Wind Turbine Generation System Implemented with a Car Alternator for Use in Isolated Locations

This work presents a wind driven AC electrical generator system for use in isolated locations. The mechanical energy is provided by a vertical axis wind turbine, connected to a standard car alternator. This arrangement requires no mechanical speed control and, as far as possible, can be produced and serviced in many workshops in third word countries, without special tooling and using locally available materials and parts. Controlling the alternator field current a regulated 12 Vdc supply is generated. The 12 Vdc (nominal) output is fed to the power electronic block formed by a chopper upconverter and an inverter stage. Four different output units are available, providing four different quality outputs: a simple non-filtered single phase square wave inverter; a filtered PWM-controlled single phase inverter providing a line-line AC supply (115 V rms, 60 Hz, for Venezuela); a standard low power UPS; and a filtered PWM-controlled three-phase AC supply (208 V rms, 60 Hz, for Venezuela). This work presents the initial test results, using the alternator and the power electronic blocks, and emulating the wind turbine with an AC motor.