Here is a few photos of my bearing. Nothing fancy but 4 for the price of.

sOLARcOMPLETE.pdf

This is a pdf of the casing and gear. I did the drawings so please spare a thought I am no mechanical draftsman or designer.. The current bottom bearing I am in the process of replacing with my own bearing the photos above.  I also made a tool to bend the plates and hopefully I will get it on Tuesday. This bearing increases the stability and in the storms it is a lot safer.

Please any ideas improvements thought help guide criticisms and comment even joke will be appreciated.

sOLARcOMPLETE.pdf

Edited September 22, 20187 yr by Erastus

1 hour ago, Erastus said:

I will give you a short overview about how and why I did it.

The frame is R4700. I live opposite the sea so I had to get i galvanized that was another +/- R2000.  The frame I was suggested to use by installers would have been  between R4K and 5K and would have never lasted . I do not have a roof where it must be mounted. The gear and bearings +/- R 2500. Depending what two motors you want it was given to me.  One can use a small motorbike/generator start motor or....  The frame is designed for 16 Panels and I can push it to 24 panels strengthening my vertical mounts and then I need to change my mounting point.
16 Panels = 26 - 28 panels.  I paid R 1300 each for 260 Watt X 8.  My Solar charger (bulk charger and pwm 320 amp) with solar tracker. I designed. That costed me +/- R 1000.  6 panels I bought second hand for R1000 each 18 months this guy was convinced he needed 340Wpanels and I smiled tried to convince him its a waste but then I said thank you sir.

If you want to compare do not look at the tracker only look at the system:

My system                                                                    Suggested

8 panels          R  8 600                                               14 350Watt              R 42 000

controler         R  1 000                                                2        R 1800            R  3 600   and this exclude any other stuff.

Gear                 R  3 000                                                                                     000

Odds               R  2 000                                                                                    R 1 500

Frame             R 7 000                                                                                     R 4 500

Inve 3k5VA     R 3 000                                                                                     R ??????                     

Total              R 24 600                                                                                    R 51 600              

 

And a lot of told offs as people thought I am stupid and crazy ( I can't argue this)             

This compares to 12 panels mppt ......
The controller disconnect the solar from the load and the panels.

A small algorithm then measures the amps from the panels compare it to the Vbat and can check the Voltage Current relation with the total current used from the batteries and put back into the batteries to determine the state of the batteries. Therefore I do not require fancy equipment. If I need to replace this with what is recommended on this forum to make sure all works I would love to know what it will cost me. But I am sure not what I paid for.

In my case I looked at what was offered and recommended and did what makes electronic sense. I also then expanded the controller to control my swimming pump and other equipment.

We bought 20 inverters that is why the price was so nice. For me I do not know much about solar but electronics a little. The equipment what was suggested and the cost did not make sense to me. So I did my own. I took the cct of an old battery charger I dev a few years back adapted it for solar with pwm and never looked back.

You will see I asked many questions and still don't understand the need for all the electronics.

For me I do not believe you need all the equipment people are talking about THAT IS ME.

I took time to do all the bearing designs and casing. Got engineers to look at the design, stability and I have COC for installation, design and certificate for electricity and applied by Nersa as SSEG. Last week I signed the contract with CoCT and I am approved to push back in the grid. I have also now applied to get my inverter SABS and NERSA approved.  The reason is simple. I want to push back double the 10KVA so I sell what I can and reuse so I always get back.  The (new) inverter 2000W cost is +/- R 3000. And yes it has everything build in it and is grid tie also off grid.
If it works well then I will install a few at my home and hopefully help some people to save on electricity.

When I look what is suggested and what it cost me I am embarrassed to compare my system with what is talked on the forum. One thing I can assure you you will not beat my power I harvest and the way I charge my batteries. 

My actual capital lay out was +/- R 45000 because I burned a few wholes in my desk and made a few wrong designs. But now I have a very nice system.  Does not have all the fancy stuff but I do not believe I need it. My system been working for 3 years now. Currently I am redoing my tracker with my own bearings. Should have my bearing and plates. Tuesday I can check that the stainless is been lazer cut. Hopefully Tuesday is Christmas. Little nervous but still excited.

