Tom Muckey Tom Muckey. Tom Muckey s homemade, solar-electric generator on wheels solved his outbuilding s power problem.

Transcription

1 Tom Muckey 2001 Tom Muckey Tom Muckey s homemade, solar-electric generator on wheels solved his outbuilding s power problem. ast year, I built a shed in my backyard for use as a small workshop and for lawn equipment storage. The shed is about 30 feet (9 m) from the house. After completing the project, I realized that I would need to supply 120 volts AC to the structure. I ruled out the possibility of running an outdoor extension cord from the house because my dog tends to chew on everything, whether it moves or not. Installing a dedicated power line for the shed would require a permit and electrician, not to mention the impact on my electricity bill. Since I ve always had an interest in renewable energy, I decided to develop a solar solution instead. Permanent Installation or Portable? I determined that the electrical usage in the 10 by 14 foot (3 x 4.3 m) shed would be limited to lighting and small power tools, usually on weekends. A single 40 watt panel and a 12 volt battery would provide adequate energy for my needs. I could have easily mounted a solar-electric panel on the shed s roof with all the other components inside. Instead, I chose to make a selfcontained, portable, PV powered generator, since the system requires only a few components. 38 Home Power #86 December 2001 / January 2002

2 The back side of the modified hand truck. Note the seasonal tilt indicators marked with yellow, green and blue. In addition to the shed s electrical requirements, my portable system supplies electricity for many situations, including camping, boating, jump-starting a car, and the occasional California blackout. Requirements I came up with the following basic requirements for the portable, PV powered generator: Fully self-contained 12 volt output Easy to transport and store Adjustable for optimum solar panel angle Relatively waterproof (and dogproof) Modular (removable battery case) Battery status and module output monitoring Low cost Components I selected a Photowatt PWX400 solar panel for its good combination of durability, performance, and price. The PWX400 has a very rigid aluminum frame with tempered glass for strength. In addition, the dimensions were acceptable for a portable system. Several other panels I considered were simply too large for this application. A close-up of the PV charge controller. The 40 watt panel could be connected directly to the battery, but this would risk overcharging. To eliminate this risk, I chose to install a Lyncom SR7C charge controller. The controller has LED indicators for charging and low battery condition. Both the Lyncom charge controller and solar panel came from Solatron Technologies in Bloomington, California. An Attwood battery case accommodates a Kirkland 27 series, 115 amp-hour marine (trolling) battery that was purchased from Costco. The Attwood battery case is a plastic enclosure primarily designed for marine batteries. Inside dimensions are 14 by 7-1/2 inches (36 x 19 cm). I had difficultly finding a weather-resistant voltmeter, and ultimately purchased a Goldeneye battery gauge that is designed for boating use. A Casco 12 volt truck bed outlet and fuse assembly came from Kragen Auto. The front of the weather-resistant battery case, showing from left to right: 12 volt outlet, test switch, and battery meter. Home Power #86 December 2001 / January

3 Inside the battery case, everything stays dry and in place. I selected a Costco 500 pound (225 kg) capacity hand truck to serve as the base platform to support the components and provide mobility. Mounting the Solar Panel Converting the hand truck required some custom metalwork. I have amateur arc welding experience from classic car restoration projects, and I enjoy the challenge of joining metals without having to make too many trips to the hospital. I created four, 18 inch (46 cm) support brackets for the solar-electric panel. The top and bottom brackets were made from 1 by 1-1/2 by 1/8 inch (25 x 38 x 3 mm) angle iron, and the two center supports were flat 2 by 1/8 inch (51 x 3 mm) stock purchased from a local home improvement center. I used a circular saw with a metal cutting abrasive blade to cut all of the metal used in the project. I drilled the brackets to match the mounting holes in the Photowatt panel, and bolted all four brackets to the panel before welding. I then positioned the panel on the hand truck, clamped down the brackets, and welded them with the panel removed. Everything lined up nicely during reassembly. Maintaining the Correct Solar Angle According to The Solar Electric Independent Home Book, a solar-electric panel in Southern California will receive maximum exposure to the sun with the following (southern) angles: Summer: 18 degrees Spring and fall: 33 degrees Winter: 48 degrees To maintain the correct solar angle and allow for seasonal adjustments, I created an adjustable leg from square tubing and attached it to the back of the unit. The leg simply props up the unit and adjusts to any angle required with a locking pin. It swings into the back of the unit for transport. I labeled the predrilled holes for each angle needed for my seasonal adjustments. It s simple, but it works. Assembling the Battery Case The vented battery case, with a separate lid and base, was designed for boating applications. It required several modifications for the project. For starters, I permanently attached the lid to the base with hinges in the back. I then installed a Goldeneye battery gauge and a SPDT, on-off-on toggle switch to test battery state of charge and PV output. I drilled additional vent holes in the battery case lid to ensure that gases would not build up during charging. Finally, I installed a Casco 12 volt outlet (cigarette lighter type) and automotive trailer connector for easy removal of the entire case assembly from the PV powered generator. According to the manufacturers, all of these components were designed to be weather resistant, and they have held up well being outdoors for the last six months. The Battery Cradle Since the entire unit is capable of tilting 0 to 90 degrees, a flooded battery would leak if mounted directly to the hand truck s original flat base plate. A design feature was needed to maintain the battery in a level position regardless of solar panel angle. I felt a cradle could provide this auto-leveling capability, and also allow for easy removal of the battery assembly as needed. I converted the hand truck s base plate into the cradle arms, and welded several pieces of angle iron to match the battery case dimensions for the cradle base. Gravity This homemade battery cradle keeps the flooded lead-acid battery level so electrolyte doesn t spill. 40 Home Power #86 December 2001 / January 2002

