Richard Roy

Here is some hard earned advise! If you have a year around free flowing CREEK,  you can generate power. I have tried 3 different battery configurations,  3 different charge controllers & 3 different motors (PMG) .
BE  VERY CAREFUL about the peak voltage & current at the rated RPM. If your CREEK spins your wheel like mine does, I can get up to about 600RPM  on a 2kw PMG.  That is using a 112 TOOTH MAIN sprocket to a 12 TOOTH shaft drive sprocket to a 72 TOOTH secondary main drive gear to a 17 TOOTH drive gear on the PMG Shaft. PMG IS 2kw at 350 RPM with a +10% variance. After building the transmission, getting the PMG RPM was not the issue! Getting the current to the batteries was!
I am using a Midnight Classic 250 charge controller, which has a Hydro Curve built in. Classic will take voltage over the 57vdc (48vdc system) and supposedly convert it to current, well I am inputting 227 volts wild A.C., Into the rectifiers and into the controller and getting out the 57-58vdc required to chargfe the batteries, but only about 1-2amps of charge current. Useless trickle charger!!
Late last year I got to a Midnight Classic engineer who,  I hope diagnosed my current problem! I was using some really cool 12vdc circuit breakers in my charge line. Everytime i tripped the breakers there was a carbon  build-up that acted as resistance to my current flow!! Voltage across an open circuit is always source voltage, so a DMV looked good, but no current through the breaker contacts. Have not been able to prove the theory at this point, but will test new circuit when it warms up around here.
I have many hard learned, costly mistakes, but much too long to write at 00:49 at night! If you want to discuss the water wheel project, come back the the forum again and we'll work out a way for one on one comms.

GYSGT RICK ROY USMC RET

Here's a story for you!
I thought the my major problem was going to be getting the CREEK (14000gpm) to turn my wheel fast enough to produce power. Wrong answer.
Wheel turns from 6RPM to 12RPM depending on what my Midnite Classic 250 has as a MPPT.
I have a gear ratio of 35 - 1 so, if my wheel is turning at 10 RPM, my PMA is spinning at 350RPM. Peak RPM is 380 for 120vac, rectified I get 227VDC out of my rectifier into the  Midnite Classic 250.
Problem is, very low current.
I'm charging 14kwh battery bank of Nisson Leaf Li-ion batteries that have a 30a optimal charge current and I am getting 1 - 2amps in! 1 can pull 1500wstts for 8.25 hours out of my batteries, but then at 1 -2amps in, it takes 5days to bring the batteries up to the 58.8vdc full charge!
This is the 3rd PMG, 2 MPPT charge controller,  3rd set of batteries L16S, Deep Cycle lead acid 12vdc in series parallel (2banks) for 48vdc(58.8vdc) new 14kwh Li-ion batteries.
I AM AT A TOTAL LOSS, AM I AM AN ELECTRONICS INSTRUCTOR AND TECHNICIAN WITH 30+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE!
Midnite Classic has said they think their unit is working properly, so don't bother calling back.
I won't let this thing beat me, but right now I need some help!

GYSGT RICK ROY USMC Ret.
gysgtrickroy@runbox.com