Electronic – How does a wind turbine protect the bank from a reversal in polarity when spin direction is reversed

dc motorgenerator

This is a follow-up question to an answer to How does a wind farm prevent the fastest spinning turbine from driving the slowest one?

Spinning a DC motor will generate electricity on it's terminals. When the direction of the spin is reversed, I expect the polarity at the terminals will reverse too.

So when a wind turbine is run, how is it the battery/bank it is connected to is not damaged when the direction of spin is reversed?

a. Does the charge controller OC when the polarity is reversed?

b. Is the wind turbine geared so it will only spin in one direction?

Best Answer

There is no such thing as "polarity" in AC power generation. There is only "phase" - and as with all power generators wind turbines are phase-matched before being linked to the grid.

Also, wind turbines only spin one way. They pivot so that they face into the wind, and the wind can only turn the blades in one direction. The blades work on the same principle as aeroplane wings. If they could be blown in either directions then aeroplanes couldn't fly.