2011/07/19 http://www.redrok.com/phrases.txt GIF transparentize http://stuff.mit.edu/tweb/map.html |------------------------------------------------------------ |----------------------- | LED3X HIGH POWER TYPE: | I no longer make the LED3 nor the LED4. They were | replaced with the much more capable LED3X series. See: | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#led3xc3 | The schematic for the main circuit is: | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#c3schematic | | The standard LED3XS24V is $35us assembled. | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#paypalled3x | Plus shipping of $4us. | | Or $20us for the kit. | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#paypalled3xkit | Plus shipping of $4us. | | Main features are: | 1. High current pulsed operation. | 2. Adjustable Duty Cycle control to slow down fast | motor drives. The average current is rated at | about 3.75A defined by the resettable PolyFuze. | 3. Parking function is standard. This occurs when | dark or in very cloudy conditions such as in a | storm. No-parking is only available with the | ReMote sensor versions. | | I also make a ReMote sensor, the LEDRM series. | This controls a variation of the LED3X, | the LED3XS24VRM, $35us, power unit. This is an | LED3X with the sensors replaced with a connector. | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#led3xremotesensor | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#martinez | The LEDRM comes in 2 types: | 1. LEDDRM, $20us, a dual axis version to control | a pair of LED3XS24VRM power units. About 1"x1". | The package of all 3 components, the LEDDRMPack | is $90us Plus shipping of $4us. | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#paypalleddrmpack | 2. LEDSRM, $10us, a single axis version to control | one LED3XS24VRM power unit. About .5"x1". The | package of both components, the LEDSRMPack is | $45us Plus shipping of $4us. | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#paypalledsrmpack | | LED,D,RM,N,P,RI,RS,LS,PACK | [D,S] D = Dual axis, S = Single axis | The dual axis has a disk shadow blocker | installed for increased accuracy. | RM = remote sensor | [P,N] main axis (East/West) Park/No park | [P,N] secondary axis (up/down) Park/No park | [RI,] RI = Reverse Inhibit/"" = no RI | [RS,] RS = Remote Shutdown/"" = no RS $5us | [LS,] LS = Normally Open, NO, limit switches | [PACK] All three parts together. | |------------------------------------------------------------ |--------------------- | LED5 LOW POWER TYPE: | http://www.redrok.com/electron.htm#led5 | | The LED5 comes in 2 types and 2 voltages: | 1. LED5D5V, $44us, a dual axis 5V 250mA Max 1" x 1" | 2. LED5S5V, $22us, a single axis 5V 250mA Max .5" x 1" | 3. LED5D12V, $44us, a dual axis 12V 100mA Max 1" x 1" | 4. LED5S12V, $22us, a single axis 12V 100mA Max .5" x 1" | Plus shipping of $4us. | Or s special version for use with process controllers | 5. LED5DPLC, $44us, a dual axis 5V-24V pull down type Max 1" x 1" | 6. LED5SPLC, $22us, a single axis 5V-24V pull down type Max .5" x 1" | 7. LED5DPLC, $44us, a dual axis 5V-24V pull up type Max 1" x 1" | 8. LED5SPLC, $22us, a single axis 5V-24V pull up type Max .5" x 1" | | The LED5 series is not available in kit form yet. | They are difficult to assemble. | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | LEDSE ULTRA LOW POWER TYPE: | This a specialty single/dual axis tracker that | consumes as low as 50uA of current yet delivers | pulse currents of about 1A. This tracker can not | be made in a general form. It must be tuned to the | specific application and motors. However it is | virtually indestructible. | The LEDSE comes in 2 types: | 1. LEDSED, $44us, a dual axis 1" x 1" | 2. LEDSES, $22us, a single axis .5" x 1" | Plus shipping of $4us. | | The LEDSE series is not available in kit form. | They are very difficult to assemble. | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | LED3XS24Vc3 Standard Single Axis Solar Tracker | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#paypalled3x | $35us plus $4us shipping = $39us total | | LED3XS24Vc3KIT Standard Single Axis Solar Tracker kit | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#paypalled3xkit | $20us plus $4us shipping = $24us total | | LED3XS24Vc3RI Standard Single Axis Solar Tracker | with the Reverse Inhibit feature | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#paypalled3xri | $45us plus $4us shipping = $49us total | | LED3XS48Vc3RI 48 Volt Single Axis Solar Tracker | with the Reverse Inhibit feature | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#paypalled3x48vri | $50us plus $4us shipping = $54us total | | LED3XS24Vc3RIKIT Standard Single Axis Solar Tracker KIT | with the Reverse Inhibit feature | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#paypalled3xrikit | $30us plus $4us shipping = $34us total | | LEDDRMPP24Vc3Pack Standard Dual Axis Solar Tracker | with Remote Sensor, Parking on both axes | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#paypalleddrmpack | $90us plus $4us shipping = $94us total | | LEDDRMPP24Vc3PackKIT Standard Dual Axis Solar Tracker Kit | with Remote Sensor, Parking on both axes | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#paypalleddrmpackkit | $60us plus $4us shipping = $64us total | | LEDDRMPP24Vc3RIPack Standard Dual Axis Solar Tracker | with Remote Sensor, Parking on both axes, & Reverse Inhibit | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#paypalleddrmripack | $110us plus $4us shipping = $114us total | | LEDDRMPP24Vc3RIPackKIT Standard Dual Axis Solar Tracker Kit | with Remote Sensor, Parking on both axes, & Reverse Inhibit | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#paypalleddrmripackkit | $80us plus $4us shipping = $84us total | | LEDSRMP24Vc3Pack Standard Single Axis Solar Tracker | with Remote Sensor, With Parking | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#paypalledsrmpack | $45us plus $4us shipping = $49us total | | LEDSRMP24Vc3Pack Standard Single Axis Solar Tracker | with Remote Sensor, Reverse Inhibit, With Parking | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#paypalledsrmripack | $55us plus $4us shipping = $59us total | | LEDSRMP48Vc3Pack Standard Single Axis 48V Solar Tracker | with Remote Sensor, Reverse Inhibit, With Parking | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#paypalleds48vrmripack | $60us plus $4us shipping = $64us total | | LEDDRMP48Vc3Pack Standard Dual Axis 48V Solar Tracker | with Remote Sensor, Reverse Inhibit, With Parking | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#paypalledd48vrmripack | $120us plus $4us shipping = $124us total | | LEDSRMP24Vc3PackKIT Standard Single Axis Solar Tracker Kit | with Remote Sensor, With Parking | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#paypalledsrmpackkit | $30us plus $4us shipping = $34us total | | LEDSRMP24Vc3RIPackKIT Standard Single Axis Solar Tracker Kit | with Remote Sensor, With Parking, & Reverse Inhibit | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#paypalledsrmripackkit | $40us plus $4us shipping = $44us total | | LEDSRMN24Vc3RIPackKIT Standard Single Axis Solar Tracker Kit | with Remote Sensor, With No Parking, & Reverse Inhibit | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#paypalledsrmnripackkit | $40us plus $4us