Maintenance and Service GuideWind Empowerment

This document is a guide for all those using and working with PIGGOTT small wind turbines .However, it is in no way an exhaustive list of everything you could possible ever need to do inorder to maintain one of these machines.

PIGGOTT wind turbines are most often built collaboratively. The service and maintenance ofthese machine should also be done collaboratively, at least, when lowering and raising thetower.

They run fast, almost non-stop, and are exposed to extreme weather conditions throughoutthe year. A check-up is recommended every six months, and an annual service is required.

On a daily basis, your careful observations will detect the emergence of new noises, squeaksand vibrations, which should rightly inspire you to lower your turbine to have a closer look.

Your turbine was built as a collaborative project:When you decide to undertake maintenance on your turbine, think back to the trainingcourse when you built this wind turbine, did you enjoy the experience? Why not contact theother participants? Even if they cannot participate, perhaps they know someone in your areawho can and would value the experience they would gain from doing so.

www.windempowerment.org

1

CONTENTS

PRECAUTIONS AND SAFETY................................................................................................................ 3PROCEDURE TO RAISE AND LOWER YOUR WIND TURBINE........................................................ 4GENERAL CONTROL OF THE TURBINE.............................................................................................. 9ALTERNATOR DISASSEMBLY............................................................................................................. 10TROUBLESHOOTING.............................................................................................................................12SERVICE FREQUENCY.......................................................................................................................... 13MAINTENANCE LOG............................................................................................................................. 14

This document is the translation of a document made by tripalium. The information contained herein is was reviewed when it was originally written. However, Wind Empowerment assumes no responsibility for any inaccuracy, omission, modification or future updates. The user of this guide assumes full responsibility for their actions.

Date of publication: 01/12/2015.Version 2.11

BEFORE INSTALLING A SMALL WIND TURBINE or embarking on MAINTENANCE WORK, it isimportant that you read this entire manual. It contains technical information andrecommendations to help ensure you stay safe and make the most efficient use of your windenergy system.

HAPPY READING!

2

PRECAUTIONS AND SAFETY

Safety should be your primary concern during maintenance operations on your small windinstallation and particularly when raising and lowering the tower.Stay alert to risks related to both the electrical and mechanical components.

Before any service it is absolutely essential to:Stop the wind turbine using the short circuit brake switch.

If disassembling the permanent magnet generator:

The rotors have very powerful magnets, therefore it is dangerous to have metal objects or toolsclose to the rotors.

Similarly, when the two rotors are removed, they must be stored at the appropriate distancefrom each other, at least 1.5 m.

Power cable:The power cable of a low voltage off-grid wind turbine (12, 24V) presents little health riskin terms of electrocution. However, the shock from the power cable higher voltage (48 V0

and grid connected wind turbine (400V) can lead to cardiac arrest.

Batteries:A short circuit in the wires connected to the batteries in an off-grid wind system can causeburns, fire or explosion. Charging a lead-acid battery gives off hydrogen, which is explosive.So watch out for sparks, flames and other sources of ignition.

If you have a pacemaker or other medical device, keep your distance; the permanentmagnet generators have a particularly powerful magnetic field.

3

PROCEDURE TO RAISE AND LOWER YOUR WIND TURBINE

Lowering a wind turbine is not to be done lightly. All persons on the site must beinformed of the risks, sober (no mojitos ... por favor) and fully concentrating on theroles for which they are responsible.

One person in the group should be responsible for directing and orchestrating theraising/lowering of the tower.

In winds above 11 m/s (40 km/h, 25 mph), lowering or raising the wind turbine isstrongly discouraged.

LOWERING THE WIND TURBINE

Secure the area, making sure that people not involved in the raising/lowering are notstanding within a radius equal to the height of the tower.

In this diagram, the red area is defined as the “Danger Zone,” in whichno one should be standing. It is not allowed to pass under the mastduring raising/lowering.

Brake the wind turbine using the short circuit brake switch.

4

Check the general condition of the guy wires, any corrosion, cable clamps, shackles,turnbuckles and concrete anchors before starting the maneuver.

Attach the hook of the rope hoist to the gin pole with a shackle.

