watt or larger
PV Solar Panel available for around £80. However, if the size of the rotor could be doubled and permanent magnet alternator scaled accordingly this system would be more competitive - particulary in windy coastal and high locations.
Buy an Envirotek Wind Turbine
The
Envirotek V20 is currently being sold on
eBay UK by
epe1958 with a
£295 Buy It Now price.
Article Last Modified: 11:16, 12th Aug 2008Comment on this Article
If you have any comments on this article, please email them to
neil@reuk.co.uk.
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