EZ Tower TM OWNER’S MANUAL FOR AIR WIND TM TURBINES Assembly Installation Maintenance Primus Wind Power, Inc. 938 Quail Street Lakewood, CO USA Phone: 303-242-5820 www.primuswindpower.com © 2013 Primus Wind Power, Inc.
Primus Wind Power Congratulations on your purchase and welcome to our family! Dear EZ Tower™ Owner, On behalf of all of us at Primus Wind Power, thank you for choosing our company as the source for your renewable energy system. Primus Wind Power is confident that you will be pleased with the performance and quality of our products. Nearly three billion people in the world do not have electricity. By necessity, most will ultimately get their electricity from renewable resources to the benefit of all.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS IN THEIR ENTIRETY BEFORE INSTALLING YOUR TOWER. SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS. This manual contains important instructions for EZ Tower™ that must be followed during installation and maintenance. 2) Read, understand and respect all warnings. 3) Obtain all required permits and engineering certifications for your tower and tower location. 4) Soil and wind conditions vary. Towers and tower foundations must be designed for your specific location.
SAFE INSTALLATION It is very important to remember that any wind turbine has high speed spinning parts and can be very dangerous! Be sure that all bolted connections are tight and guy wire anchors are suitable for your soil conditions. These elements will be explained in further detailed later in this manual. When installing your EZ Tower™: 1) Two people must be present when the tower is raised. Have at least two people available during assembly and erection of tower. 2) Always wear closed-toe shoes.
TABLE OF CONTENTS IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS_________________________ 4 SAFE INSTALLATION______________________________________ 5 INTRODUCTION TO THE EZ TOWER__________________________ 7 PARTS & REQUIRED TOOLS__________________________________ 8-9 SITE SELECTION__________________________________________ 10 Windspeed__________________________________________ Surface Roughness____________________________________ Topography_________________________________________ Barriers___________________________________
INTRODUCTION TO THE EZ TOWERTM Congratulations! You have just received the simplest, and most economical EZ Tower™ available for your AIR™ turbine. This kit is designed to be easy to assemble and erect. The EZ Tower™ is designed specifically for Primus Wind Power, Inc. AIR family of small wind turbines. This guy-wire supported tower uses lightweight tubing while providing plenty of strength. Two people can easily erect this tower in about an hour.
EZ TOWER PARTS & REQUIRED TOOLS EZ Tower Parts: EZ Tower Required Tools: Description Quantity Tower Base 1 100 ft (30.5 m) Measuring Tape 21 ft (6.4 m) Guy Wire Set (wire guy wire attachment plate) 1 5/16 in (.8 cm) Wrench, Socket or Nut Driver (preferred) 30 ft (9.1 m) Guy Wire Set (wire guy wire attachment plate) 1 9/16 in (1.
EZ Tower Parts (Images Not Shown to Scale) Tower Base Lower Guy Cable Wire: 21 ft (6.4 m) Upper Guy Cable Wire: 30 ft (9.1 m) Cable Clamps (16) Cable Thimbles (8) Arrowhead Earth Anchor Guy Wire Attachment Plates Earth Anchor Driving Rod Tower Base Earth Spikes Tower Tubes: (1) 42 in (1.0 m); (1) 48 in (1.2 m); (4) 72 in (1.
SITE SELECTION The information in this section gives specifics about the ideal siting of the EZ Tower™. If your area does not have an ideal location, find the best location possible. Two basic requirements for a good wind turbine site: • Good average wind speed • Low wind turbulence IMPORTANT: The most important factor in maximizing the performance of your wind turbine is proper siting. Remember! The better the siting, the greater the performance of the AIR™ wind turbine - EZ Tower™.
Wind Speed IMPORTANT: Another important element to maximize performance of your wind turbine is average wind speed. Surface Roughness Rough ground is land covered with small bushes, trees or other obstructions. Smooth land is an area covered only by grass or earth. • The smoother the ground, the less the friction. • The rougher the ground the greater the friction, thereby requiring the tower to be higher.
