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"Daylight Drive" solar

Started by DMcCoy, December 01, 2022, 06:44:37 AM

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DMcCoy

Mainstream solar is grid tied or battery.
These folks are running 180 v DC direct from solar panels to power equipment. Hence daylight drive. Lights are run on some sort of iron batteries.
A very different approach.
https://livingenergyfarm.org/

peakbagger

Interesting concept, definitely reinventing the wheel. High horsepower DC motors are not cheap along with the associated switchgear. Most DC systems settled on 48 volts (less than 50 volts) to avoid the National Electrical code. Once the voltage goes into code territory, things get a lot more expensive to stay code legal. They make a fundamental assumption that varying power supply to equipment is acceptable for DC operation but not with AC operation. Yes, there is a need to have some battery capacity to keep an AC microgrid up, but by adding in a control network to match the power demand to the power available they do not need to be huge. AC drives have become pretty standard and once they are in the picture, they can nearly instantaneously vary power supplied to the driven equipment. Instead of batteries, supercapacitors are probably a better match for an AC grid with power control to major loads. IMO an AC microgrid with power control to major loads using standard components is probably more economical than a one off DC system. 

Folks forget, Edison invented a DC power system and even started installing systems with a lot of operating limitations tied to DC. Tesla and Westinghouse came to the conclusion that AC was the better option and proved it and that is how we ended up with an AC power system.         

Southside

I can remember DC battery sheds growing up, some of the batteries were dry cell, some were made out of glass, each camp, or farm if large enough, had its own grid.  History repeats itself.  
Franklin buncher and skidder
JD Processor
Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
Enough cows to ensure there is no spare time.
White Oak Meadows

peakbagger

Those DC sheds were usually full of "Edison Batteries", they are a different battery chemistry than the current flooded lead acids. They were made with Nickel and Iron Plates and used a alkali solution for an electrolyte.  Edison cells could last decades. Railroads still used them for railroad crossings up into the seventies. Usually,, the rubber cases were what wore out first, if the guts of the battery were moved to a new container they will keep running. The trade off is they are not very efficient for long term power storage and they guzzle water. They were popular with off gridders but the only manufacturer is in China and the cost to buy them and ship them is steep. I think most off gridders have gone to Lithium chemistries batteries as they require far less maintenance.   

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