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Forum Index : Solar : My solar system
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vasi Guru  Joined: 23/03/2007 Location: RomaniaPosts: 1697 |
Hi guys, After a long time of no activity regarding to my windmill (family problems), these days I acquired my first "deep cycle" solar sealed battery (12V/250Ah). I have also a 12V/74Watt solar panel, aquired in December. Next days I will buy the cables and system will be ready and soon, windmill will be ready too. 
here 
here Hobbit name: Togo Toadfoot of Frogmorton Elvish name: Mablung Miriel Beyound Arduino Lang |
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Gill Senior Member  Joined: 11/11/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 669 |
G'day Vasi, Good to hear you are able to get back into your projects. I think family matters are the priority for most of us and projects must take a siesta when our attention is needed with the family. Your choices of battery and solar panel look good. With any renewable energy system it is better to use more than one energy source to keep getting input when one source is low or nonexistent, but of course you know this. Great to hear things getting closer to wind gen operation. That will be the best day. was working fine... til the smoke got out. Cheers Gill _Cairns, FNQ |
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| vasi Guru Joined: 23/03/2007 Location: RomaniaPosts: 1697 |
I finished installing and connecting control panel, battery and solar panel last night. At morning,was a cloudy day, solar panel producing a maximum of 13,8 volts. Now the sun is appearing from the clouds and panel have right now 14,65 volts and battery still charging (is almost ready). These days I will test the battery capacity to see how much I can use every electrical consumer ... Now the system is ready for windmill ... 
 Hobbit name: Togo Toadfoot of Frogmorton Elvish name: Mablung Miriel Beyound Arduino Lang |
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| vasi Guru Joined: 23/03/2007 Location: RomaniaPosts: 1697 |
The PICAXE08M controller is working nice but I think is something wrong with my battery. Is discharging fast (in minutes) from 14.4V to 13V having only the controller as consumer. Then, discharging is slowed. With controller on, it will not reach 11V (a limit when consumer is disconnected) all night and morning, when charging is started. Not connected yet a consumer, I have a cold because of the spring wind  . But I can see from my bed when LED's go on/off.
Today not reached a complete charging because of clouds. I'm curious to see how is working with the windmill... Hobbit name: Togo Toadfoot of Frogmorton Elvish name: Mablung Miriel Beyound Arduino Lang |
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GWatPE Senior Member Joined: 01/09/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2127 |
You have a 250Ah battery. You appear to have a 7805 reg on the picaxe board. Can you measure the current in the control board? I keep the current in any battery connected cct to <10mA/100Ahr of battery capacity. The voltage from 14.4-13.1 is only surface charge. The capacity will only really diminish as the voltage drops below 13.1V. I try and keep discharge voltage on my 24V system to above 25V. This is approx a 25% depth of discharge. Pb-acid batteries like to be kept charged at close to the float voltage, to achive a long service life. Deep cycling will reduce life. Obviously the battery is really only useful in a RE system if there is some degree of cycling. I would only worry if the battery spends a lot of the time around 12V. What voltage does the battery drop to over night? When are the relay coils activated? Gordon. become more energy aware |
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| vasi Guru Joined: 23/03/2007 Location: RomaniaPosts: 1697 |
Well, I need to make some measurements. Yes, is an 7805. I have an input available on PICAXE so I want to connect a switch for maintenance charging mode. Charging at maximum 12.8V - 13V ... The only data I have now (acquired before I get a cold) is about time of charging/discharging 13V - 14.4V - 13V having only controller as consumer. [code] volts 13V --> 14.4V --> 13V --> 14.4V -------------------------------------------- time 1:53 --> 02:31 --> 3:05 --> 3:49 [/code] Hobbit name: Togo Toadfoot of Frogmorton Elvish name: Mablung Miriel Beyound Arduino Lang |
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| vasi Guru Joined: 23/03/2007 Location: RomaniaPosts: 1697 |
The current is around 133.5 mA with two LED's (double intensity) and one relay on (maybe I must change the battery on my multimeter ...). Now I'm curious to see how my first controller (with two oamps 741) is working... Hobbit name: Togo Toadfoot of Frogmorton Elvish name: Mablung Miriel Beyound Arduino Lang |
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| GWatPE Senior Member Joined: 01/09/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2127 |
The relay would be the culprit. I design with double throw relays, so I can select NO or NC contacts, to avoid having relays powered unless power consumed would go to a diversion or is excess to battery needs. Gordon. become more energy aware |
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Gizmo Admin Group  Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5015 |
Repost of missing post vasi wrote..... My green LED died (double intensity - you can see, it still emits light)! Is connected at 5V with a 1K resistor. I lost also 10 white LED's double intensity, used on a LED lamp as here, the same behaviour as green LED. No data about those LED's ... Sorry Vasi, lost the picture. Could you repost it? The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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| vasi Guru Joined: 23/03/2007 Location: RomaniaPosts: 1697 |
Hobbit name: Togo Toadfoot of Frogmorton Elvish name: Mablung Miriel Beyound Arduino Lang |
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