TOWER BASE & EARTH ANCHOR LAYOUT IMPORTANT: When laying out the tower, be sure you have a very calm day, with no wind. Tower Base IMPORTANT: Two people must assemble and erect the tower. Tower Layout The tower is assembled on the ground, then tilted into position. The tower base supports the tower on the ground, and serves as the pivot point to raise and lower the tower.
Arrowhead Earth Anchors 1. Position the first earth anchor on the ground along the tower tilt axis, 15 ft (4.6 m) from the tower base. 2. Place the second earth anchor along the tower tilt axis, 15 ft (4.6 m) from the tower base in the opposite direction. • With the tower base in the center, the first and second earth anchors should form a straight line 30 ft (9.2 m) along the tower tilt axis. • Distance from Tower Base to anchor (4 places) 15 ft (4.6 m) 15 ft (4.
7. Drive the earth anchor into the ground using the earth anchor driving rod and a 10 kg hammer. • Notice the angle at which the earth anchor is being driven. This angle is important for maximum pull strength. The angle should be in line with the angle of the guy wire (i.e. the angle should be pointing towards the tower base). 9. Then, insert the earth anchor driving rod through the cable eye and pull up with force. You will notice the earth anchor pulling out of the ground slightly.
Soil Type and Recommended Anchors What anchor to be used depends on the soil type. Refer to the Soil Type and Anchor Recommendations table below for suggestions.
TOWER ASSEMBLY 42 in (1.0 m) Top Tower Tube The tower is assembled in several easy steps. If this is a permanent installation, first dig a trench from the base of the tower, to where the battery is housed. Location for 30 ft (9.1 m) guy wire attachment plate Tower Tube Layout 1. Lay out the six tower tubes on the ground as shown on the following page. Leave approximately 6 in (15 cm) between each tube. Guy Wire Attachment Plate 72 in (1.8 m) Tower Tubes 42 in (1.0 m) 4- 72 in (1.
2. With the tubes laid out as shown on the preceding page, slide the guy wire attachment plates over the corresponding tower tubes. • Slide the 30 ft (9.1 m) guy wire attachment plate over the top tower tube. • Slide the 21 ft (6.4 m) guy wire attachment plate over the fourth tower tube from the bottom. 5. Join the tower tubes together using a soft-faced mallet or hammer. Use a piece of wood between the tube and the mallet to protect the end of the tube.
Attaching the Guy Wires 1. Orient guy wire attachment plates with their corners pointing towards the anchor. If they are not pointing towards the anchor, adjust them before continuing. 2. Uncoil each guy wire bundle and extend them to their respective anchoring point. The fourth anchor point is directly under the tower. CAUTION: Be careful not to let the guy wires become twisted when the tower is erected.
Raising the Tower Primus Wind Power, Inc. highly recommends first tilting the tower into position without the wind turbine attached, to verify proper installation and operation of the tower. • Check to see which wire(s) are too tight (the wires act in pairs). • Release the tension on one of the wires by loosening the 2 cable clamps until the cable can be slid through them • Let out some cable until there is no tension in the wire.
INSTALLING THE AIRTM WIND TURBINE Refer to your AIR™ Wind turbine Operator’s Manual for assembly instructions. Helpful Tips: • Use the box that your AIR™ wind turbine was packed in to support the tower when attaching the wind turbine. • A strain relief installed at the top of the tower will help support the wires hanging inside the tower. CAUTION: Proper grounding is very important to protect your AIR™ wind turbine from lightening and/or other transient voltages.
EZ TOWERTM MAINTENANCE There are no moving parts in the tower, so maintenance is minimal. However, as part of your annual maintenance, Primus Wind Power, Inc. recommends that several areas are inspected to ensure long term integrity of your EZ Tower™. • Check guy wire condition. Inspect for wear and fraying at the guy wire to earth anchor connection points. • Check guy wire tension. Guy wires should have uniform tension. Wires should be free of slack, but not overly taut. • Check all bolts for tightness.
EZ TowerTM Owner’s Manual, Rev A
EZ TowerTM Owner’s Manual, Rev A 23
EZ Tower Primus Wind Power, Inc. 938 Quail Street Lakewood, CO 80215 USA Phone: (303) 242-5820 www.primuswindpower.