 

I do not believe I can harvest the same power and handle the stuff more cost effective.
 

Thanx for sharing the info. It sounds like a fun project. 

Forgive the rust. They told me this new paint is brilliant but this prove it is not. I normally use "red lead". If I get my new plates on Tuesday I will replace this test bearing with the new one. If the design is ok I will then get this galvanized.

2 minutes ago, Erastus said:

Forgive the rust. They told me this new paint is brilliant but this prove it is not. I normally use "red lead". If I get my new plates on Tuesday I will replace this test bearing with the new one. If the design is ok I will then get this galvanized.

I take it Stainless Steel is more expensive than metal + galvanization ?

1 minute ago, SilverNodashi said:

I take it Stainless Steel is more expensive than metal + galvanization ?

Not everyone can weld stainless. Therefore it is difficult to get the stainless stuff and then 6 * the price.  The reason why I do not galvanize immediately is not sure it will work. Once I know it is working I replace all with stainless where ever I can. The current "pipe" I am using is a 220mm diameter sched 80 pipe. It will last for years as it is not normal mild steel. The plum-blocks etc will soon be galvanized ad is a waste to do them in stainless.  If this is successful I will install about 50 - 60 x 24 solar panels. Then what ever I can use in stainless will be stainless. Less maintenance no rust less lubrication and stronger.
This is the development system if you wish.

The first attempt looked like this

The bearings I was quoted R 1800 per bearing and it was to much. I then approached engineers and they all told me I lost it to manufacture my own and could not get going. I bought a small one +/- R300 tried it and then realized it is actually simple. I do 1 revolution per day. I do not have to worry about heat and .....

Got my trial system made of "tufnol" and tested the bearing. I could not believe it worked totally shocked.  The total weight of my frame is +/- 250 Kg and the 8 panels 160Kg = 410Kg keep the change. I stand and with my small finger I can turn my panels. Now I got the bearing made from stainless plates with a tool to press bend the plate.

It is a very nice project and I must admit I enjoyed doing it and saving +/- R100K on a shop system and I should easily push back enough for free electricity and some change to buy a bread or 2

1 hour ago, Erastus said:

The bearings I was quoted R 1800 per bearing and it was to much. I then approached engineers and they all told me I lost it to manufacture my own and could not get going. I bought a small one +/- R300 tried it and then realized it is actually simple. I do 1 revolution per day. I do not have to worry about heat and .....

Got my trial system made of "tufnol" and tested the bearing. I could not believe it worked totally shocked.  The total weight of my frame is +/- 250 Kg and the 8 panels 160Kg = 410Kg keep the change. I stand and with my small finger I can turn my panels. Now I got the bearing made from stainless plates with a tool to press bend the plate.

It is a very nice project and I must admit I enjoyed doing it and saving +/- R100K on a shop system and I should easily push back enough for free electricity and some change to buy a bread or 2

+1

The one thing you didn't include in your costs is time. I'm pretty sure that wasn't just one or two days of work :-) It does help when the labor is free, so to speak, but that's another reason I far prefer the aluminum frame of my last array compared to the steel frames I made before. The more expensive material cost is more than made up for in the saved time. 

Edited September 22, 20187 yr by plonkster

Wow Erastus. Respect. 

You as I do not accept prices quoted. We have our own price in my mind.

1 hour ago, plonkster said:

The one thing you didn't include in your costs is time. I'm pretty sure that wasn't just one or two days of work :-) It does help when the labor is free, so to speak, but that's another reason I far prefer the aluminum frame of my last array compared to the steel frames I made before. The more expensive material cost is more than made up for in the saved time. 

Was / Is not that  difficult one of my easiest projects I have done. 

My biggest waste of time was to understand how a solar system of R130K can be replaced with one of R30K. Then my biggest shock when I did not fully understand the solar panel in series actually goes to 66 - 68V. I designed wrong burn a whole in my desk and had to wait for the smoke to clear the house. I actually thought I put the house on fire. But then thanks to melamine it take more to burn. I waited +/- 3 hours for the smoke to clear properly.

