Wind/Hydro Generator Simulator

The intention of this project is to make it easier for people without reliable access to electricity to implement their own sources of electrical generation. The ability to simulate different sources of generation allows people in need to find what source of generation will most properly meet their electricity needs. The goal of this project was to provide a wind or water flow profile from any area in the world and output a corresponding amount of power that would be expected from a small-scale wind or hydro generator. Due to difficulties with the microcontroller and incorrect sizing of components, this project has limited function as a simulator yet. However, the measurements taken from the current design provide useful data for future groups. Improvements that need to be made to this project in the future are as follows: better mechanical coupling between generator and motor, better sizing of either DC-DC converter or generator output voltage to allow for larger range of output, and better selection of microcontroller or control method in order to work properly with the DC drive