View previous topic :: View next topic |
Author |
Message |
stefuel
Joined: 07 Mar 2006 Posts: 3353 Location: Green Harbor MA USA
|
Link Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 12:09 am Post subject: While you guys are dicking around with old technology |
|
|
I'm busy designing a solar tracking system to accurately aim solar electric panels directly at the sun for maximum capture.
It will even work on cloudy days as it remembers it's position for a spacific time of day. It updates and remembers it's last position every 30 minutes. So it will be pointed in the optimum position even if it can't see the sun. It works with as few as one panel or as many as the budget allows. We're talking lots of zeros here. And that's all I have to say about that.
_________________ Chip
A Barco is only a AmPro with training wheels
Card carrying member of the AVS chain gang.
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
AnalogRocks Forum Moderator
Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 26690 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
TV/Projector: Sony 1252Q, AMPRO 4000G
|
Link Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 12:14 am Post subject: |
|
|
Can you incorporate some HD-8's into the design?
_________________ Tech support for nothing
CRT.
HD done right!
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
draganm
Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 8990 Location: Colorado
|
Link Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 12:14 am Post subject: |
|
|
chip what arer you doing messing with that tree-huggging, hippy-loving, GREEN technology. Shame on, turn in your Republican membership card emmidiately. [/s]
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
jeffslife
Joined: 17 Apr 2010 Posts: 4181 Location: ohio usa
|
Link Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 12:17 am Post subject: |
|
|
Good for you, keep it up !
_________________ We are ALL job creators !
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
overclkr
Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 4227
|
Link Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 12:20 am Post subject: Re: While you guys are dicking around with old technology |
|
|
stefuel wrote: | I'm busy designing a solar tracking system to accurately aim solar electric panels directly at the sun for maximum capture.
It will even work on cloudy days as it remembers it's position for a spacific time of day. It updates and remembers it's last position every 30 minutes. So it will be pointed in the optimum position even if it can't see the sun. It works with as few as one panel or as many as the budget allows. We're talking lots of zeros here. And that's all I have to say about that. |
Thats awesome big dog!!!!
I would probably want to do other things as well if I had an Ampro!
In all seriousness, that is pretty damn cool. I wish solar wasnt so expensive. Would love to use it to power my whole house.
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
dvh99
Joined: 25 Dec 2009 Posts: 2158 Location: nederland
|
Link Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 12:38 am Post subject: |
|
|
what do you use to store the energy?
i read somewhere that the sun gives you 500watt per square meter, how much surface will you cover with the panels.
edit: whats the efficiency on the panels?
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
Curt Palme CRT Tech
Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 24296 Location: Langley, BC
TV/Projector: All of them!
|
Link Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 12:45 am Post subject: |
|
|
Forget the 1000 GM engineers. We have quite the group here. Price: PRICELESS!
Sounds like a lot of work, but very rewarding. Post some pix!!
Mind you, we don't have sun here in Canada, so if you can somehow harness rain and snow, you'd have it made up here.
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
cmjohnson
Joined: 03 Apr 2006 Posts: 5180 Location: Buried under G90s
|
Link Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 2:12 am Post subject: |
|
|
In my day job I design and build digital two-way radio communications systems. My largest single customer operates the largest open pit gold mine complex in the world.
CJ
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
HaydnG90
Joined: 22 May 2006 Posts: 1335
|
Link Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 3:23 am Post subject: |
|
|
And this has what to do with CRT projectors?
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
stefuel
Joined: 07 Mar 2006 Posts: 3353 Location: Green Harbor MA USA
|
Link Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 10:17 am Post subject: |
|
|
HaydnG90 wrote: | And this has what to do with CRT projectors? |
ACON technology
_________________ Chip
A Barco is only a AmPro with training wheels
Card carrying member of the AVS chain gang.
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
whats6x7
Joined: 04 Oct 2006 Posts: 5915
|
Link Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 1:40 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Which panel generates the most power . . . The red one, green one, or blue one? I'll bet the blue panel goes out first, doesn't it?
_________________ it takes a village, but not just any village—and certainly not the village of Corleone on the outskirts of Palermo, Sicily!
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
Gerbrand
Joined: 13 May 2008 Posts: 199
|
Link Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 1:55 pm Post subject: Re: While you guys are dicking around with old technology |
|
|
stefuel wrote: | I'm busy designing a solar tracking system to accurately aim solar electric panels directly at the sun for maximum capture.
