Transcript Low Cost Alternative Energy Lab

Low Cost Alternative Energy Lab
Fall 2011 Meeting of WAPT
By
Roger Hanke –NTC (Retired)
Goals
• Provide Hands-on Experience With Solar
Power
• Introduce Students to Basic Terminology
Associated with Solar Panels
• Provide Students with a Lab Experience that
Differentiates between Published Data and
Real Life Data
• Provide Students an Outside Lab in Spring
Challenges
• Cost
– Firmly believe in small lab groups (four or less)
• Storage Space
Solar Panels from Northern Tool
Polycrystalline (item #336608)
• 11 watts
• 12 volts
• $99.99 ($79.99)
Amorphous (item #121186)
• 5 watts
• 12 volts
• $59.99
Final Lab Setup
• Polycrystalline
• Amorphous
Equipment Needed
• Two Millimeters
• One 25 ohm power resistor
• One Polycrystalline Panel Mounted on a Variable
Angle Stand
• One Amorphous Panel Mounted on a Variable
Angle Stand
• One Laminated 2’ x2’ sheet Giving Azimuth
Angles Ranging from 90o to 270o
• Sun Angle Chart for That Day
• Blackboard Protractor
Sun Angles
Sun Angle Chart
solardat.uoregon.edu/SunchartProgram.php
Lab Procedure
• Part 1
– Set Panel Angle to the Complement of Sun Angle
for that Time of Day
– Take Current and Voltage reading for Azimuth
angles 90o to 270o in 10 o increments
• Part 2
– Set Azimuth Angle to the Azimuth Angle for that
Time of Day
– Take Current and Voltage reading for Panel Angles
0o to 90o in 10 o increments
Results-Part 1
Results – Part 2
Challenges/Improvements
• Hard to Read Computer Screens Outside
• Cloudless Sky Helps
• Read Current and Voltage Directly with the
Computer using Vernier Probes
– Have the Voltage Probe
– Need High Current Probe
• Need to Experiment With Different Size Power
Resistors
Low Cost Wind Tunnel