skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: ARE660 Wind Generator: Low Wind Speed Technology for Small Turbine Development

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/927424· OSTI ID:927424

This project is for the design of a wind turbine that can generate most or all of the net energy required for homes and small businesses in moderately windy areas. The purpose is to expand the current market for residential wind generators by providing cost effective power in a lower wind regime than current technology has made available, as well as reduce noise and improve reliability and safety. Robert W. Preus’ experience designing and/or maintaining residential wind generators of many configurations helped identify the need for an improved experience of safety for the consumer. Current small wind products have unreliable or no method of stopping the wind generator in fault or high wind conditions. Consumers and their neighbors do not want to hear their wind generators. In addition, with current technology, only sites with unusually high wind speeds provide payback times that are acceptable for the on-grid user. Abundant Renewable Energy’s (ARE) basic original concept for the ARE660 was a combination of a stall controlled variable speed small wind generator and automatic fail safe furling for shutdown. The stall control for a small wind generator is not novel, but has not been developed for a variable speed application with a permanent magnet alternator (PMA). The fail safe furling approach for shutdown has not been used to our knowledge.

Research Organization:
Robert W. Preus dba Abundant Renewable Energy
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
DOE Contract Number:
FG36-03GO13137
OSTI ID:
927424
Report Number(s):
DOE/GO/13137-1; TRN: US200816%%669
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English