It will even work on cloudy days as it remembers it's position for a spacific time of day. It updates and remembers it's last position every 30 minutes. So it will be pointed in the optimum position even if it can't see the sun. It works with as few as one panel or as many as the budget allows. We're talking lots of zeros here. And that's all I have to say about that. |
Just remember that on a cloudy day it is generally NOT a good idea to point the panels to where the sun would have been. It is better to point the panels straight up. The reason is that the panels then see the full sky, while when tilted they see part of the horizon. There is a guy in the Netherlands that explains this difference between direct radiation and global radition. Unfortunately it is in Dutch, but you could try the Google translation: http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=nl&u=http://www.siderea.nl/artikelen/hellingshoek2/hellingshoek2.html
Ideally, you would couple this tracker to the MPP tracker from your inverter. In that way the combination would always result in the maximum efficiency.
I will pm you about my consultancy fee
Gerbrand
_________________ BG1209s (color filtered,new LUGs!), 13000h
Bat cave
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
akajester
Joined: 09 Jul 2008 Posts: 934 Location: Wisconsin
|
Link Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 2:33 pm Post subject: Re: While you guys are dicking around with old technology |
|
|
stefuel wrote: | I'm busy designing a solar tracking system to accurately aim solar electric panels directly at the sun for maximum capture.
It will even work on cloudy days as it remembers it's position for a spacific time of day. It updates and remembers it's last position every 30 minutes. So it will be pointed in the optimum position even if it can't see the sun. It works with as few as one panel or as many as the budget allows. We're talking lots of zeros here. And that's all I have to say about that. |
This has been done so many times. These tracking devices are all over the place to buy. I was working on designing one myself that is microprocessor controlled but soon found it was a waste of time. With all the government and power company subsidies available right now, just have the darn thing installed with the system.
Dale
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
TheVerge
Joined: 19 Jul 2009 Posts: 928
|
Link Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 3:18 pm Post subject: Re: While you guys are dicking around with old technology |
|
|
akajester wrote: | stefuel wrote: | I'm busy designing a solar tracking system to accurately aim solar electric panels directly at the sun for maximum capture.
It will even work on cloudy days as it remembers it's position for a spacific time of day. It updates and remembers it's last position every 30 minutes. So it will be pointed in the optimum position even if it can't see the sun. It works with as few as one panel or as many as the budget allows. We're talking lots of zeros here. And that's all I have to say about that. |
This has been done so many times. These tracking devices are all over the place to buy. I was working on designing one myself that is microprocessor controlled but soon found it was a waste of time. With all the government and power company subsidies available right now, just have the darn thing installed with the system.
Dale |
They come with your solar array do they not?
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
Curt Palme CRT Tech
Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 24296 Location: Langley, BC
TV/Projector: All of them!
|
Link Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 3:25 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Way to take the wind out of his project (or his sun out of his panels).
I'd say that pretty much EVERYTHING has already been done, cheaper, maybe better, and certainly less time consuming, which is why I got out of building 'projects' decades ago. But heck, the alarm that I built in Grade 7 for my parents' house worked for 25 years, and never had a false alarm, unlike the 'pro' system our neighbors had put in by some shady company.
Thing is, buying something ready made doesn't give you near the pleasure of having designed or built something yourself, plus you learn something in the process.
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
akajester
Joined: 09 Jul 2008 Posts: 934 Location: Wisconsin
|
Link Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 3:39 pm Post subject: |
|
|
For sure Curt. It's always more fun to do it yourself.
This was one of the solutions I was going to try, until I got into microprocessors. This uses LEDs to sense the sun strength, very cool and inexpensive. You just connect it to some relays and it works.
Dale
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
Curt Palme CRT Tech
Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 24296 Location: Langley, BC
TV/Projector: All of them!
|
Link Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 3:40 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Nice! That's more or less a Wheatstone bridge, but it's driving a motor rather than a meter..
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
akajester
Joined: 09 Jul 2008 Posts: 934 Location: Wisconsin
|
Link Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:00 pm Post subject: |
|
|
The green LEDs are supposedly the best as they contain Gallium Phosphide. I never knew that LED could be used this way. Very slick.
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
Curt Palme CRT Tech
Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 24296 Location: Langley, BC
TV/Projector: All of them!
|
Link Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:01 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Me neither.. something to remember.
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
AnalogRocks Forum Moderator
Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 26690 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
TV/Projector: Sony 1252Q, AMPRO 4000G
|
Link Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:17 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Where are the red and blue LED's?
_________________ Tech support for nothing
CRT.
HD done right!
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
|
|