shipping = $44us total | | LED5S5V 5 Volt Single Axis Low Power Tracker | http://www.redrok.com/electron.htm#paypalled5s5v | $22us plus $4us shipping = $26us total. | | LED5D5V 5 Volt Dual Axis Low Power Tracker including | http://www.redrok.com/electron.htm#paypalled5d5v | $44us plus $4us shipping = $48us total. | | LED5S12V 12 Volt Single Axis Low Power Tracker | http://www.redrok.com/electron.htm#paypalled5s12v | $22us plus $4us shipping = $26us total. | | LED5D12V 12 Volt Dual Axis Low Power Tracker | http://www.redrok.com/electron.htm#paypalled5d12v | $44us plus $4us shipping = $48us total. | | LED5S24VPLCDN Single Axis Sensor for PLCs | with PULL DOWN Transistors | http://www.redrok.com/electron.htm#paypalled5s24vplcdn | $22us plus $4us shipping = $26us total. | | LED5S24VPLCDN Single Axis Sensor for PLCs | with PULL DOWN Transistors & 5k passive pullup resistors | http://www.redrok.com/electron.htm#paypalled5s24vplcdn5k | $22us plus $4us shipping = $26us total. | | LED5S24VPLCDN Dual Axis Sensor for PLCs | with PULL DOWN Transistors | http://www.redrok.com/electron.htm#paypalled5d24vplcdn | $44us plus $4us shipping = $48us total. | | LED5S24VPLCUP Single Axis Sensor for PLCs | with PULL UP Transistors | http://www.redrok.com/electron.htm#paypalled5s24vplcup | $22us plus $4us shipping = $26us total. | | LED5S24VPLCUP Dual Axis Sensor for PLCs | with PULL UP Transistors | http://www.redrok.com/electron.htm#paypalled5d24vplcup | $44us plus $4us shipping = $48us total. | | RI, Reverse Inhibit Module | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#paypalri | $10us + $4us shipping = $14us total | | LS, NO-Normally Open Limit Switch Module | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#paypalls | $10us + $4us shipping = $14us total | | RI & LS Module | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#paypalrils | $15us + $4us shipping = $19us total | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | PAYMENTS: | I like to use PayPal Quasi Cash. | My account is: | redrok@redrok.com | | Or, one of the PayPal links in my web pages. | | Or, use a Western Union money order and send | US Dollars. | | Or, send a check, money order or Bank Check in | US Dollars to: | | Duane C. Johnson | Red Rock Energy | 1825 Florence St. | White Bear Lake, MN | USA 55110-3364 | | I usually send the same or next day, (except for | special models). Same thing for checks when you | send me your address even before receiving the | check, (usually). | | I usually ship US Post "First Class Mail" in the US | or | "Air Mail Letter Post" outside the US. | Standard shipping to anywhere is $4us for any quantity. | | Phone# | (651)583-2265 day or evening Central Time in the US. | | But no credit cards yet, PayPal handles this for me! | PayPal also handles the currency conversions. | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | PAYMENTS: | PayPal is not presently available, | (Just got too expensive on my end.) | | Send a personal check | Or postal money order | Or bank check in US dollars. | | Or Western Union, | http://www.westernunion.com/Home | just email me the | Western Union Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN): | | Or MoneyGram | http://www.moneygram.com | | If you entered a query question please give | me the correct response answer! | | Please don't forget to include: | Your shipping address. | The part numbers of what you want me to send to you. | | I don't accept credit cards. | | plus | $4us shipping in the US | $10us shipping outside the US | to: | | Duane C. Johnson | Red Rock Energy | 12182 375th St. | Morth Branch, MN | USA 55056-6799 | | (651)583-2265 | | What are you building? | Be very specific. | Send Pictures or Drawings. | What is the tracking mount type? | Vertical axis, AZimuth/ALTitude? (Generally not recommended.) | Horizontal axis? (Usually for parabolic troughs.) | Polar axis, Right ASCension/DEClination? (The best.) | Possibly a Heliostat mirror? | What is being tracked? | PV Panels? | Thermal Panels? | Dish or Trough Concentrators? | What motors are you using? | How fast do they move? | How much time to move 180 degrees? | How much power do they take? | How much current do they consume? | Where are you located? | The Longitude? | The Latitude? | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | TRACKING MOUNTS: | You can build your own tracking mount. I like the "Tripod" | designs based on those of the Poulek Traxle. See: | http://www.redrok.com/electron.htm#poulek | And a particularly nice example: | http://www.redrok.com/electron.htm#gordon | My crude version: | http://www.redrok.com/electron.htm#tripod | | Dan Lenox's Solar Chronicles | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#lenox | | Or use a C-band satellite dish mount. Many of my | customers use them. PLEASE DON'T THROW THAT DISH | AWAY. Eventually I may convince you to use it | to make hot water or steam. Most of the hardware | is already there. Besides they are cheap to free | just to haul it away. See: | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#roberts | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#flores | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#parish | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#taylor | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#volvo | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#wylan | http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=0teJ5UCMPmY | http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=7EI6UWyKZb4 | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#scrapit85 | http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6vUADXQqqc | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#moleiro | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#cross | Or a vertical axis "T-Pole" | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#garrison | | Or build the polar or pseudo polar axis pole tracking | mount yourself: | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#lenox | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#bray | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#cross | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#kozlowski | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#mcintyre | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#pardell | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#plunk | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#taylor | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#west | | See a small mount: | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#dg240 | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#theismann | | Or purchase the pole tracking mount: | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#meunier | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#witherspoon | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | TRUE POLAR AXIS SETUP: | Here is a very nice explanation of how to setup a | "True Polar Axis" mounts for solar applications are | essentially the same as for the satellite dish guys. | "Explanation of satellite antenna polar mount" | http://www.satsig.net/polmount.htm | http://www.satsig.net/pol_ex1.htm | http://www.satsig.net/pol_ex2.htm | http://www.satsig.net/polar-mount-5.htm | and others on the page. | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_mount | http://www.geo-orbit.org/sizepgs/tuningp4.html | The difference is the solar application will have no offset. | The sun is a long distance away, satellites are much. | closer DEClination is the seasonal adjustment, a tilt | on the main axis. The example shown is for a dish but is | equally applicable to any thing needing to be tracked. | Once the polar axis is set it is permanently fixed. | | Lots of people have what I call "Pseudo Polar Axis" mounts. | These adjust the main axis to simulate DEClination. This | works OK for flat panel or low concentration, 10X or so. | There is considerable tracking error compared to the true | mounts. Error is greater near the solstices and zero at | the equinoxes. | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | GEAR RATIOS: | I generally recommend a total gear ratio of about 100,000/1 | or more, 300,000/1 is even better. This allows the use of | lower powered motors yet it delivers very high | moving forces. It also makes the drive move slowly. | I recommend the horizon to horizon time be in the | 10 minute to 30 minute range. | 30 minutes is preferred. | This is 24 times faster than the sun is moving. | | An interesting final drive is to use a large diameter | pulley with a chain around it. 2' to 4' is a nice | size. We don't need teeth for the chain as | | Note! Automotive door window actuator motors are | a particularly poor choice for use in most solar | applications. They draw much to much power | resulting in very fast speeds. Of course, you | could add a high ratio final drive but what | would be the point as these motors still take | a lot of current. | | A little better are the automotive windshield | wiper motors. Still excessive in power but are | much better than the car door window actuator | motors. | | Here is a very nice example of a large multiple | tracking mount system. | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#thompson | Andrew is using a windshield wiper motor al long | with bicycle derailleurs and a large plywood | "Not A Sprocket". The gear ratio is 58865/1. | | One of my customers drives 400 square feet of PV | panels, about 20' square, he said. He was using | high gear ratios, 300 thousand to 1, based on the | Grainger's 2L006. 4.5 rpm, 1217/1, 0.7A. 43in# | http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg/itemDetailsRender.shtml?ItemKey=2L006 | This motor only draws .7A at 12V or so at max load. | Systems like this are low power, but can deliver | high forces. Yes they are low in speed but the sun | also moves slowly. Slow is a good thing. | Another motor is the 2L003 | http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg/itemDetailsRender.shtml?ItemKey=2L003 | Here is an example of a PV array: | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#lancette | He is using a Grainger's 2L008 | http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg/itemDetailsRender.shtml?ItemKey=2L008 | The gear ratio is greater than 1 million to 1. | | Here is an example of a high gear ratio drive. See: | http://www.redrok.com/electron.htm#vdish1drive | | In the case of the LED3X series, faster drives | should have the "Reverse Inhibit" option to | prevent tracker hunting. This option adds $10us. | | Note! Satellite Dish Linear Actuators can be used. | However, they have some deficiencies. | I don't say these are "Good" motors but they are | just "OK" motors. For these reasons: | 1. They move a bit fast. | 2. They are usually used in a "Lever Arm" system. | This causes the rotational speed to vary | throughout the day. | 3. In a "Lever Arm" system 150 degrees is about | the most rotation you can get. They generally | take about 5 minutes is to move the 150 degrees. | | A big plus is they are readily available and have | limit switches built in. | | The industrial style of Linear Actuators are usually | much faster, (resulting in lower forces), and do need | the "Reverse Inhibit" option. It is much better to | use "C-Band Satellite Dish" actuators as they move | slower. | http://www.redrok.com/actuator.htm#actuator | http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Order/Motors/Actuators-PowerJack-Tracker.htm | http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Products/S/QARL-2436-HV-36-Moteck-Actuator.htm | http://www.venturemfgco.com/solar-actuators.html | http://www.venturemfgco.com/commercial-actuators.html | Note! These are usually rated at 24V to 36V. | When used on 12V they move slower but retain most | of the rated force. No damage will occur when running | on lower voltage. | | For model or school projects: | Tamaya make small reversable DC motors with gear reduction. | http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/category.php?sub-id=38000 | ITEM# 70110 5401:1 2 RPM $12 http://www.tamiyausa.com/search.php?q=70110 <---- | ITEM# 70103 http://www.tamiyausa.com/search.php?q=70103 | ITEM# 70121 http://www.tamiyausa.com/search.php?q=70121 | ITEM# 70167 344:1 http://www.tamiyausa.com/search.php?q=70167 | ITEM# 70188 79:1 http://www.tamiyausa.com/search.php?q=70188 | ITEM# 70189 661:1 http://www.tamiyausa.com/search.php?q=70189 | ITEM# 70190 210:1 http://www.tamiyausa.com/search.php?q=70190 | ITEM# 72001 400:1 http://www.tamiyausa.com/search.php?q=72001 | ITEM# 72002 18:1 http://www.tamiyausa.com/search.php?q=72002 | ITEM# 72003 65:1 http://www.tamiyausa.com/search.php?q=72003 | ITEM# 72004 336:1 http://www.tamiyausa.com/search.php?q=72004 | ITEM# 72005 1301:1 http://www.tamiyausa.com/search.php?q=72005 | ITEM# 72007 74:1 http://www.tamiyausa.com/search.php?q=72007 | ITEM# 72008 1428:1 http://www.tamiyausa.com/search.php?q=72008 | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | DEClination | | Manual Adjustment of DEClination | Actively tracking DEClination will add about 7%/yr on paper. | You can get 5% of those 7% by manually adjusting DEClination | 4 times per year. Here is an Excel spreadsheet to show the | details: | http://www.redrok.com/decadjust.xls | | Feb 21 = 0 deg | Apr 21 = +12 deg | Aug 21 = 0 deg | Oct 21 = -12 deg | | Here is an interesting method to achieve DEClination: | http://www.redrok.com/electron.htm#declinator | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | QUALITY PERMANENT MAGNET DC MOTORS: | | This explanation is not rigorous but is sufficient for | most purposes. | | Assumptions: | 1. The motor is a high quality permanent magnet DC type. | Such as in satellite dish actuators. | 2. The magnets are sufficiently strong | 3. The windings are low in resistance. | | Generally the voltage defines the speed and the applied | torque defines the current. These characteristics are | independent from each other. | | In perfect motors the speed, at a given voltage, is | constant no mater what the applied torque. Real motors | have some winding resistance so there is some loss of | torque at lowered voltages. But not much. | | The quality of a motor can be evaluated by measuring | the the stalled current. Stall current is mostly defined | by the winding resistance. High stall current is a sign | of a quality motor. | | Satellite dish actuator motors often have a stall current | of 15A to 20A. Of course, we don't want to run at this | high current as the motor can be damaged. However, the | LED3X was designed to drive these high currents until | the the motors come up to speed. | | Running currents can be between 5A and 10A at maximum | load. However, many actuators run at less than 1A when | the mechanics are well balanced. | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | 48V TRACKERS | Just a question about your selection of a 48V tracker? | I always have to ask, Why are you using 48V? | This implies that you may be using a high power motor. | | I normally recommend the use of 24V or 36V permanent | magnet reversible DC motors and run them on 12V. | The advantage is slower speed. The Sun moves very slowly | so the motors on a tracking mount should also move slowly. | I like seeing the mount take about 1/2 hour from stop to | stop. This is often done with a gear ratio of 100,000/1 or | more. This will still be more than 20 times faster than | the sun moves. | | If you do the math on your system you will find that the | horsepower needed to move even very large things at the | Sun's speed is quite small. Often as low as 1/500 hp. | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | LIMIT SWITCHES: | Limit switches are "REQUIRED" for the standard | solar tracker's operation. See: | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#limitops | These limit switches are required because the | standard tracker when parking at dusk moves to the | East or down position. The limit switches prevent | moving to far. We don't want to drive into a | mechanical stop which stalls the motor. The currents | can get quite high and the forces could break things. | | BTW, satellite dish actuators usually have the | limit switches built in. | http://www.redrok.com/actuator.htm#actuator | http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Order/Motors/Actuators-PowerJack-Tracker.htm | Make sure the limit switches are correctly set | so the actuator. mount, or the stuff on the mount | is not damaged due to mechanical over run. | | Here is a picture of a limit switch application: | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#lancette | | I have a special modification that can use | low current Normally Open, NO, switches. See: | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#rimod | It is built into the Reverse Inhibit daughter | board. While it works fine, I do not recommend | this as it is not failsafe. | | Burden Sales Surplus Center | http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?item=11-3115 | http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?item=11-2342-A | http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?item=11-3245 <--- | | or Google "tilt switch" | http://www.google.com/search?q=tilt-switch | | Special tracker versions with No-Parking don't need | limit switches. However, they do need "Slip Rings" | of some type. Applications of this type are for | applications in the far North (or South), boat, | or recreational vehicles. | | Basically, these NP trackers just stop moving when it | gets dark. They then just "wake up" in the morning | and head toward the sun. | | A good form of "Slip Ring" can be made from | 1/4" phone plugs. Especially the heavy brass types | that were used by old style telephone operator panels. | The 1/4" instrument plugs for electric guitars and | amplifier to speaker connections is another source. | | A good mount for RV and boating use is essentially a | form of "Lazy Susan" driven with a high gear ratio | permanent magnetic DC motor. The phone plug slip ring | is in the center of the Lazy Susan and may form the | bearing. | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | ROLLER CHAIN & SPROCKETS | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roller_chain#Chain_standards | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | MOTORS: | Satellite Dish Actuators or Dish Movers | http://www.redrok.com/actuator.htm#actuator | http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Order/Motors/Actuators-PowerJack-Tracker.htm | http://www.venturemfgco.com/products.html | Recirculating ball screw nut. | SuperJack(Pro Brand) 1500# 24" $154.50 Ball Screw | VBRL 3024 W Boot | http://www.redrok.com/actuator.htm#internet | Recirculating ball screw nut. | Venture Ultra Powered 1500# 36" $319.95 Ball W Boot | http://www.redrok.com/actuator.htm#skyvision | | On ebay search for "c-band actuator": | http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=c-band+actuator&_sacat=0&_odkw=c-band&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313 | or "dish actuator": | http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=dish+actuator&_sacat=0&_odkw=c-band+actuator&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313 | There were about 59 entries. | | or at local dumps and scrap yards. | | Satellite dish movers usually have the required built | in limit switches, rarely, without them. | | All Electronics Corp. | http://www.allelectronics.com | 6 RPM GEARHEAD MOTOR | http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/DCM-245/6-RPM-GEARHEAD-MOTOR/-/1.html | DC MOTOR W/ MULTIPLE GEAR TRAIN | http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/DCM-328/DC-MOTOR-W/-MULTIPLE-GEAR-TRAIN/1.html | 22 RPM 12VDC 80mA GEAR HEAD MOTOR | http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/DCM-353/12VDC-GEAR-HEAD-MOTOR/1.html | | Alltronics | http://www.alltronics.com | 37" x 28" - Giant Fresnel Lens | http://www.alltronics.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=22L005 | | American Science & Surplus | http://www.sciplus.com | Tough Gear Motor | 7 RPM at 12VDC, 90mA # 37739 | | BG Micro | http://www.bgmicro.com | | Burden Sales Surplus Center | http://www.surpluscenter.com | 1.6 RPM 12 VDC GEARMOTOR $20 | http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?item=5-1741 <--- | 2 RPM 12 VDC GEARMOTOR $15 | http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?item=5-1763 <--- | 16 RPM 24 VDC INLINE GEARMOTOR | http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?item=5-1571 | 18 RPM 24 VDC GEARMOTOR BUEHLER | http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?item=5-1571 | 47 RPM 24 VDC 1/30hp 1.54A 20in# 63/1 | VON WEISE GEARMOTOR | http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?item=5-1417 | | Electric Motor Warehouse | http://www.electricmotorwarehouse.com | 4Z832. .45 rpm, 2420/1, 0.3A. 40in# | http://www.electricmotorwarehouse.com/Dayton/4Z832.htm | 2L003. 1/2 rpm, 7189/1, 0.1A. 50in# | http://www.electricmotorwarehouse.com/Dayton/2L003.htm | | Electronic Goldmine | http://www.goldmine-elec.com | 12VDC the speed is 6RPM | http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G15492 | | Grainger's | http://www.grainger.com | 2L003, 1/2 rpm, 7189/1, 12V, 0.1A, 50in# $75 | http://www.grainger.com/product/DAYTON-DC-Gearmotor-2L003 | 4UHD3, 1.3 rpm, 6766/1, 24V, 0.16A, 50in# $89 | run this on 12V for 0.65 rpm | http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/DAYTON-DC-Gearmotor-4UHD3 | 2L004, 1.5 rpm, 1636/1, 12V, 0.3A, 46in# $75 | http://www.grainger.com/product/DAYTON-DC-Gearmotor-2L004 | 2L005, 3.4 rpm, 1176/1, 12V, 0.5A, 44in# $75 | http://www.grainger.com/product/DAYTON-DC-Gearmotor-2L005 | 2L006, 4.5 rpm, 1217/1, 12V, 0.7A, 43in# $70 | http://www.grainger.com/product/DAYTON-DC-Gearmotor-2L006 | 2L007, 8.8 rpm, 524/1, 12V, 1.0A, 41in# $70 | http://www.grainger.com/product/DAYTON-DC-Gearmotor-2L007 | 2L008, 12 rpm, 603/1, 12V, 1.3A, 40in# $70 | http://www.grainger.com/product/DAYTON-DC-Gearmotor-2L008 | 2L009, 17 rpm, 394/1, 12V, 1.4A, 30in# $63 | http://www.grainger.com/product/DAYTON-DC-Gearmotor-2L009 | 2L010, 25 rpm, 270/1, 12V, 1.3A, 20in# $63 | http://www.grainger.com/product/DAYTON-DC-Gearmotor-2L010 | 2L011, 50 rpm, 146/1, 12V, 1.1A, 10in# $63 | http://www.grainger.com/product/DAYTON-DC-Gearmotor-2L011 | | HERBACH & RADEMAN | http://www.herbach.com | 4 RPM Reversible DC Gearhead 24 VDC 0.2 Amp 70 lb-in Torque | TM97MTR3044. 