The Wind is Free!

Hi There,

Busy designing an planning my Wind Turbine. For the first stage I just want to run a fridge or something slighly heavier on juice like a few globes to test and setup the batteries and how they will work.
But I have two a part question which I can't find the answer to, probably becuase I don't know the correct terms to search for.

I am planning to run a 24v system, with 8 batteries, the following configuration:
2 in series and then 2 sets of series in parallel, 4 batteries making up one bank of batteries.
of course the answer to question of wether to run two seperate banks of batteries with alternating charging sequences or set them up in parrallel is what I don't know. And leads to two possibilities, two questions!

Is is possible to charge a batteries while they are supplying power? I am concerned that the input charge would be directed down the circut to the inverter and not produce an usefull charging power.

If not, then If I run two banks of batterries as above, how do I create a switch over using a relay or something to that effect, or is it better to buy a device. What exactly could you suggest I will need? I am looking for the cheapest option on the planet... short of actually standing there and measuring the volts by hand every half hour, and swaping the clamps ;(

If you are using water from a dam that is filling up from a river, do you need two dams? One to fill up while you use the water from the other?

No need to swap batteries!

Alright???? I get the fact that while I use one bank the other charges, what would I use to control the switch over from the one to the other?

Sorry, perhaps I was a bit obscure. I don't see any need to switch between batteries. Just use one battery bank, and if power being produced exceeds power being consumed, then the batteries charge. If power consumed exceeds power produced, then at that point the batteries will be discharging.