OK so I am an engineer, but it is some 45 years since I was into all those mathematics re boundary layers, laminar flow and Bernoullis Theorem

Generally I just use common sense which says it is wind that makes the blade move as an aerofoil, so speed of blade will be close to speed of wind so if a tweety bird was "on the wind" [as birds do] then he is not about to get his head chopped off

besides, birds have been doing this flying caper for millions of years and "are very good at it" meaning they would have no problemo evading a big slow moving blade

as for geyser with 350 ah battery and various ins and outs, like surely you have an ammeter and voltmeter on your setup so you KNOW everything about your system [as well as some basics about electricity]

The UK Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology has recently published a summary assessment of alternative energy sources for the UK http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/postpn315.pdf , which to me suggests that, on technical grounds, wind energy is not a panacea. Another important aspect is cost-benefit analysis - if we think that reducing emissions is worthwhile, we should be looking at the most cost-effective solutions. POST did not consider this aspect, but Bjorn Lomborg recently looked at the economics of windpower in the UK (this was on Timesonline, I've lost my saved copy). Lomborg found that for many billions of pounds spending, global warming might be reduced (from memory) by 0.0003 degrees C by end-century. I share his view that this is not a sensible use of resources.

Correction - the Lomborg article at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article4849167.ece estimates that the UK's total anti-emissions plans would cost 100 bn plans a year for a 0.0003C reduction in global temperature by end-century.

Forrest, there are a few problems with a tow generator.
I used a Walker log, which has a towed impeller, with too much chance of tangles, but mainly it's total lack of movement.

Once at the destination you are likely to be stopped for a few days, weeks, or even months. The desired system had to work there, in port, or anchored off an island.

Much of my time was in the higher tropics, where wind is ofter scarce, but here the solar gear did work better. I could get about 8 hours total, of an 8W light, per day. This was about all I required, except it was not great for the batteries. They need to be kept above 60% charge, for a long service life.

Don't forget, this was a yacht, not a house, with all the power required there. There were no labour saving devices to run, & refrigeration was gas,

My battery capacity would give me 5 days at sea, running navagation lights, chart, & galley lights, once fully charged. I had hoped to extend this to about 8 days, but never could. The entire system, including Mr Honda, was at its worst, at sea. It would not have suited Mr Bond, It did not appear to like being shaken, or stired.

Pelican, I'm afraid it's going to be many years before any "renewable" energy is more than tokenism, as with this wind turbine in the UK.

In the words of my then 4 year old daughter, when she first moved to a house, from the yacht, "Daddy, is the house going to have real electricity, or just the Micky Mouse stuff, we have on the boat"? Says it all, really

I had already identified your problem as "they" but then I confirmed it as:

"They went further than that, they selected the gear, installed it, & built switching gear, to connect the thing with the *most output to my 350 AH battery system automatically*, during the day."

it is not an either/or situation as all these devices have diodes so the moral is have the lot going together and bung in as many amps as possible [you see you have not said beep about how many amps were going IN at any time]

the trouble is "they" were "electronics experts" - sorry WRONG experts. they made a fantastic changeover system to rob you of amps, but what is more they could not possibly have been able to measure which was giving "the greater output" unless it was IN the system to start with.

this was all explained to us as we graduated from Uni in 1966, where Prof Fink addressed us and explained an engineering degree should be an adequate meal ticket but dont expect any recognition/status because every red blooded Oz bloke who can change the spark plugs in his FJ Holden THINKS he is an engineer [and so does the public]

oh how right he was as I [and you too] were to find out

and so it is on macro scheme where wind power is way too tied up with greenies and wanna be engineers at present to be of any use to anybody

sure once these people "drop it" and get back to saving crocodiles there will be worthwhile input from wind, waves and espec from farting cows, but they will never go near to satisfying base load [as we know/demand it to be]

In fact, as we speak [so as to speak] I am in negotiations with well know inventers Wallace & Grommet to D & C a "cow fart catcher", and while the details are top secret, it is essentially a giant condom that fits over the cow with a methane compressor and cylinder atop the beast.

unfortunately the prototype worked too well and the bovine went into orbit and is interfering with the Austar satellite, explaining those raspberry noises on CNN