Verify the cable release of the rope hoist is in blocked (downward) position before lowering the tower.

Verify the rope hoist is securely attached to the raising foundation using two shackles.

Un-screw the turnbuckle attaching the gin pole to the foundation.

5

Attach a cord to the side anchor points and the ginpole to keep the gin pole aligned with the anchor points.

Place the bar of the rope hoist on the lever at the front (tower side) of the rope hoist to slowly lower the tower.

When the tower is vertical, the weight of the gin pole keeps the tower upright. Using a cord attached to guy wire opposite the gin pole lifts the gin pole. Continue to pull on the guy wire and the tower will be slowly lowered. The use of a cord allows the person aiding the lowering of the tower to stay out of the danger area under the tower.

6

Slowly lower the wind turbine using the rope hoist. Observe the tower and try to avoidmovements which cause the tower to oscillate. The person operating the rope hoist is incommand of the team lowering the tower. Continually check the tension of the lateral guywires, it shouldn't be necessary to give out any slack unless the tower was improperly installed.

It is a good idea to have a support such as a saw horse or a shipping crate prepared forsupporting the tower.

Orient the turbine so that the blades facing upwards. Place the tail in furling position so that the tail vane keeps the turbine in position.

RAISING THE TOWER

To raise the tower, place the bar on the lever at the rear of the rope hoist and pump slowly to raise the tower. Near the end of the operation, the weight of the gin pole will cause the tower to drop into the vertical position. To ease the tower into position pull on the cord attached to the retaining guy wire keeping the guy wires under tension throughout the operation.

7

Before removing the rope hoist, the gin pole should beattached to the anchor point. Start by attaching theturnbuckle, once securely attached the rope hoist can beremoved.

The turnbuckles should be secured using the end of the guy wire, as shown in the drawing.

8

GENERAL CONTROL OF THE TURBINE

Check the general blade condition, especially the trailing edge. You can use linseed oil, outdoor varnish or polyurethane varnish to recoat them. Sand the wood first.

Check for play in the hub bearing by moving the blade tip backward and forward.

Perform a visual check of all the welding: frame, vane, tower.

Check the gap between rotor and stator. Check for any indication of friction.

Check if there is any rust. If you notice some cracks on the resin edge, add some paint or silicone to prevent rust progression. Add a new layer of paint to the rotor.

Check the tightness of all the screws. Remember that thread locking glue should have been used during installation. If you use too much force, you risk breaking the stainless steel thread. Ifyou have to increase tightness, remember to add some more thread lock glue.

Check the condition of all paint components.

Check the junction box for waterproofness. Check the condition of the cable attachment on the cable guide.

Check the to see if the power cable has got twisted inside the tower by looking at the cable at the bottom of the tower. Untwist if necessary.

Check and if necessary, add grease to the moving parts: yaw pipe and tail vane pipe.

9

ALTERNATOR DISASSEMBLY

You will need your jacking screw for this operation.

Never put your fingers between the rotor discs, as they can be pinched.

The first step is to take off the front rotor, then the stator and finally the back rotor. The magnetfrom the rotor should be at equal distance all the time. Find the index hole or the mark on thestud which indicates alignment for reassembly. If you can't find it, make a new one on the studand the two rotors (before dismantling). Remember that's it's very important to have thisposition marked.

Untighten the nuts from the front rotor. Use the 3 jacking screws that you put in the threadedhole. Screw the jacking screws in the same time to take it off.

When you reach 10 cm, the magnet field is weak enough for you to pull the rotor away. Storeit in clean, dry place, away from metal components.

Remember the stator position (it should be the cable at the bottom) and take it away.

Front Rotor with jacking screw Friction on the stator

1

If you detect significant play in the hub, open everything tocheck and clean or change the roller bearing. Remember toadd new grease.

If you have the roller seal, keep it. If not we recommend you toadd one without a metal spring.

Assemble everything and tighten the nuts well. You shouldn'tfeel any play and it should spin freely. Fix the bolts with a splitpin if there is one otherwise lock the nuts as shown on thepictures. Fill the dust cap with grease.

Alternator assembly

Conduct the disassembly procedure in reverse. Take lots of careapproaching the magnet rotor. Magnets must face each other. Usethe index hole to find the correct position.