4 rpm, 0.2A. 70in# | http://www.herbach.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=TM97MTR3044 | 2.2 - 4.2 RPM; 6 - 12 VDC MAXON Reversible Gearhead Motor | http://www.herbach.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=TM02MTR4569 | 24VDC 1RPM DC Gearhead Motor | http://www.herbach.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=TM03MTR4694 | | HSC Electronic Supply | http://www.halted.com | 6 - 12 VDC, 3 - 6 RPM | http://www.halted.com/commerce/catalog/product.jsp?product_id=21323 | | Jameco | http://www.jameco.com | http://www.jameco.com/Jameco/catalogs/c103/P111.pdf | 155012 2 rpm, 3000/1, .250A. 5in# | http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10001_10001_155012_-1?CID=PDF | | McMaster-Carr | http://www.mcmaster.com/ | | ServoCity | http://www.servocity.com/ | CHM-.45-12VDC .45 rpm, ???/1 .100A 50 in# 800inOzs | looks similar to the Graingers 2L003 | http://www.servocity.com/html/_45_rpm_offset_gearmotor.html | RZ12-3000-1RPM 1 rpm 3000/1 .95A 39 in# 619inOzs | http://www.servocity.com/html/1_rpm_gear_motor.html | | Stock Drive Products / Sterling Instrument | http://www.sdp-si.com | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | ELECTRONICS: | | All Electronics Corp. | http://www.allelectronics.com | | Alltronics | http://www.alltronics.com | | American Science & Surplus | http://www.sciplus.com | | Ax-Man Surplus | http://ax-man.com/ | | BG Micro | http://www.bgmicro.com | | Deal Extreme | http://www.dx.com | | Electronic Goldmine | http://www.goldmine-elec.com | | Electronic Surplus | http://www.electronicsurplus.com | | Fair Radio Sales | http://www.fairradio.com/ | | Herbach & Rademan | http://www.herbach.com/ | | HSC | http://www.halted.com/ | | Information Unlimited | http://www.amazing1.com/ | | Jameco | http://www.jameco.com | | Jaycar | http://www.jaycar.com.au | | JPM Supply | http://www.jpmsupply.com/servlet/StoreFront | | MPJA | http://www.mpja.com | | Skycraft | http://www.skycraftsurplus.com | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | TRACKER LOCATION: | It used to make more of a difference with the LED3 | tracker, which didn't park. The North Eastern | mounting position was at the highest position when | the panel stopped moving in the West at night. | When morning twilight occurs the sensor wakes up | earlier and heads to the East before the Sun | actually comes up. | | Anyway, the standard LED3X, which has parking, | would already be in the East in the morning before | the sun comes up. | | I don't think location is very important anymore. | | It is more important to make sure there are no | extraneous light reflections that can disrupt | tracker operation. | | That being said, the best location is probably in | the North East part of the system, (the South East | in the southern hemisphere). | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | WIND LOADS: | High winds are unpredictable. Especially a type of wind | called a "Downburst" or "Microburst". | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microburst | This is usually the highest survivable wind. | OK, tornados have much higher wind speeds but are not | survivable nor predictable. Hurricanes have very high winds | andquite predictable so the panels can be removed and stored. | | When I design tracking mounts I use the local building code | horizontal wind loading specification. In my locality this is | 10 lbs/ft^2, (90mph). In Florida this is 15 lbs/ft^2, (105mph). | I assume the tracking mount must withstand these winds in any | orientation at any time. | | I never use wind sensors for shutdown because this would | only give false security. Just make the mount strong enough | in the first place and you shouldn't have any problems. | | Some ask why not "Table" or park with the face in a horizontal | position looking strait up at the zenith. Several reasons. | 1. Hail damage is more likely in this position. | 2. Some want to move into the table position when a wind | sensor detects high winds. They mistakenly think they | can save cost by using a lighter mount. However, in the | case of a downburst, which can happen in seconds, there | wouldn't be enough time to go to the table position. The | wind sensor is just "False Security". Make the mount | strong enough to take any reasonable wind at any time in | any orientation. | 3. When parked overnight with the face oriented, generally | looking at the horizon, snow and ice sliding off in the | morning partially cleans the surface. (Of course, | periodic maintenance cleaning must still be done, but | the snow really does a good job until springtime.) | 4. Of course, with a dish it would fill with water. | Nice for the birds but bad for the reflector. | | However, it would be nice to record high winds if they occur. | Here is an excel spreadsheet that calculates the parameters | of a simple and reliable type of one shot wind sensor I call | a Ball On Pipe wind sensor. | http://www.redrok.com/WindSensorBallOnPipe.xls | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | DUAL AXIS SOLAR TRACKER SETUP | The standard way I like to setup dual axis tracking | systems is to make the PV panel or other concentrators | orientation to Park overnight in a position, generally, | vertical so snow, water, or leaves can be shed. Usually | this is means moving to the East and South in the | Northern hemisphere. Or to the East and North in the | Southern hemisphere. The notation on the remote sensor | is for the Northern hemisphere. | | There are 4 basic orientation combinations for the | standard remote sensor because both halves are normally | built for Parking. | | These sensors can be made as No-Park types also. | Or one side Parking and the other No-Park as required. | That makes for 16 different orientations and types. | | The first thing to do is remove the remote sensors to | initially setup the motors for parking the way you want. | | Each power unit has a small white square surface mount | indicator LED next to pin 4 on the main connector. It | flashes Green for forward and Red for reverse or the Park | position. With the remote sensor removed it always heads | to the Red or Park position. Make sure the motors are | moving in the desired Parking position. If they are going | in the wrong direction reverse the wire connections to the | motors going wrongly. The motors are now moving correctly. | | You may want to set the motor timing to 100% ON by | turning the small 1/8" square surface mount control | fully clockwise. Ok, while this is not fragile, it is | tiny, so be careful. It turns 270 degrees between stops. | It looks like a Phillips but its actually a small flat | blade screwdriver. CW is 100%, CCW is 0%. As shipped | it's set to about 1/8 turn from CCW for about 2 