Baldbloke
New member
First of all hi!
I tried to introduce myself in the other forum but it then said I needed 10 posts before being allowed!
I'm not an electrician but have a great deal of electrical questions to ask. Some of the electricians up here in Moray Scotland just start scratching their heads when it gets a bit more complex than fitting a few plugs.
I'm fairly interested in renewables and have a small farm 20KW wind turbine and a 60KW biomass log boiler. Both are up and running, and as my turbine is below 40KW the exported units are estimated and paid at a low rate of 50% of 4.77 Pence/unit. There is nothing to stop me using all the available power rather than exporting into the grid at all. What I'm wanting to do, but cannot yet find anyone with the expertise, is to use some sort of triac phase controller to divert any excess power from the turbine to power an immersion in the 4000 ltr buffer tank that the biomass boiler currently heats. I realise that one immersion might not fully heat this large tank but anything to save some wood and labour would be great.
I buried one heavy duty armoured cable in preparation which I have been told (due to the size of the cable and the distance it runs) will safely allow a 30 amp draw on a single phase. Although there are two phases used by the turbine the other phase is used to run the house and out buildings, so I really just have the one spare phase to play with.
My questions are:
Is it possible?
Where can I buy a suitable triac phase controller?
How big an immersion heater would be safe to link up allowing for a maximum of the 30amp draw?
Where would I get the information to wire it all up (not me, but an electrician)?
Am I being daft and should I just get it wired up without the complication of the phase controller and have an isolation switch for when the wind isn't blowing?
All answers greatly appreciated!
I tried to introduce myself in the other forum but it then said I needed 10 posts before being allowed!
I'm not an electrician but have a great deal of electrical questions to ask. Some of the electricians up here in Moray Scotland just start scratching their heads when it gets a bit more complex than fitting a few plugs.
I'm fairly interested in renewables and have a small farm 20KW wind turbine and a 60KW biomass log boiler. Both are up and running, and as my turbine is below 40KW the exported units are estimated and paid at a low rate of 50% of 4.77 Pence/unit. There is nothing to stop me using all the available power rather than exporting into the grid at all. What I'm wanting to do, but cannot yet find anyone with the expertise, is to use some sort of triac phase controller to divert any excess power from the turbine to power an immersion in the 4000 ltr buffer tank that the biomass boiler currently heats. I realise that one immersion might not fully heat this large tank but anything to save some wood and labour would be great.
I buried one heavy duty armoured cable in preparation which I have been told (due to the size of the cable and the distance it runs) will safely allow a 30 amp draw on a single phase. Although there are two phases used by the turbine the other phase is used to run the house and out buildings, so I really just have the one spare phase to play with.
My questions are:
Is it possible?
Where can I buy a suitable triac phase controller?
How big an immersion heater would be safe to link up allowing for a maximum of the 30amp draw?
Where would I get the information to wire it all up (not me, but an electrician)?
Am I being daft and should I just get it wired up without the complication of the phase controller and have an isolation switch for when the wind isn't blowing?
All answers greatly appreciated!