Recent content by revesz

The BMS is a "battery management system". It monitors the voltage of each cell and balances them. It also allows the charging and/or discharge current to pass through its mosfets, and can disconnect that current when voltage is too high or too low or if a single cell is too far out of balance...

Thanks for the reply! Can you say why you would not mess with the voltage from cell one? Do you think that I will be able to accurately measure amps using a shunt and arduino? I can adjust all the charge settings on the charge controller and BMS, so I will be aiming for a reduced charge...

I think I found a better way to give the ON/OFF state signal to the arduino. There is a remote momentary switch that connects to the inverter using a RJ11 connection and a push button momentary switch. The cable has 4 wires, Black: gives constant 24V output Red: sensor to detect momentary...

I'm also facing a bit of a challenge in how I will turn off my inverter when the battery voltage is low. Because I am using LiFePo4 batteries, and because I also want to extend the lifespan of these batteries as much as possible, I would like to have control over the voltage at which the...

So I hit a bit of a snag in my plan. I had intended the charge controller to switch dump load on to divert extra energy to heat water when batteries are full. Turns out that the Victron charge controller that I spent a lot of money on doesn't have this feature(even though it's common on all...

I took a course relating to this sort of thing a few months ago. The topic was "Dynamics of Machines". You can break this problem down and get to the solution, using techniques that have been developed. Here's a course a found online that will certainly have the technique in it somewhere, I...

We've already got the panels in place. They are sitting facing southwest about 20 degrees west of true south as that was the best angle we could get. They are also tilted to about 30 degrees off horizontal, which was just the angle of the roof we mounted to. Maybe not perfect but should work...

At optimal angle to horizontal, for your latitude and time of year, there is a single angle if you do not have the lazy susan. The sun should move through a plane at perpendicular to the plane of the panel. The sun should pass through a point normal to the panel at high noon. With the panel...

Yes I agree. Not having a clear goal, budget, or understanding of motivation does make this challenging. I am going to propose that the system be capable of providing 100W power 24/7 under 90% of weather conditions. That is a clear mathematical goal that i can design for.

So I am breaking this project into three phases: Phase 1: spec and buy all the parts of a typical solar installation Phase 2: Install, debug, test etc. the solar panels. Have the system up and functioning as a source of power Phase 3: Purchase a water heater tank. Modify it...

The idea of a heat exchanger and a pump is interesting. I will continue to look into that. It could mean not having to cut into the side of the water heater. It could also mean I can vary the rate of heat output from the tank by adjusting the water pump speed. My only concern with that...

Thanks for all these replies. I think I am getting a pretty good idea of what I want to achieve. I like the idea of using an old water tank. If I can buy a used one in decent quality it may help save some money. I want the majority of the surface to be well insulated. I'm thinking lay the...

It's not my chicken coop. It is my dad's. He wants to do something to help them keep warm. I don't think tangible results are his priority, as much as him satisfying his curiosity of solar panels, and knowing that he did something to spoil his prized chickens. Chickens don't actually need a...

I'm at all expecting to keep the coop "warm". But hopefully can keep one small section of the coop above freezing temperature. My dad is the one who wants to have this project done, and he is convinced that it is worthwhile. He knows that it will not make the coop warm but only add a few...

I have considered the water heating panels as well. For this project I want to focus on using only PV panels. The coop is not expected to be kept as warm as say a house, and I think it is likely that the liquid in the system will freeze(i'm in Canada). Antifreeze could be used, but I'd...