I could not understand what I am doing wrong and why mine is working and cost nothing.

I doubted it to such an extend that my first inverter was second hand, my solar panels second hand that if I am wrong I do not loose to much.

The second hand inverter is still an the rack somewhere and if not rusted will still work. Somebody threw some 600W pure sine wave away and I took it.

And then I realize the nonsense I listen too.

Then to filter through make believes and get down to electronics what is important and what do you need to do it successfully.
Then when ever I talked to people it was made so difficult you need this and that and then 2 of this... I was confused.

The few bits and pieces is working and it does not make sense what others are explaining.
But then if one think solar it is actually very simple and a no-brainer.

1. Charge the batteries properly with Max Power in mind and your batteries will last very long. The most important part of an off grid system. Treat your batteries like your girlfriend an not your mother in law.
2. Make sure you have enough panels to harvest what you need.
3. Don't waste money on fancy equipment do it right the first time.

Simple an inverter is nothing but a low frequency high power audio amp with very good protection. Cycling at .1mS it becomes very easy.

After that the MOSFETS do the work simple and put a filter or 2 in.

Once I actually got through the sales pitches I was very angry with myself for the time wasted listening to why I should have equipment that you do not need or is designed to compensate for a mismatch system.

The design part is very easy the SABS part is going to be the difficult one.

In short for aluminum if you don't use it where I live it rusts. Even plastic.  Bought very expensive aluminum door handles due to not rusting ... Then you stand with it in your hand. It rusts too. And the past three winters we had very strong winds my veranda is still missing. Now I have a stainless steel one and will not have an aluminum  again

 

Thanks for your comments. If I live where I do not face these strong winds I will use aluminum no doubt.

 

Edited September 22, 20187 yr by Erastus

1 hour ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

Wow Erastus. Respect. 

You as I do not accept prices quoted. We have our own price in my mind.

Why the confused emoji?

Not sure what you mean with   " You as I do not accept prices quoted "

8 hours ago, Erastus said:

Not sure what you mean with   " You as I do not accept prices quoted "

You where quoted for a solar system, which you questioned, you then applied your mind and got it at a price that you deemend reasonable, best value for you, right, and then you did  it.

I do the same, even more so when I'm told "it is the going rate". Then I shop even harder.

On 2018/09/22 at 2:03 PM, plonkster said:

The one thing you didn't include in your costs is time. I'm pretty sure that wasn't just one or two days of work :-) It does help when the labor is free, so to speak, but that's another reason I far prefer the aluminum frame of my last array compared to the steel frames I made before. The more expensive material cost is more than made up for in the saved time. 

Aluminum reason why I don't use it where I live

Edited September 23, 20187 yr by Erastus

50 minutes ago, Erastus said:

Aluminum reason why I don't use it where I live

It really depends on the grade/alloy you use. Consider that the frame of the solar panel is made of aluminium and those things are designed to las 25+ years! If you use the same grade of aluminium it's got to be resistant to the weather (and if not, well then your PV panels are done for too).

I'm not an expert here, but from what little I've seen you get various mixtures that might make them easier to cast/machine, but isn't necessarily good against corrosion. If you have more aluminium in the mix, it should hold up fairly well. It corrodes and forms aluminium oxide on the surface, and then this oxide on the surface actually protects the rest of the material.

Stainless steel is interesting in its own right. What they do is stick a layer of chromium on top of it, but this chromium in itself also oxidises so you end up with a layer of chromium oxide at the top (though this is too thin to prevent galvanic corrosion). This is particularly important when you start bolting things together. It is fairly common practice to use stainless steel bolts with aluminium. Their galvanic indexes differ, so in severe weather it might be a bad idea, or you have to add a washer to isolate the bolt from the material, but in general it's okay when you have large surface areas of aluminium against small areas of stainless steel.