Unscrew the jacking screws at the same time until you can pull themout freely.

Apply thread lock to all studs.

Check the gap between the rotors and the stator. Check the voltage at 60 rpm/min. (See Hugh’s Recipe Book).

Grease, frame and tail vane service:

Check all the other bearings (yaw and tail) and if necessary, add some new grease. Check the condition of the washer inside the bearing and if necessary, replace it. If the washer is missing, add one.

Also check the tightness of all the nuts on the tail vane.

11

TROUBLESHOOTINGThis is a Nonn-exaustive list of damage/problems that could occur:

Observation Diagnosis / causes Problem / Remedies

Broken blade

The tail vane has hit the blade Poor welding of the high or low stop. Unbalanced rotor causing excessive vibration (tail vane jumps off).

Losing a balancing weight Number, length & poor quality of the screw/s used to attach the balancing weight/s.

Low quality or excessively thin wood

Use a better quality/thicker wood.

Turbine is not spinning

Short circuit Power cable is pinched at the top or bottom of the tower.Burnt out diode in the bridge rectifier.

Burnt out stator

Incorrectly calibrated furling system (tail too heavy or too long).Incorrect connection of the power cable or brake (only one phase connected).Friction between rotor ans stator.

Stator and rotor touching

Magnets swelling due to corrosion.Increase spacing between stator/rotor (use Loctite 243 on threads afterwards).Damaged roller bearing.

Hub bearing is stuck

Lack of grease.Water ingress in hub bearing. Replace the corroded parts and the bearing seal.Nuts too tight.

Tail Vane on the ground

Excessive vibration Rebalance the bladesFailure of vane welding Re-weld tail vane and re-balance the blade.

Excessive noise Spinning too fast Disconnected power cable/ Burnt out bridge rectifier

Excessively thick trailing edge Re-shape the leading edge

Empty batteries

Dump load constantly activated

Burnt out regulator (possible due to lightning strike)

Batteries reach end of life Change the batteriesExcessive domestic power consumption

Reduce your demand or add some more energy production to the system

Low energy production Low wind sitePoor site Manque de vent

1

SERVICE FREQUENCY

Your turbine is much more likely to be able to provide you with a reliable source of energy if you check up on it frequently. Before any intervention, make sure the turbine break is on.

As frequently as possible First month after installing your turbine

Every 6 months Every years When appropriate

TURBINE CHECK

Regularly observe your turbine to look for any problems.

Check the power cable for twisting at the base of the tower. If necessary, unplug it, untwist and plug it back in.

Listen for any strange noise and watch for any strange behaviour. Correct any small irregularities before it becomes a major problem.

BATTERIES CHECK

Check the water level (for lead acid batteries). Add some distilled water if needed.

Tighten the battery connector/s. Remove any rust and add some

silicon grease to protect the connection.

Clean the top with some bakingsoda.

Lower the tower and check everything.

Check the blade balancing. Do not run your turbine with unbalanced blade as it will led to serious damage.

Lower the tower. Tightenall nuts and screws that have worked loose.

Grease all moving parts. Check the turnbuckles,

cable clamps and thimbles.

Check the play in the hub bearing. Tighten nuts if needed.

Ensure yaw and tail bearings turn freely.

Check the blade balancing. Do not run your turbine with unbalanced blade as it will led to serious damage.

Check the integrity of the welds and tightness of the nuts on the tower.

Lower the tower. Check all nuts and screws, tightening if needed (remembering to use thread lock).

Check the condition of the blade leading edges.

Repaint any exposed parts of the blades (sand it first). Ensure the blade is painted uniformly to keep it balanced.

Check the blade balancing. Do not run your turbine with unbalanced blade as it will led to serious damage.

IN CASE OF EXTREME WIND

The turbine is robust enough to survive very strong winds, however if the“storm of the century” (>120 km/h) is announced, we recommend you lower your turbine.If you decide not to (or don’t have time to), do notput the turbine in short circuit (electrical brake), allow it spin and check it thoroughly after the storm.

MAINTENANCE LOG

Date Problem /Observation Work done