Whisper H40 Final Report & Power Curve Summaries [RE-wrenches]
Paul Gipe
pgipe at igc.org
Mon Dec 8 12:19:22 PST 2003
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Whisper H40 Final Report
Below is my final report on the H40. The article and accompanying charts
can be found at http://www.wind-works.org/articles/H40Whisper.html .
And additional page has also been added to my web site summarizing the
power curve measurements to date:
http://www.wind-works.org/articles/pccombined.html .
Whisper H40 Final Report
December 8, 2003
by Paul Gipe
Key words: H40, Whisper, Southwest Windpower, Small wind turbine testing.
Disclosure: Two AirX turbines as well as a Whisper H40 were provided by
Southwest Windpower to Paul Gipe at no charge in lieu of noise measurement
services provided by Paul Gipe.
I removed a Bergey 850 in the late fall of 2002 and during the winter of
2001-2002 installed a Whisper H40 manufactured by Southwest Windpower.
Description
At 7 feet in diameter (2.1 meters), the H40 is slightly smaller than the
Bergey 850 it replaced, and sweeps about 40 square feet (3.6 square
meters), hence the designation: H40.
While still a product of World Power Technologies the H40 was rated at 460
watts at 10 meters/second (22 mph). During the transition to Southwest
Windpower the rating was dropped in favor of the swept area designation and
a reference to a peak power of 900 Watts at 28 mph (12.5 m/s).
Packaging
The packaging was adequate. The blades were well protected but the
generator was crudely packed in foam and flakes of foam were wedged in the
generator body. All parts needed were included.
Manual
Again adequate. The installation manual offered good visuals explaining the
turbine's assembly.
Assembly
The H40 is a very simple turbine and assembly was very straightforward.
Tower
I mounted the H40 on an NRG 65-foot hinged mast of 4.5-inch tube. This is a
non-standard application for the H40 and I had to have an adapter made at a
local machine shop.
Control Panel
The control panel was less sophisticated than the old World Power panel.
There was no meter. But there was a brake switch and it worked under light
to moderate winds. The panel was ruggedly constructed and easy to mount.
The arrangement for the terminals for the conductors were much better than
for the BWC 850.
Operation
The turbine is relatively quiet and operated without problems for nearly
two years (from early 2002 to December 2003). I removed the H40 to free up
the tower for tests on a Bergey XL1.
Power Curve
Like several of the turbines I've tested, the H40 does not meet the
manufacturers power curve. Corrected for sea level conditions the turbine
peaked at about 700 watts at 28 mph or 200 watts less than the manufacturer
claimed. Even so, my 1-minute measurements were considerably higher than
the 10-minute averages recorded by NREL during their power performance
tests of the H40 <a href="http://www.nrel.gov/wind/pdfs/32748.pdf">Power
Performance Test Report for the Whisper H40</a>.
I ran the tests again in the spring of 2003 and found no deterioration in
the power curve.
Summary
I detected no external deterioration of the turbine when I removed it from
the tower after nearly two years of operation in the Tehachapi Pass. Though
this turbine does not meet its advertised power curve, the H40 has proven
reliable and trouble free. It's "a keeper" and I have no qualms
recommending the H40 to others. (This recommendation applies only to the
H40 and not to the H80.)
Power Curve
Scatter Plot
Power Lost in Conductors
My tower was on the edge of the recommended cable length for #8 AWG copper.
The power lost in the conductors would have been slightly reduced by using
#6 AWG copper.
-30-
Paul Gipe
208 S. Green St., #5
Tehachapi CA 93561-1741 USA
+661 822 9150
+661 822 8452 fax
pgipe at igc.org
www.wind-works.org
Wind Power: Renewable Energy for Home, Farm, & Business, ISBN 1-931498-14-8
(spring, 2004)
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