The main reason I moved to an aluminium rail is simply that where I live the galvanic corrosion risks between the aluminium frames of the panel and steel of any kind (galvanised steel has an even higher galvanic index) would be a much bigger problem. Back when I built it, I was actually concerned about which bolts to use. I eventually opted for stainless steel. I'm about 10km from the sea, so there's definitely a low level of salty moisture in the air, depending on how the wind blows, but I must tell you that even the galvanised bolts I used here and there holds up fairly well for the first few years :-)

On 2018/09/18 at 6:36 PM, plonkster said:

No argument there. I'm saying that if you add an MPPT as well you will do even better.

My best day was actually last year when I made almost 12kwh on a particular day. But there is no point in splitting hairs. With a stationary array you can make 5kwh-6kwh for every 1kwp of PV panels you have. With a tracker it's over 7. So none of this is really that surprising.

Sure, it will likely cost another 10k (frames, PV panels, etc) to get to the same level of production... but no moving parts. Less potential for wind damage. I've seen the damage a bad wind does to a windmill. I've seen a 12m tower on a Namibian farm twisted up like liquorice, heads ripped clean out of the tower where the hold-down bracket was not installed. Not unassailable challenges, of course, but buck converters is more my expertise than steel structures :-)

I checked my different string as I replaced some software today.  Specifications are 8.1 Amp and the current harvested was max 32.1 amps today. Gives me 98.91%. I do not use  my batteries a lot. I run on Batt for +/- 3 hours a day else I dump power from +/- 13H00.  Hopefully I can get grid connected next week then I will adapt my software to push surplus into the grid.  At 08H30 I should be dumping +/-  650 Watt an hour and at peak from 10H30 - 15H30  900 Watts. The rest I use on my servers and house hold. Once I get the software sorted I will install another 8 panels same 235W ( I believe you only get 250 now). My inverter has an input range from 45 - 90V. Not sure how it will react below 45.  If successful with software ... and then see from there.

2 minutes ago, Erastus said:

checked my different string

I'm very glad you're happy with your setup. I still have trouble really making  sense of it, the fact that your panels make their rated current when pointed into the sun isn't too surprising. They are constant current devices, they do that. Getting a high "efficiency", that is current vs rated current, again isn't too surprising. If the work is being done at a voltage lower than the Vmp of the panel, you're losing power and you can benefit from adding a DC/DC converter to fix the mismatch. I am however well aware that you can build workable setups without an MPPT or even without a PWM controller (we had one on the farm in 1988 already, simple switching regulator).

When I think back now to the mistakes I made. I remember being very concerned with the power lost over the reverse protection diode. Back then it wasn't built into the panels. So there was this big 15A thing that got quite hot and clearly that was wasting power. So we built a system that opened the relay at night when the PV potential dropped below the battery potential. Little did I know back then that I gained no extra power at all... the panels simply pulled down an additional 0.6V and the power was lost anyway :-)

1 minute ago, plonkster said:

It really depends on the grade/alloy you use. Consider that the frame of the solar panel is made of aluminium and those things are designed to las 25+ years! If you use the same grade of aluminium it's got to be resistant to the weather (and if not, well then your PV panels are done for too).

I'm not an expert here, but from what little I've seen you get various mixtures that might make them easier to cast/machine, but isn't necessarily good against corrosion. If you have more aluminium in the mix, it should hold up fairly well. It corrodes and forms aluminium oxide on the surface, and then this oxide on the surface actually protects the rest of the material.

Stainless steel is interesting in its own right. What they do is stick a layer of chromium on top of it, but this chromium in itself also oxidises so you end up with a layer of chromium oxide at the top (though this is too thin to prevent galvanic corrosion). This is particularly important when you start bolting things together. It is fairly common practice to use stainless steel bolts with aluminium. Their galvanic indexes differ, so in severe weather it might be a bad idea, or you have to add a washer to isolate the bolt from the material, but in general it's okay when you have large surface areas of aluminium against small areas of stainless steel.