seconds. | | Make sure the limit switches are correctly set otherwise | mechanical damage to the motors, mount, or the PV panels | could be damaged, an expensive lesson. | | The LED sensors on the Remote sensor have been painted with | RED and GREEN paint to help understand which way the motors | will be moving. Again Green is forward and Red is reverse | or Parking direction. | | Rotate the sensor in such a way that the RED sensors are | orientated in the desired Parking directions. Now connect | the power units to the appropriate connectors. The notation | on the connectors have an arrow sort of pointing to the | sensor pairs with which they are associated. | | Hope that helps. | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | Southern Hemisphere: | | Dual Axis Sensor: | | I label the remote sensor in a way that when it parks it | moves to the East and South. In the northern hemisphere | this is an orientation with the front face somewhat | vertical, the preferred orientation. In the southern | hemisphere this would be substantially flat. | | To park in the vertical orientation do this. | | If you want to park in the East and North direction you | must ignore the direction labels and do it in a more | basic way. | | The sensors are colored with RED and GREEN paint. | Sensor pairs are at opposite corners of the PC board. | The GREEN sensor is the forward direction and the | RED sensor is the reverse or park direction. | | My suggestion for the southern hemisphere is for the | RED sensors to be oriented to the east and north. | And the GREEN to the west and south. | | Single Axis Sensor: | | Essentially the PC board is mounted up side down | with the GREEN sensor to the west and the | RED sensor to the east or parking direction | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | LOCAL BATTERY CHARGER: | The "Simple" charge controller was never meant to | charge the expensive system batteries. The simple | charge controller charges to a fixed voltage. See: | http://www.redrok.com/electron.htm#shunt2 | It was meant to charge a local battery to run the | tracker if no other power source was available. | | If you need a "Smart" charger look for high end | units such as the Trace C-40 or those by Outback | or Solar Chargers of Canada. | | To charge a local small wet cell lead acid battery | I recommend using a simple resistive trickle | charger. This is basically a resistor from a higher | voltage, such as from the PV panels, with a diode in | series with the battery. Generally the negative of | the battery should be connected with the negative of | the PV panel string. | | The trickle charging current should be less than | about 1% of the amp hour rating of the battery. | I.e. a 50Ahr battery should have a maximum trickle | charging current of 0.5A. OK, 100mA is probably | sufficient. In this case Itrickle = 100mA. | | To calculate the resistance use this equation. | This example is for a 48V PV panel system with a | single 12V local battery and 100mA trickle current. | Vpvnominal = Vbat = 13.8V * 4 = 55.2V = System Battery | Vpvmax = 22V * 4 = 88V | Vlocal = 13.8V * 1 = 13.8V | Itrickle = 100mA | | Rtrickle = (Vpvnominal - Vlocal - .7V) / Itrickle | Rtrickle = (55.2V - 13.8V - .7V) / 100mA | Rtrickle = 421 Ohm OK 400 Ohm is close enough | | Rwattage = Vpvmax * Vpvmax / Rtrickle | Rwattage = 88V * 88V / 400 Ohm | Rwattage = 19.36W Ok 20 Watts is close enough | | Don't forget to water this battery periodically. | I use junk car batteries for this. | | While this is an acceptable method it would always | be better to have an extra wire from the bottom 12V | battery in the system battery string. | | Or use a small solar panel to trickle charge the local | battery. A 5W to 10W panel would be fine. Or one of | the automotive trickle charging panels such as the | ones sold at Harbor Freight. | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | RoHS COMPATIBILITY (Basically No Lead): | At present my products are not RoHS compatible. I | know that if I need to make my solar trackers RoHS | compatible the costs will be considerably higher. | At present only a couple of parts are known to be | RoHS compatible and the solder I use is definitely | not comparable. | | Are you requiring RoHS compatibility? | | FCC, CE Mark, or TUV testing: | ( There are literally dozens of regulatory organizations | in many countries. Generally, if you pass the above | requirements you will be covered by them all. ) | I make solar trackers but I don't use micros because | the legal testing costs are quite high, maybe $10,000 | or so. I used to do this testing while I was employed | by Unisys from about 1980 to 2006. Some of my | competitors do use micros and they are really taking | a chance. However, since I'm one of the worlds | largest manufacturers of solar trackers I just can't | violate these rules as I would be one of the first to | get caught if I violate them. | | Yes, I have micro designs, but I can only sell these | designs to people who are OEM manufacturers as they | are required to undertake the testing anyway. | It's the law. | | An overview: | http://www.radioing.com/eengineer/ | http://www.radioing.com/eengineer/faq2.html | | These guys do the tests. | http://www.us.tuv.com/industries/telecom_emc.aspx?gclid=CNeFhefg5ZUCFQQrFQodUjBdew | And others. | | Generally you have to satisfy FCC in the US: | http://www.us.tuv.com/downloads/files/TUV-EMC-requirements.pdf | | You probably fit into one of these categories. | | Personal Computers and Personal Computer Peripherals | for residential use. | or | Other ITE and "Digital Devices". | | Both of these are governed by "Part 15 Subpart B,15.107,15.109". | http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2004-title47-vol1/content-detail.html | | And in Europe it is CISPR-22 as I recall. | | Let me break it down: | If the "Basic Clock" frequency is greater than 9.6kHz | you will need to be tested to make sure excessive radio | emission doesn't exist and must be done at a certified | testing site. You can't do it yourself anymore. The rule | of thumb is this testing costs about $10,000 if you pass | the first time. That cost should cover both the FCC and | CISPR requirements along with submitting the documents. | | Lets face it, virtually ALL micro controlled circuits | will have a "Basic Clock" much higher than 9.6kHz, usually | in the MHz range. | | Don't be fooled by some micros that have low frequency | crystals. The "Basic Clock" is still many times higher in | frequency but locked to a multiple of the low frequency | crystal. | | An example of this is look at the back of your TV remote | control and there is an FCC sticker. And virtually | anything else that has a micro in it. | | You may need to be tested even if you don't have a micro. | A digital device is anything that has a frequency greater | than 9.6kHz and employs fast switching edges, i.e. digital. | (Otherwise analog audio amplifiers would need to be | tested but they don't because there is no fast switching | going on.) Things that contain switching mode power | supplies need to be tested. | | Actually it is not to difficult to pass with carefully | designed circuits and packaging. | 1. RF tight enclosures so the "bad stuff" is contained. | 2. Or make sure all switching signals are filtered | with caps