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AIR 403 Land Manual Document #0049 REV D
SOUTHWEST WINDPOWER 8/20/2001 23
4.1.4 Four Spinning Conditions of the AIR 403
a) Open Circuit
When the turbine is disconnected from the batteries, it will “free-spin”. In this mode the
generator can spin “unloaded” with the wind. At approximately 40-mph (17.9 m/s) wind
speed, the blades will begin to go into an aeroelastic stall to prevent the rotor from over-
speeding. In addition, the internal regulator has a high-speed regulation to protect the circuit
from high voltage conditions.
Operating the turbine in open circuit for a brief period of time will not damage the turbine.
However, operating the turbine in open circuit for a long period of time can cause excessive
wear to the turbine and is NOT recommended. We recommend that during long periods of
operation the turbine should be connected to a battery or the turbine wires should be
shorted. Shorting the turbine will minimize wear to the bearings and prolong turbine life and
is quieter than running open circuit.
b) Normal Operation (Charge)
When the generator is connected to a battery bank in need of a charge, the turbine blades
will spin “normally” with the wind. The turbine will charge the battery bank as necessary until
the battery voltage matches the regulation set point.
NOTE: When switched from open circuit to charge, you may notice a reduction in RPM as
the generator is now “under load”. If the batteries are fully charged the turbine blades will
slow to a silent spin.
c) Regulation
When the battery voltage matches the regulation set point, the turbine will go into
”regulation”. Blade RPM will lower dramatically and output will stop. (In very high winds there
may still be a trickle charge.) Normal charging operation will resume when the battery
voltage drops slightly below the fully charged level. This regulation feature called Hysteresis
is explained in more detail in the New Features section (see page 4).
d) Braking
Braking can be accomplished by directly shorting the turbine negative and positive wires or
through the use of a Stop Switch. The Stop Switch will disconnect the turbine from the
battery, and then short the positive and negative leads from the generator together.
The blades could still spin slowly but will not charge the battery.
4.2 Bench Testing
Two quick bench tests can verify if your AIR 403 is providing output.
Test 1
1. Remove blade assembly from turbine and place in a safe location. (Do not stand the blade
assembly against a wall.)
2. Spin rotor shaft with your fingers or the allen wrench provided while at the same time
connecting and disconnecting the Red and Black yaw wires.
