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Has anyone used solar cells to... - 4/9/2002 10:13:02 AM   
RossiRay


 

Posts: 138
Joined: 1/2/2002
From: Spring Valley, CA, USA
Status: offline 		supplement or charge their plane's flight pack with an on board solar panel?
How would you do it?
Seems to me you could save weight by flying a smaller battery that is charging when you are not flying.
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Has anyone used solar cells to... - 4/9/2002 5:34:45 PM   
RCadmin



Posts: 13193
Joined: 11/28/2001
From: Belle Mead, NJ, USA
Status: offline 		this is a great idea and certainly do able. Anybody have any experience or suppliers for such a thing? If not I might look into it for kicks..nothing like a nice gentle solar trickle charge on all day at the sunny field.

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Has anyone used solar cells to... - 4/9/2002 5:42:06 PM   
mumblety-peg


 

Posts: 310
Joined: 3/14/2002
From: Alameda, CA, USA
Status: offline 		I've read of people using Solar cells for Eflight. So this may be a workable idea. Unfortunatly, I dont' recall where I read it. Try a search at the ezone. [url]www.ezonemag.com[/url]

Mum

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Has anyone used solar cells to... - 4/10/2002 12:47:24 AM   
Jazzy



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Joined: 1/8/2002
From: Erie, PA, USA
Status: offline 		There is a solar cell setup for charging a glow starter... somewhere.

Solar cells would be great for an endurance flyer or a glider. Might just be added weight for a sport plane. The important thing would be to find out the size and output of a set of cells. Figure out how many you would need for a decent voltage and output current and then determine if you have enough available surface area on your aircraft. Areas such as the top center section of the wing and the top of the fuse would be good places to start.
Radio interference?

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Has anyone used solar cells to... - 4/10/2002 1:20:37 AM   
Rodney



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Joined: 12/8/2001
From: FL
Status: offline 		Unfortunately, the weight penalty is much to great to have an efficient onboard solar system unless you have a really BIG bankroll. It is feasable though to keep your 12 volt big battery charged on the ground and then use it to keep toping off your flight packs between flights.

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Has anyone used solar cells to... - 4/10/2002 1:45:37 AM   
RCadmin



Posts: 13193
Joined: 11/28/2001
From: Belle Mead, NJ, USA
Status: offline 		I was thinking not just onboard depending on how feasible but also offline when on the ground to hook up an external solar panel to the plane to trickle in some extra juice at the field on a sunny day...

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Has anyone used solar cells to... - 4/10/2002 2:55:50 AM   
mumblety-peg


 

Posts: 310
Joined: 3/14/2002
From: Alameda, CA, USA
Status: offline 		I still think charging a flight pack with solar cells on the wings may work. At least judging from the my very short web search. I see some flexible cells for about $25.00. Weight is measured in grams. Less than 8 grams per panel. Size isn't listed, but a cell would be an ez fit on a 40 size wing. Output is listed as 100ma at 6 volts. I'm a little concerned that no specs are listed on the site though.

Here's the link http://www.allthingssolar.com/index.htm

The idea of not needing to charge my flight pack is appealing. I'd imagine an onboard batt. monitor would be a must.

Mum

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Has anyone used solar cells to... - 4/10/2002 8:44:26 PM   
TopShelf



Posts: 648
Joined: 12/6/2001
From: West Linn, OR, USA
Status: offline 		There was a blurb in MAN(I think) some time ago about using solar cells. The particular application was for a glider but the technology is out there. I'll see if I can find the issue.

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Has anyone used solar cells to... - 4/10/2002 8:54:31 PM   
Rodney



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Joined: 12/8/2001
From: FL
Status: offline 		Mumbletypeg, I just checked out your solar cell source and was pleasantly surprised. If the weight is as advertised, it would be very easy to put a 6 volt altralite panel on the top of your wing (perhaps under transparent covering) and hook it directly to your onboard 4.8 volt battery thru a diode (to prevent the battery from discharging thru the solar cell during low light conditions). I believe the cell would be self limiting so would never overcharge your batteries. If you try it, let us know how it works out. Good luck, Rod

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Ask Tam - 4/10/2002 9:05:19 PM   
Gordon Mc



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Joined: 1/30/2002
From: San Jose, CA,
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by RCadmin
I was thinking not just onboard depending on how feasible but also offline when on the ground to hook up an external solar panel to the plane to trickle in some extra juice at the field on a sunny day... [/QUOTE]

There are a couple of guys in our club who do this. One of them browses RCU, so you can ask him. His user id is "tampipes".

Regs,
Gordon

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Has anyone used solar cells to... - 4/11/2002 8:23:39 AM   
Jazzy



Posts: 1106
Joined: 1/8/2002
From: Erie, PA, USA
Status: offline 		I'm sorry. I just went back and read the thread starter. It says "...while not flying..."
Being that I like to tinker, I just might be adding solar panels to my field box given research above.
Great job folks!

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Has anyone used solar cells to... - 4/12/2002 8:40:53 AM   
RCadmin



Posts: 13193
Joined: 11/28/2001
From: Belle Mead, NJ, USA
Status: offline 		Anyone who finds out more or experiments please do post what your results are...this is a pretty cool idea to keep the "tanks" topped off in between flights or possibly all the time if onboard is feasible...I've always been fascinated with solar cells and energy since I was a kid and this would be very interesting.

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Has anyone used solar cells to... - 4/12/2002 6:52:40 PM   
Jazzy



Posts: 1106
Joined: 1/8/2002
From: Erie, PA, USA
Status: offline 		Aspects of Solar Energy and wind driven generators have reached the public sector. The technology is increasing at an incredible rate for two main reasons: 1.) It's FREE. 2.) It's pollution free.
There are other bonuses associated with using these forms of power generation.

For those of us who can't go anywhere without some form of RC with us, Solar Energy is a fantastic power power source! I am one of those people! A couple years ago I went on a canoeing/camping vacation with some friends. There aren't any 120V receptacles in the mountains! Solar Energy would have been perfect to keep my 12V deep cycle trolling motor battery on constant charge! (It was my source for charging battery packs).

Jeff

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Clear monocote - 4/12/2002 6:54:36 PM   
lnorris


 

Posts: 612
Joined: 1/31/2002
From: Oklahoma
Status: offline 		I have been thinking about this idea also. My thought was to take a couple of these babies for eflight.

http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F004%5F024%5F000%5F000&product%5Fid=980%2D1425

They are .45V/1000mA. Basically mount them inside the wing. Cover the wing in clear monocote.
I found a web page (http://www.cnde.iastate.edu/staff/mgarton/solarplane.html) awhile back that tried this and found that climbing was a pain unless the sun struck the wings just right. I figured then if you also included a low mA/higher voltage battery that would suppliment/charge that might smooth things out.

BTW, I also saw where they are developing spray-on solar cells (http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/1987845p-2201460c.html). Now THAT would be an interesting looking plane.

< Message edited by lnorris -- Apr 12 2002 2:31PM >

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Has anyone used solar cells to... - 4/12/2002 9:04:30 PM