4 To 12 VDC Outlet Charge Controller: Lyncom SR7C Photovoltaic Controller Test Switch Battery Meter % of charge Tom s dog making friends with the RE generator. keeps the battery assembly level during transport or adjustment of the panel s angle. In addition, the battery case disconnects and lifts out of the cradle quicker than the dog can run off with my favorite sneakers. Electrical & Performance The unit handles intermittent electricity needs without a problem. I regularly measure the battery state of charge (SOC) via the built-in gauge. The battery never falls below 60 percent SOC, and is usually around 95 percent. To get electricity inside the shed, I converted an outdoor AC extension cord to 12 volts by replacing the end connectors with fused male and female cigarette lighter adapter plugs. I have a Statpower 300 watt inverter for the AC loads inside. In addition to electricity for the shed, I ve used the PV powered generator during a blackout at my home and to jump a dead car battery. During a blackout, the generator remains on a patio in the backyard. I simply plug the Statpower 300 inverter into the 12 VDC outlet and run a 50 foot (15 m) outdoor extension cord into the house to provide electricity to my kitchen and living room. I run two fluorescent bulbs (15 watts each) and a small TV (55 watts). This summer, I m pretty sure that I can get my kids to go camping if we can power a laptop to play their favorite video games. The rated output of the PWX400 module is 42 watts at 25 C (77 F). But in a warm region like Southern California, PVs typically operate at twice that temperature or higher. And PV voltage drops as temperature increases. To better reflect real world operating temperatures at my location, PV output needs to be derated by 20 percent to reflect a realistic annual energy output. This brings the real world rating of my unit to approximately Photovoltaic Module: Photowatt PWX400, 40 watts Home Power #86 December 2001 / January 2002 Fuse: 25 A Battery: Kirkland 27 series 12 volt, lead-acid, 115 AH battery 34 watts (42 W x 0.8 = 33.6 W). Multiply this by yearly average peak sun hours per day in Southern California of 6.6 and you get 222 watt-hours per day. Always Room for Improvement My design certainly has room for improvement, particularly in reducing size and weight. The metal frame assembly (without PV or battery) weighs 46 pounds (21 kg). I am now working on a redesign that reduces frame weight to 26 pounds (12 kg) and requires no welding. Instead of a battery cradle, the frame will pivot on hinges and maintain solar panel angle with an adjustable strut attached to the axle in the back. I used aluminum for the support braces and U-bolts for attachment to the frame. Perhaps a method for monitoring the load could be integrated into the unit. Under certain conditions, the battery box casts a small shadow on the bottom of the panel. It could be fixed with some adjustment to the cradle mount design. The second generation of my solar-electric generator does not have this problem, since the battery assembly remains in a fixed position. Portable Solar Power In the shed, I regularly operate a fluorescent shop lamp (40 watts), a Sony CD stereo system (20 watts), and a 41

5 Muckey Solar-Electric Generator Parts List Item Cost (US$) Photowatt PWX400 PV panel $160 Kirkland 27 series battery,115 AH 48 Statpower 300 watt inverter 40 Hand truck, 500 pound capacity 32 Metal pieces, misc. 30 Lyncom charge controller 30 Goldeneye battery gauge 25 Casco 12 V outlet 15 Fuse, switch, misc. electrical 10 Attwood battery case 7 Total $397 soldering gun (10 watts). During a weekend, I typically run the lighting and stereo for six hours each day along with intermittent use of the soldering gun. I occasionally bring out a small TV (55 watts) to watch a game while I work. Most of my 110 volt AC power tools exceed the output capabilities of the Statpower 300. However, I have charged cordless batteries for lawn equipment as needed. Overall, this project was fun, and I learned a lot about generating solar energy on a small scale. I gained a wealth of knowledge for the project from several Home Power magazine articles and advertisers. Home Power is a great resource for projects of this nature. I m using information from recent editions in preparation for a couple of other renewable energy projects. By the way, my dog seems to have developed a good relationship with the PV powered generator she actually chases birds away from it! Access Tom Muckey, 1508 S. Jenifer Ave., Glendora, CA tmuckey@yahoo.com Solatron Technologies Inc., aka Solar On Sale, Valley Blvd., Suite 219, Bloomington, CA or Fax: sales@solaronsale.com PV and controller The Solar Electric Independent Home Book, 1998, US$19.95 postpaid from New England Solar Electric, Inc., 401 Huntington Rd., Worthington, MA or Fax: nesolar@newenglandsolar.com Matrix Solar Technologies, Inc., 7500 Meridian Place NW, Albuquerque, NM, Fax: Product information 42 Home Power #86 December 2001 / January 2002