testing the egs002 inverter board

[oztules]

Is that neat or what.....

Yes it is easier to keep the fets cool than a smaller transformer.

Interesting to push it hard to see how the thermal part works... but you will need a much bigger transformer to do that.

Billy..... 24v system will need capacitors to bring your current back to less than solar input. You would need 100amps to run 2400watt elements..... thats a big ask for solar unless you run lots like I do.

Get some motor run capacitors, and see what value works for you .... depends on how much water and how fast you need to heat it. If you spread your say 2hrs@2400w into say 8 hrs@600w as an example, you may well charge your batts and run the HW at the same time most days.... panel size dependent.

Mine runs@ 2400w for about 2hrs, but thats only 50 amps/50 volts, and the panels will pull over 100amps easily during the 10am-12am periods as a generality.... some days it is hard to keep level, and some you don't even get that in that time period, but over the day it always seems to fill the bank, and run the house and HW system...8-10kw of solar ( depends if I run part of  the gird tie or not into it as  well ).


..................oztules

[Phred]

looks great! Like method of the heat sink mounting the fins can protrude to another cavity for cooling with a fan and avoiding dust collection on the electronics .

[Antman]

Great idea Phred. Never thought of it that way but I have seen grid tie inverters set up like that with a huge passive heat sink on the backside.

With my new design all that it will take to mount is 6 holes tapped into whatever you are mounting to and some thermal conductive insulating tape. Then you just screw into position using nylon screws to keep the bus bars insulated from the heat sink.

[Phred]

As`soon as I saw your board design  this is what went through my mind......seen too many PC power supplies being no more than vacuum dust collectors. The major problem with the inverters like Sunny Boy, Aerosharp, Aspire.... is the heat sink runs horizontally along the top they should be mounted vertical to take advantage of natural convection. I have 2 dead Aerosharp inverters a 1.5 & a 2 kw on hand that can resurrect from the dead as inverters. 

[ClockmanFrance]

The New Boards.

The Board Unit is physical strong, compact, easy to get at stuff, and I have used parts/components that are easily obtainable and easy to source.

That's the single side OzControl board which I give the Etch masks in my Book, but there is now a Mk6 double sided board that is slightly shorter in length.

When Mounted vertically the unit is easily kept cool, I use the OzCooling circuit, is just right.

According to the French Post Office my New PCB’s have been in Australia for the week, so hopefully you should get them soon ………………..
‘Oztules’, the control card is the basic, besides the obvious  amendments, the 16 pin header is slightly wide by one pin, so you will need to angle them for the 8010 card when soldering up, sorry about that, but I could have sworn I double, quadrupled checked.     I have all amended now… Thanks.

[oztules]

Well the weather down in the roaring forties has been roaring with gale force winds for weeks really... mail has got through most times, but your boards have not surfaced yet... and looking forward to see what they are like in the flesh.

Have you turned it on yet??

You will find it easier and cleaner to use 10 pin sockets on the driver output instead of hard wiring the 10 pin lead into the board.... and less chance for mistakes.

My first 32 pin header spacing was wrong by one too... because I had no idea of the spacing on the cards coming from China... you may have copied that from my first pattern.... makes little difference as you have found.

Gee it does look the goods from here.


..........oztules

[billy]

Excellent work Clockman.


Billy

[Antman]

Nice work Clockman

Easily repairable in the field and looks very neat compared to the original PJ driver board

[ClockmanFrance]

Thanks Billy, thanks Antman.

'Oztules' ..... Yes that ribbon cable and connections worries me...... but I have used a thick core ribbon cable, supported with epoxy on the board. But then the normal IDC clamp end for the female socket needs/is hand soldered cable to connector. Yes okay for me but others?

I know its picky, but, Would a normal IDC cable be okay,? ... scary if we have a weak point on those IDC connections.

Running it, ....... still putting together my BigOzInverter toroid etc, other Inverters doing there job, Mrs banned me from messing with them as they work so beautifully.
Sadly this time of year things here get very busy, as the weather is getting better, although a frost this morning hopefully the last. So switch on with this baby might be a few weeks yet.

Steady now!, serious grovelling approaching! ......   Give those boards a good test please, if you would.  I think you have more stuff, and importantly a man of your experience knows more about this than anyone
 anywhere. Much appreciated.
Thank you.

My new Mk6 OzControl board, its a simple double sided, ready for the manufacture, with the "painting by numbers". Note, for single side board replace the Blue tracks with 0r/jumpers/links.

I have kept it simple, a few mods but in general as 'oztules' circuit. It needs to have the 86mm width, as it becomes part of the overall Inverter PCB's structure. 

 

[oztules]

Still not here...... dammit....

There are hundreds of millions of computers around the world running normal ribbons for many years... never heard of them being a cause of failure... so I guess tried and proven. Makes it hours simpler to construct the system, as the cable can take a long time to do manually, when it takes seconds to make the ribbon as  it was intended.... and virtually idiot proof in my estimation.

Would a normal IDC cable be okay,?... yes I reckon so.


..............oztules

[lighthunter]

"l put a capacitor in series with the line voltage, that cuts his element power from 2500w down to only 1000w"

Absolutely brilliant Oztules, I have 3 different 240v heating elements i use on 120 to select the loading i want. Obviously i am doing it the hard way

Bless you!

LH

[billy]

Lighthunter,

what size cap did you use?, oztules told me to do this as well but wasn't sure of what size , I have a 25uf motor run cap but haven't had time to test it yet.


Thx

Billy

[oztules]

25uf@240v system is about 90w driving 2400 watt element

55uf@240v system is about 350w driving 2400 watt element

110uf@240 system is about 950w driving 2400 watt element

At 110v I have no idea.

..............oztules

[billy]

thanks for that Oztules,

My tank is split phase , so one element is 120v , 2250 watts ea.

Billy

[johna]

ClockmanFrance
What are your plans for these boards. are you going to sell them. or put them up as a kit, or a complete board. i would not mind getting a couple as kits to put together myself if thats the way you are going.(i am to lazy to make my own circuit boards). When i get hold of a toroid to re wire that would be enough.
oztules
I live just south of you and the wind we have been getting is wow-full and out of season. we have never had autumn wind before. i have been expecting some of my panels on the trackers to be destroyed when i get up in the morning, but so far so good.
john