Sophisticated wind controller ensures efficient energy generation in extreme wind regions
The South African mobile phone industry is on the brink of a radical transformation when it comes to powering its cell towers. LuvSide’s LS Helix small wind turbinesprovide a reliable and environmentally friendly energy source that reduces dependence on fossil fuels, especially the harmful diesel generators currently in use. Our approach emphasizes the integration of solar panels, storage batteries and vertical turbines, all managed by a specially developed wind controller. This innovative system prevents overloading even under extreme conditions and ensures a consistent and stable power supply.
LuvSide relies on this hybrid solution, which combines wind power and solar energy to ensure a self-sufficient power supply. The key to this technology lies in the robust design of our small vertical wind turbines and a sophisticated wind controller, which ensures efficient energy generation even in regions with extreme wind conditions. This solution is particularly suitable for mobile communications masts that do not have access to the public power grid.
Our small wind turbines have been specially engineered for extreme weather conditions. Their robust design protects them against storm damage, which is particularly common in coastal regions of South Africa. Additionally, the turbines are mounted on a steel foundation filled with sand, further enhancing their stability.
The wind controller: the heart of the solution
A key element of the LuvSide technology is the specially developed wind controller, which optimizes the performance of the LS Helix turbine while protecting it from overload. In gusty winds, the controller reacts at lightning speed, adjusting the counter-torque on the generator. This ensures that the mechanical energy is efficiently converted into electricity. The controller also prevents the turbine from being damaged during storms by redirecting excess energy to a consumer, the so-called dump load. This process converts the surplus of energy into “hot air” until the storm passes, allowing the turbine to resume normal operation.
This highly specialized technology is the result of years of development in Germany and has been successfully implemented locally in close cooperation with South African partners. The controller can even be readjusted remotely. The performance of the turbine can thus be continuously optimized from the LuvSide headquarters in Ottobrunn near Munich.
Integrated solar panels and battery storage
Another key component of the LuvSide solution is the integration of solar energy and battery storage. The energy requirement of a mobile phone mast typically ranges from 10 to 15 kW. By combining wind with solar energy, our storage batteries can be charged sufficiently to supply electricity to a mast for approximately two to four hours, effectively bridging the common power outages experienced in South Africa.
Solar panels provide additional energy during the day, while wind power takes over energy production at night and when the sky is cloudy. A 48-volt battery stores the energy generated and replaces the grid power in the event of a power outage. A hybrid inverter creates a so-called parallel grid and supplies the mobile phone mast with energy until the battery is empty.
Successful implementation and plans
The first LS Helix turbine has been successfully installed on a mobile communications mast in the region of Mossel Bay, and it is already yielding promising results. In the coming weeks, we will commission another turbine on a ridge. After commissioning, this site will also be closely monitored to ensure that the technology performs reliably under the extreme conditions present there.
Successful implementation and plans
Mobile network operators have recognized the potential of the LuvSide solution. The test installations have generated significant interest among many telecommunications companies.
LuvSide has successfully developed robust and efficient small wind turbines that are specially tailored to the challenges of extreme wind regions. The combination of wind power, solar energy and battery storage offers a sustainable and reliable solution for supplying energy to mobile communications masts, among other applications. This innovation has the potential to significantly reduce CO2 emissions and drastically reduce the dependence on fossil fuels within the mobile communications industry.
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