or edge limiting resistors. | 3. Many times 4 layer PC boards can help with all | signals on the inner layers. | 4. Keep fast signals near the center of the board | and not near the edges of the board. | | You have to sell a lot of product to justify the | expense of this testing. This is why I've decided | to sell circuits that don't require these tests. | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | THANKS: | Thanks %^) | I post about things with which I'm interested. | Hopefully others also find them interesting too! | My site is not exactly written as a public page. | It's more like a convenient record of the things | I have researched and done. A lot of people have | bounced off the things I have started. | And this is gratifying to me! | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | HELIOSTAT SOLAR LIGHTING: | 1 square foot of mirror reflects about 50W of visible | light power, about 42% efficient. This is a lot of light. | It's equivalent to the visible light output of about | 1000W of incandescent lamps at 4% efficient. See: | http://www.redrok.com/heliolighting.htm | http://www.heliotrack.com | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | ARE WE REALLY TALKING ABOUT A HELIOSTAT: | Hmmm, you mentioned heliostat. I have to ask to be sure: | (This question comes up more often than one would expect.) | Are you sure you really mean a heliostat? | A heliostat is, generally, a flat mirror that reflects | sunlight onto a stationary receiver or target. | Furthermore, the geometry between the Sun, mirror, | and receiver constantly changes throughout the day. | Dishes, Fresnel Lenses, Troughs, and flat plate collectors | are not usually heliostats. (Although can be placed at the | receiver zone.) Basically dishes, and other devices that | directly track the sun are not heliostats. There is an | exception, the Scheffler cookers: | http://www.solare-bruecke.org/English/scheffler_e-Dateien/scheffler_e.htm | This is a special case where the light is reflected along | the polar axis. Not much geometry change in a day but | there is seasonally. | | Or, are you actually asking about a dish? | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | Tracking Error: | Pure computer tracking is not necessarily | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | HELIOSTAT ARRAY MOVEMENT: | The subject of "single point tracking" of heliostat | arrays is a bit difficult to explain properly but I'll | give it a try. | | On a hard technical basis. All mirrors in a field of | heliostats move in exact synchrony. I.e. you only need | to track one mirror. All others then "move" in exactly | the same angular amount in 2 axes. | | The placement of the heliostats is completely arbitrary | in 3 spacial dimensions. Of course, some locations have | advantages over others. Generally they are mostly placed | on the northern side of the target in the northern | hemisphere. | | OK, there are some preconditions: | 1. All the heliostat mounts must be initially installed | so the axes are all accurately aligned parallel to | each other. | | 2. Each mirror should be circular but a square is close | enough. If not circular there is an error called | "Sagittal Error" and is maximized with Oval or | rectangular mirrors. The effect is the shape of the | reflected image is similar to the shape of the | mirror but it rotates and distorts throughout the | solar day. | | 3. All linkages, or the electronic equivalent, must be | made similar to the parallelogram mechanism so the | mounts all move synchronously. (Stepper or servo | motors are useful here.) | | 4. Before any synchronous movement each mirror must be | initially preset so the sunlight is reflected to the | target. | Note! This initial mirror setting can be used to | aim some of the members of the array at different | targets. These different targets can be placed | completely arbitrary in 3 spacial dimensions also. | Of course, some locations have advantages over | others. | | This works because after the initial mirror adjustment | the basic job is to bisect the angle between the sun | and the target. For any angle movement of the sun the | mirror will move exactly half this movement. Since the | movement of the sun observed by each mirror is the same | for them all they all move the same amount. | | This is best done by having essentially a mounting base | that contains the movement mechanisms. The mirrors are | then mounted on top of the bases and have mechanical | adjustments to aim them initially at the desired targets. | The idea is that the bases have the synchronous movements | with all the redirection in the mirror mounting. | | The true bisector angle can be broken down to a pair | of movements. One for each axis. | | There is another heliostat array, I call them | "Arc Heliostats", that works with a single point tracker. | This one is obscure and I don't think any were built. | See my patent page and do a browser search on this page | for "Arc Heliostat" to see some of the patents. See: | http://www.redrok.com/neat.htm | | In summary, single point tracking for heliostat arrays | are possible. In fact it's the norm, even on the large | arrays. Sure there is a computer that drives the stepper | or servo motors but just as described above only one | tracker function needs to be done for the whole system. | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | STEP BY STEP: | | Here is a website that shows how to: | Dan Lenox's Solar Chronicles | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#lenox | | 1. Get a C-Band satellite dish and mount, (the obsolete | big ones), and drag it home. See: | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#roberts | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#flores | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#parish | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#taylor | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#volvo | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#wylan | http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=0teJ5UCMPmY | http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=7EI6UWyKZb4 | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#scrapit85 | http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6vUADXQqqc | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#moleiro } http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#cross | 2. Remove the dish, (don't throw the dish away, it's | much to valuable to scrap. I'll convince you to use | it to generate hot water or steam, eventually). | 3. Dig a big hole and pour at least 2000#, more is | better, of concrete to set the pole. Don't skimp on | the base. | 4. Attach metal racks for mounting the panels. | Hint! Mount most of the panels on the back side of | the racks to improve balance. Since this is tracking | the sun there will be minimal to no shadowing. | 5. Make sure the dish mover limit switches are set | properly. Connect the motor leads to a battery or | power source to move it to the limits. This must be | checked as these actuators are capable of high | forces and can easily damage itself or the mount. | Caution! The tracker must NOT be in the circuit | when doing this as it will be damaged if voltage | or grounds are connected to the tracker outputs. | 6. Mount