Small wind / Buyer questions
Application integration
Can a welder's I1eff current label establish the capacity required from a wind-supported supply?
The short answer
No. I1eff and I1max are different input-current labels, and neither is the welding-output current. The exact manual defines their conditions. A maximum effective supply current must not be treated as proof that the source never needs to deliver a higher input during active welding. Source capability, actual duty and installation design require their own evidence.
Read the input table for the exact supply
Fronius's iWave manual lists maximum primary current, I1max, separately from maximum effective primary current, I1eff. Match the selected row to phase configuration, input voltage and stated operating conditions. Keep I2 welding current on the output side. Do not multiply output amperes by the site voltage to invent mains power, or substitute one input row for a different supply.
Keep a thermal-duty descriptor separate from the event
An effective-current value reflecting a stated duty cannot establish the instantaneous or sustained input needed during an arc event. Ask the welding supplier for applicable AC input characteristics, duration and supported source requirements at the intended output. No universal relationship or sizing multiplier is supplied here. Cable and protection requirements also follow the actual installation and applicable rules; they are not inferred from turbine kW.
Keep the exact input-table notation in the evidence pack. Replacing both I1eff and I1max with one unlabeled amps column destroys the distinction the source-capability reviewer needs to interpret the stated conditions.
Specify the wind-supported source role
Give the electrical integrator the full nameplate, manual table, actual work profile and concurrent workshop loads. Identify whether another source supplies active-welding demand while wind contributes energy. Ask for evidence covering required voltage/current behavior and source limits, rather than a comparison with I1eff alone. A correct label interpretation does not validate the source's transient capability. This page provides no welding procedure, conductor size or protective-device selection and establishes no MARSTON welder compatibility.
Sources
Examples are illustrative. Confirm product-specific performance, compatibility and supply scope in the applicable documents.