Jun 30

Blackout Buster – Part 2

100mm! – that’s all it would have taken, just 100mm and there would have been no grief whatsoever! Even 50mm, or in fact 25mm, would have made life so much simpler! Grrrrr!

After swearing and cursing for 10 minutes I felt better! I had just discovered, when I started to install the cigarette lighter sockets into the portable energy box (let’s just call it PEB – I know it’s not a great acronym but…), that I didn’t have quite enough room for the push on connector on the rear of the socket. In the words of Agent 86, “Missed it by that much”. Up until then, things had been going reasonably well.

It’s taken longer than anticipated to wire up the unit as the space was a bit tighter than I would have liked (I’m blaming it on the size wood I had available rather than any underestimation of the dimensions required 🙂 ) and I used larger guage cables than was really necessary. But I can guarantee that voltage drop won’t be an issue in this system. The battery cables connecting the two batteries together are the original 50mm cables that came with the batteries, and other odd and ends, from the decommissioned PABX and are intended for  far higher currents than I will be subjecting them to.

The problem with the sockets had me stumped for a while as I had already made the cutouts for them, otherwise I could have bought a double socket assembly intended for under the dash and is surface mounted. However, after a bit of thinking and fiddling around and I was able to use a terminal socket to join the connector with about 5mm clearance. Phew!

After quite a bit of time the front panel was wired up including the combo plug and screw (banana plug) terminals for the regulator controlled lights. A quick test confirmed all the connections were good. I cleaned up the batteries and installed them in the box and wired them up. Those heavy cables were a bit of a struggle in the tight space but all the cables were finally connected. Now for the big test.

I flicked the circuit breaker and up came the controller lights and all the voltages checked out. I connected a 12V light and the inverter and everthing worked fine. Huzzah!

I still have to make the final termination for the PV and possibly put a cover on the front to help protect the exposed components but the unit is now functional. As a final test, I temporarily connected the PV inputs to my bench power supply, which I can set to mimic a 80W PV panel, and switched on the circuit breakers. The charge light came on the regulator started delivering 5A to the batteries and they were slowly climbing above 13V. I left it on for several hours and the batteries were charging well. I switched off the unit for the night and I will check the battery condition in the morning and then give them another few hours of charge.

I will install the final set of terminations over the weekend, tidy up the last tiny things on the box and run some more tests.

Overall I am very happy with the unit and it will be a nice addition to my set of sustainablility tools.

What do you think of this post?
  • Awesome (2)
  • Interesting (5)
  • Useful (4)
Jun 29

Blackout Buster – Part 1

Last week, after I returned from Timor, I was a bit tired but still fired up enough to start work on my updated portable energy box to replace the small, now inoperative, one I built some time ago (see this post for details). Then I got sick! Damn bug got hold of me and wouldn’t let go for three or four days. Anyway, I finally got around to it on the weekend and made the box ready for the batteries and the electronics.

I used some timber that I had lying around for the box, but I did purchase some circuit breakers to use in an existing four way fuse box. I have also purchased a couple of other items including some cigarette lighter sockets and electrical plugs to use as connection points for various items such as lights and an inverter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I toyed with the idea of mounting some wheels and a handle to move it around because it will be a bit heavy with two 38Ah batteries but decided to focus on the electrical side for now. I can always move it with my trolley when I need to. I had to focus on a few other things this week but I painted the box last night and now that it has two coats the box is ready for wiring up. I will wire the box up tomorrow.

The complete unit will have 76Ah of batteries, a 6A regulator that will accomodate around 80W of PV panels and a controlled output for lights, connections for a mains powered charger, two 12V cigarette lighter sockets (which will enable me to connect my small 150W inverter and other automotive gadgets) and one set of generic output terminals to connect other 12V equipment or a bigger charger.

Once it’s finished, I’ll provide some details on the testing and operation.

What do you think of this post?
  • Awesome (0)
  • Interesting (3)
  • Useful (2)
Jun 16

In the Chapel in the Moonlight

And Suddenly it’s over! This is the last day of the Solar PV training and my last day in East Timor!

It’s a day of mixed emotions, happy to be going home, but sad to leave such wonderful people and interesting work.

It was also a day of mixed fortunes as we only completed one the jobs today but we did complete the training and the student and teachers did a wonderful job wiring up the chapel.

As always, working on projects like this test your patience and resourcefulness and ours were certainly tested today.

We had a late start due to some last minute hiccups and then we needed to go over some training to make sure the students were ready for the installation. Because we were running late, the local shop ran out of food by the time we were ready to order our lunch and we were forced to send a car back to Dili to get the meals. Understandably, there were a few grumpy people in the team as we arrived mid afternoon still hungry and running late.

Things soon turned around once we met the local Padre and were offered coffe and freshly picked papaya, yum! Once we had a coffee and a chat the team got right into it and quickly started crawling all over the building installing lights in the chapel and living areas and the place was buzzing with excitement.

We worked until dusk and finally, in the fading light of a Timorese sunset, we switched on the system. The indicators all came up on the controller and we held our breath as the light switches were turned on…

…and then there was Light! Four lights in fact.

There were smiles and cheers all round as everyone went back and forth into the rooms to see what a difference the lights made. We were using 3W LED globe lamps and strip lamps and they put out a surpising amount of light. The system should perform very well and the Padre was very happy and thanked everyone for their efforts. He then suggested that he would like to say a prayer of thanks and asked us to gather round. I suggested that we use the chapel and his eyes lit up as he remembered that he could use the chapel at night and no longer needed candles or kerosene lamps. Needless to say, it was a very moving moment.

As it was getting very late, we agreed that the second system would have to be postponed and we proposed that some of the teachers would come back on Saturday to work with the students on the second system in the nearby village before getting ready for their training assignments next week.

After dropping off the students at their various communiities we went back into Dili for a celebratory dinner and drink. Then it was hugs all round and they were gone.

The program manager and I had a quick meeting and then I was on my own, in the hotel room packing and mulling over the last few weeks.The sights, the sounds, the people, the heat, the dust, the memories and the sounds of the wedding party in the reception centre behind the hotel that would continue all night and in to the morning.

That’s Timor!

Here are a few more happy snaps from the day, Cheers

 

What do you think of this post?
  • Awesome (4)
  • Interesting (2)
  • Useful (0)
Jun 15

One Step Closer

It’s day four in the training program in East Timor. Only one day to go!

Today we took one more step in completing the training of the solar PV teachers and students by completing and testing four DC control boards for our Solar PV systems. Tomorrow we are heading to the first of the communities to install the two selected systems. This will complete the formal part of the training for the teachers and conclude the PV training for the community students.

Of course, both the teachers and the students will continue to learn over the next few weeks and months as the program is rolled out across three districts in East TImor.

What do you think of this post?
  • Awesome (2)
  • Interesting (2)
  • Useful (0)
Jun 14

Seeing the light

Today the Timorese trainees saw the light during class.

It’s day three and the group have been doing some practical exercises, reading circuit diagrams, wiring up lights and switches and using the multimeters to test their wiring.

The students (and teachers) have been very pleased and excited to see their small lighting systems working correctly and the joy in their faces when the lights come on is a real treat. By day’s end, everybody is tired but happy. The students and the teachers feel we are making real progress.

Tomorrow we start work on the complete systems and will have four systems built and tested. We will pick the best two to install permanently in the communities on Friday as part of the final day of training.

What do you think of this post?
  • Awesome (1)
  • Interesting (1)
  • Useful (1)