the tracker inside a plastic peanut butter jar | on the north east corner of the panel and even with or | slightly behind it to eliminate reflections. Protect | the plastic cover with paint or aluminum foil as it | is not nearly as good in sunlight as the clear jar is. | Try to orient the plastic jar so the tracker looks | at the Sun through the side instead of the bottom. | 7. Cut a hole in the lowest part of the cover when in | the parked position and insert a drip tube at least | 1' long. Use the very flexible "Silicone Rubber" 1/4", | 1/8" i.d., aquarium tubing available at pet stores. | http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752199 | Don't use the vinyl stuff as it gets stiff in cold | weather. Wad up some Nylon thread and push in the end | of the tubing as a gate to keep tiny spiders out. | 8. Connect the tracker to the actuators and power source. | You get a 50%/50% chance of getting the motor | connections correct the first time. If the tracker is | moving away from the sun, (an anti tracker), reverse | the motor connections. (25% chance of getting both | axes right for a dual axis setup.) | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | MESSAGES: | I'm camping this week at a resort. I will be | checking my e-mail account periodically. I will | be returning to home on July 30th in the late | afternoon. | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | I don't sell solar panels. | However, I do sell solar trackers. See: | http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm | | Duane | |------------------------------------------------------------ | | REFLECTIVE PLASTIC: | While space blanket material works great as an | emergency blanket it is not very good as a | reflective surface for concentrators. The main | reason is they are only 1/2 mil thick. | | Mylar is a rather stiff material and quite | resistant to creasing. However, space blankets | being so thin and packaged by tight folding | creases were introduced. | | They are also not as reflective as high quality | Mylars which are greater than 96% reflective. | | The same thing goes for gift wrap reflective Mylar. | | I have been recommending thicker Mylar, 2 mill for | dishes or 5 or 7 mil for troughs, that are sold by | greenhouse suppliers. See: | http://www.redrok.com/main.htm#mylar | Nielsen Enterprises has high quality reflecting | films at low cost. | http://www.mirrorsheeting.com | Hydrobuilder | http://hydrobuilder.com/grow-lights/mylar-reflective-grow-room-coverings.html | | I don't recommend gluing with hardening glues. | I do recommend using automotive front axle wheel | bearing grease to attach the film. The stiff Mylar | can relax to a smooth surface over a few weeks time. | | As a rule of thumb I cut the Mylar into squares | about 2"s per foot of dish radius. So a 10' C-Band | dish (5' radius) would use Mylar cut into 10" | squares. | | Or gores can be cut to a maximum width of about | 1" per foot of radius, or 5" width for a 10' | C-band dish. But squares are easier to work with. | | It is OK to overlap the squares a bit. Don't | worry about a few wrinkles. Don't "stretch" the | Mylar as this causes stress damage reducing | lifetime. The aluminum coating is stiffer than | the Mylar. | | All reflective Mylars will deteriorate in a few | years depending on the local pollution conditions | and weather conditions. Pine forest is hard on | Mylar and hot deserts are kind. But the stuff is | cheap and easily replaced with the sticky grease | method. | | There are some very high quality acrylic | reflective films such as 3M SA-85 and others. | However, they are quite expensive at more than | $2us/ft^2 and still have a lifetime of only 10 | years. | | ReflecTech | http://www.reflectechsolar.com/ | | Miro-Sun | http://www.mirosolar.com/reflection.html | | Aluminum foil is hopeless, it corrodes easily | and readily takes on permanent creases just | by looking at it funny. Not good! | | " Joseph Urban wrote: | | " I've recently run an experiment across 10 different | " adhesives to laminate Mylar (standard commercial grade) | " to a flat substrate (2.75" X 11" X 0.030 steel). | | " I used a Xyron, hand-cranked, cold lamination machine | " with rubber rollers to evenly apply the Mylar | " http://www.stickermaker.com/colastxy900.html. Each | " piece was sandwiched with wax paper to ensure a smooth | " surface as well as allow the glue to seep out without | " getting on the rubber rollers. | | " The adhesives were all gels (no double-stick sheets). | | " I tested the results by comparing the quality of the | " reflections at 20' as well as adherence quality to | " the metal. | | " General results: | " 2-ton epoxy provides an excellent surface quality as | " well as adherence. Shoo-Goo provided an equally | " excellent surface quality and adherence. 5-Min Epoxy | " provided a good quality reflection (less than 2-ton) | " and excellent adhesion. Any ABS or PVC adhesives | " provide neither acceptable surface quality nor any | " adherence to the Mylar. Vinyl glue provided acceptable | " reflection quality (less than 5-Min) and adhesion. | " Spray glues (i.e. 3M Super 77) all generate a pebbly | " surface, resulting in very poor reflections. Adhesion | " is acceptable, but de-lamination does occur at the | " edges when cut. Eco-Glue de-gassed when curing, causing | " large bubbles and then de-laminated from the Mylar. | " "Welder" glue resulted in a pebbly surface and adherence | " was marginal to the Mylar. | | " Generally, the more viscous the glue is the better the | " reflection. The glue re-flows after the initial | " lamination, providing a more even surface for the Mylar. | | " I've received a sample of the Reflectech material, but | " without their stock double-stick adhesive. I've made | " another request for a sample with that adhesive applied. | | " If I were to do the experiment again, I'd focus on | " Shoo-Goo and various epoxies. I'd also see how roughing | " the adhesive-surface of the Mylar with 0000 steel wool | " impacts the reflective surface quality. I assume that it | " would improve adhesion (especially at the cut-edges). | " I'd also try laminating to PVC and styrene. | | " I did attempt to run a sample through the metal rollers | " of a hand-cranked roll-former machine. Because the metal | " rollers have less "give" than the rubber rollers, the | " space between them had to be very precise for the | " characteristics of the glue. Additionally, the Mylar | " needed to be applied with tension to ensure that it | " didn't buckle and fold over onto itself, creating | " creases. Although I could have re-run the experiment | " using different settings to get it just-right, I ran out | " of materials and spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning | " epoxy off my machine and swearing. I also tried | " laminating to styrene, but the rollers deformed the | " plastic. Stick with rubber rollers. | | " If you are interested in greater detail on this | " experiment, I can gather more information when I return | " to my shop. | | " I already have a satellite linear actuator and now | " need a controller for it. But I'm not sure which | " one to get from you. | |------------------------------------------------------------ Duane
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