Been wondering for quite some time now, why early wind turbines like the 32V Jacobs used a 32V system instead of the more common 12V DC wind generator or 24V, or even 48V in modern DC set ups. I've always thought 32V was the open circuit voltage, but after seeing schematics with 16 2 volt battery cells, it seems 32V was actually the more nominal voltage. I'm guessing that 32V matched the requirements of the loads at the time, maybe radios or lighting, but I'd really wanna know the real reason. Thoughts?
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32v system on wind turbines standard?
- Thread starter KrisD
- Start date
powerofthewind
Member
- Joined
- May 11, 2025
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- 6
Yeah, 32V was pretty popular back in the day since a lot of farm equipment, radios, and lights were made for it. It worked well with 16-cell 2V battery banks, which made wiring simpler and kept things safe while being efficient. It's a neat piece of old school off grid tech! Are you thinking about restoring one?
BBQribsFan
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- Joined
- May 19, 2025
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- 6
yep, we could buy readymade devices for your system. Did you know how many different 32V appliances were actually on the market back then?Yeah, 32V was pretty popular back in the day since a lot of farm equipment, radios, and lights were made for it. It worked well with 16-cell 2V battery banks, which made wiring simpler and kept things safe while being efficient. It's a neat piece of old school off grid tech! Are you thinking about restoring one?