The main reason I moved to an aluminium rail is simply that where I live the galvanic corrosion risks between the aluminium frames of the panel and steel of any kind (galvanised steel has an even higher galvanic index) would be a much bigger problem. Back when I built it, I was actually concerned about which bolts to use. I eventually opted for stainless steel. I'm about 10km from the sea, so there's definitely a low level of salty moisture in the air, depending on how the wind blows, but I must tell you that even the galvanised bolts I used here and there holds up fairly well for the first few years :-)

I could not get a COC with  aluminum. Therefore it will be illegal on my roof. 50% of my roof is a slab and I had to do plans, engineer's certificate...   This frame is certified by engineers and I have a COC  and it is handed in by the council. Simple the wind loads to high for your style frame.  My problem is the neighbors behind me property is higher than mine. They damaged my property (they hate the solar) and I had them arrested. There was a guilty plea and fines. In order for them not to tamper with my equipment I had to double lock everything. When we had the electricity problems and I started my generator they sprayed it with water. R16 000 generator destroyed.

1 minute ago, Erastus said:

This frame is certified by engineers

That really is the end of the argument right there :-) When in doubt, ask the experts.

Mine is on the carport roof and it is fairly low down and somewhat protected from the wind by the building itself. Because it's on the carport roof, I get away with a whole lot more. If it was on the house's roof, it would be a whole lot different.

So apples and oranges.

That's the old solar array. It's made of mild steel and painted. The weather is dry so rust was not a concern at all. It swivels around by hand. Those are 12 x 33W Setek panels from Japan. I don't even know if Setek is still in business.

It's a little amusing how that entire frame is now a single panel about as large as my front door.

Just now, plonkster said:

That really is the end of the argument right there :-) When in doubt, ask the experts.

Mine is on the carport roof and it is fairly low down and somewhat protected from the wind by the building itself. Because it's on the carport roof, I get away with a whole lot more. If it was on the house's roof, it would be a whole lot different.

So apples and oranges.

I looked at your photos and understood it all did nice stuff (if possible I want to come and check it if I may). I did not want to talk about my bad experiences with neighbors ... But that normally then all make sense. I had a 50mm angle iron as a test. I have footage where they climb over and hit it with sticks. Crazy what liquor does to a person. The 50 x 50 x 6mm angle was deemed unsafe by the building inspector.  Need I say more ...? Terrible but I can't blame them they have a job to do. Me being a rebel in court I was told to get a "stronger frame and make sure you do it right with the proper papers"...  Was a court order else a R10 000 fine or 60 days.  Would you argue?

2 minutes ago, Erastus said:

Crazy what liquor does to a person

My neighbour had such a problem with the neighbour on the other side. Again, perfect example of how people can be so legalistic until they've had a "dop" or two in their bodies.

So the whole story starts like this. The plot between me and this upstream neighbour was open for years, and was finally sold. The house was constructed in such a manner that there are two dwellings on it, and for some odd reason in Cape Town whenever you have two kitches on the same plot you need the neighbours to sign off. Naturally we all did, because that's not the kind of thing we're weird about.

Then as they dug the foundations they struck ground water. Could have told them that... I have a well point just across the road and it rises quite high. So the foundations had to be underpinned and the entire house became a 500mm taller. No rules against that and nothing the neighbours could do even if they wanted to. But this lady on the other side was upset. She accused my neighbour of dishonesty, of disrupting her beautiful mountain view, this turned into harassment via whatsapp and sms... and then one evening, probably after a "kap" or two, into eggs being thrown at her windows.

Now of course eggs is nothing compared to sticks and stones, but I think the mentality is the same.

Now what really gets my beef about these people, whom we know well (they run a daycare center, our kids used to be in it), is that they are very quick to lecture others about what they consider to be unacceptable, but when it came right down to it they were hypocrites. Not to turn this into too deeply a philosophical discussion, but it has always struck me as very odd when self-described non-religious people can get so holier-than-thou on your *ss but fail to see the log in their own proverbial eye.

:-)

Got my bearing plates yesterday. Will share the new "process":
The new plate that was lazer cut then the cuttings removed. The jig to bend the plates used to center the plate at 5 mm. Mounted on the jig. Bend and populated.