Specifications

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dollars. One of the reasons for the lower costs is that the Sunforce 45444 was designed
for off-grid performance and utility. Meaning that its‟ sole purpose is to charge twelve to
twenty four volt batteries, very similar to the use that we have for it. Because that it was
designed for off-grid use it does not require many of the accessories and sensors that
various codes require personal power generators to abide by if they input power back
into a power grid. Its‟ simple design also allows for simple assimilation into the project
design.
The second stated reason for choosing the Sunforce 45444 being constructability was
another reason in the decision for choosing this micro wind turbine. Because the wind
turbine is designed for battery charging, assimilation into the project design is quick and
easy. Attaching the Sunforce to a standard slip ring will give the turbine the ability to
rotate freely with the wind allowing it to constantly orient itself in the direction of
oncoming wind. This orientation as stated previously in the research will allow the
Sunforce to capture the most energy from the wind as efficiently as possible.
The other reason that the Sunforce is highly sought after in constructability terms is that
it is designed in conjunction with its‟ counterpart MPPT charge controller to help to
regulate the output coming from the generator to keep the energy charging the battery
within safe levels to keep it from going critical and being potentially dangerous. Although
many other MPPT charge controllers can be found on the open market it is very
comforting to know that this MPPT is designed to work in conjunction with one of the
parts that we will be including into our design.
Figure 43 – One Line Diagram
The following table illustrates approximated Watts produced at a variety of wind speeds
when using the Sunforce 45444. The figures were generated from the product manual
provided by the manufacturer.