Hi, Norm, and thanks for the note.
> Ahoy Skip,
>
> I have two KISS wind generators aboard and so I read with special interest
> the description of your experiences with your unit.
>
> Since you mentioned you had the unit apart to check the bearings I know
> you
> are familiar with the insides of the machine.
Heh. It was "apart" due having taken a swim, with the tail broken off, the
stem split, and the collar shredded, in a gale in Marsh Harbour. I'd also
had it apart in more friendly conditions, earlier, as the silicone strip
which centers the bearings had fallen out in the nose, and to put in (I
thought - I wound up drilling them out and using epoxy to retap) helicoils
where there were stripped threads for the nose mounting bolts.
>
> You mentioned "special circuitry" to prevent overheating in high winds.
> The "special circuitry" consists of simple thermal switchs (they look like
> giant transistors) on two of the three phases of the alternator. These
> switches are connected using 1/4" quick-connects, then covered with
> copious
> amounts of shrink wrap making a heavy, unsecured lump supported only by
> the
> wires connected to them, which includes the solid copper wires of the
> stator windings. When the normal vibration of operation is applied to
> this
> heavy gob of matter it is inevitable that the stator wires break, which
> happened to me several years ago.
Ya, the terminology was directed to readers of my log, cc'd to liveaboard.
Not all of them are electrically savvy :{))
I'm aware of the breakers, and that's apparently what was happening - the
ammeter would show a precipitous drop, then come back up in a while, only to
repeat very shortly thereafter. Cocking the tail ~20*, with the line to it
and the pole, allowed it to continue to function in higher winds. In
anything like a true gale, I'd use my bungee to keep it from turning, and
cock it the other-direction-wrap, which leads to about 45* off the wind to
further reduce the wind pressure on it. In hurricane strength winds, I'd
remove the blades, put a funnel over the front, pack the spout with
something water-resistant, tape it shut, and tape the funnel to the nose, on
svhotwire's recommendation.
>
> I discovered the problem after noting low to no output to the batteries.
> When I checked the actual three-phase ac output of the units I discovered
> no output on the phases with the broken wires.
>
> My cure was to remove all the shrink tubing and the quick-connects and
> solder the appropriate wires directly to the quick-connect tabs on the
> heat
> switches. I put a piece of normal (the original was a very heavy wall
> material) shrink tubing on the thermoswitch then lashed it to the stator
> with fishing line.
I've not had that problem, but if I do, I'll resort to your cure, too. I
suspect my anal attention to balancing may have had a bearing (pardon the
expression) on the perhaps-lesser vibration keeping my connex alive. See
also below about blade tips.
>
> Thanks for the heads-up on the switch problem. Those switches are just
> about useless anyway. Even with them on the units can be spun up by
> strong
> winds. I may remove them like you did.
The symptom was like turning it off, but only by a very tiny amount, I
think. There were megohms resistance - but not infinite, across one of the
legs. I've not taken it apart to see if I can find the problem, and I think
I'll replace it, as cheap as a DPDT switch is. It's convenient to be able to
slow the blades down in a strong blow where I don't think I can rely on
cocking to allow continued generation and/or to get to them without risk of
losing a hand...
>
> I use a light line with a loop from the tail with the loop around the mast
> to secure the units. I stop the blades by turning the unit away from the
> wind with the line to the tail, then slip the loop up and catch a blade
> tip
> with it so the loop is around both the mast and the blade tip. This is
> secure in all conditions.
I don't have a loop like yours, but I'd be concerned to put any pressure on
the tip, for fear of out-of-alignment-symptom balance problems (tip in
different locations should make for wobble) which might be caused by
distortion of the blade. If there's no inward pressure on the tip in this
configuration, it's probably of no account, unless wind pressure tried to
make it turn, pulling on the end of it.
>
> The KISS units look good and have good output (when they are working) but
> they are poorly made and have several designed-in defects. I would not
> buy
> them again but I would search for better units.
Heh. I've been looking at a variety of alternatives. Anything which
approaches the output of the KISS is very much more expensive, and virtually
user-unserviceable (well, maybe you could, and Ben, but I'm not that smart)
whereas the hardware on the KISS is OTC in auto parts stores. Case in point
is a fellow cruiser who is now returning their unit for the 3rd time, this
time bearings. Not as big a hassle from the US, but I can tell you for sure
that anything which involves transiting the Bahamas (and, without first hand
experience, I'm just guessing, most other foreign points) is both expensive,
slow and enormously time-consuming.
That said, I'd consider the D400 or the one which name escapes me with the
adjusting blades, should it come to that.
Thanks for the note.
L8R
Skip
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
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