Author Topic: Tim Nolan's Arduino MPPT - now with LCD  (Read 126548 times)

andrewid

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Re: Tim Nolan's Arduino MPPT - now with LCD
« Reply #60 on: September 29, 2014, 06:53:25 AM »
Anybody have a problem with low side mosfet? (M3)
I understand that it minimizes power loss on the schottky diode, but in my setup it remains open too long, and make a short circuit with the battery, and of course produces a lot of heat.
If i connect the gate to gnd (so only the schottky diode remians) everything is runing fine without any heat production. I know something is failing, but I dont't know what and why.

EDIT:
I just figured out that my AVR running only at 8Mhz instead of 16 or 20Mhz. Switching to 20Mhz solved the problem.
« Last Edit: October 15, 2014, 03:25:07 AM by andrewid »

Rusdy

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Re: Tim Nolan's Arduino MPPT - now with LCD
« Reply #61 on: October 13, 2014, 02:51:35 AM »
Hi All,
I'm another one that got inspired by Tim Nolan's arduino MPPT, so here is my project:
http://epxhilon.blogspot.com.au/2014/06/bmppt-solar-charger-3.html

The difference is, I had to redesign from scratch, as mine is boost version, i.e. solar panel voltage is lower than my battery. This is because my panel is 80Watt 12V (21V open circuit), and need to charge my eBike battery (36V lithium NMC).

Efficiency is almost 90%, and been running happily since June 2014.

Rusdy

ybpvin

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Re: Tim Nolan's Arduino MPPT - now with LCD
« Reply #62 on: January 01, 2015, 02:43:27 PM »
Hi friends!

I apologize for the English, I translate translator!
I picked up a similar device and was faced with the driver ir-2104. On the 3 contact existents 10-15 volts, and at the same time vihode 5 existents voltage, which leads to almost a short circuit. Do not know why?

https://yadi.sk/i/Ul8mWUP4djrot
« Last Edit: January 01, 2015, 03:02:35 PM by ybpvin »

3roomlab

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Re: Tim Nolan's Arduino MPPT - now with LCD
« Reply #63 on: January 03, 2015, 11:45:53 PM »
Hi All,
I'm another one that got inspired by Tim Nolan's arduino MPPT, so here is my project:
http://epxhilon.blogspot.com.au/2014/06/bmppt-solar-charger-3.html

The difference is, I had to redesign from scratch, as mine is boost version, i.e. solar panel voltage is lower than my battery. This is because my panel is 80Watt 12V (21V open circuit), and need to charge my eBike battery (36V lithium NMC).

Efficiency is almost 90%, and been running happily since June 2014.

Rusdy

nice ... any chance you could log the charge voltage vs panel voltage for a see look ?
i see you wind your own inductor, did you by any chance try to use "mini ring core" calculator program?
« Last Edit: January 04, 2015, 12:26:10 AM by 3roomlab »
ADSL linked inside the mountains ...

mega-hz

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Re: Tim Nolan's Arduino MPPT - now with LCD
« Reply #64 on: March 18, 2015, 03:03:56 PM »
Hi, back to the topic...
has anyone build my schematics or found any errors?
Maybe i come back to this project....

Regards,
Wolfram

mega-hz

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Re: Tim Nolan's Arduino MPPT - now with LCD
« Reply #65 on: January 02, 2017, 06:03:24 PM »
still any interests on this thing?

meanwhile i have some ideas to improve it, so feel happy to join again!

PoBoySolar

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Re: Tim Nolan's Arduino MPPT - now with LCD
« Reply #66 on: January 04, 2017, 11:02:57 AM »
I have a totally different view on this. I run my system at a fixed power point voltage with an arduino. I live successfully totally off grid for a little over four months in the summer with only a car battery.  This system provides refrigeration, lights and all hot water.  My take on efficiency is different. 40 years ago I made a machine that was the fastest in the industry.  It didn't matter at all.  In a 12 hour work day it only ran for 4 hours.   The same problem exists in solar. A minimum number of panels is needed to operate through the worst days. On other days There is excess energy that could be used and it is just wasted.  My system was a test bed to show solar could be implemented very cheaply, basically only the expense of the panels.  If what I do seems a little odd, it is not because I don't know better.  As it turned out, I don't see much reason to change it.  It won't be long before solar equipment joins the other compost of our electronic society.  I'll certainly upgrade when this free stuff becomes available.

The power point of a panel is pretty much dependent on temperature.  During one season the temp doesn't change that much. It does during the day.  Mornings are colder, but there isn't much power there.  At peak sun times it is hard to put that extra energy someplace useful.  I have a chest fridge that I fill with a lot of liquid.  I store cold through the night.  Fridge operates in a very tight band just above freezing.  It only operates when the battery has a pretty good charge, about 13.4V if I remember.

The arduino is the charge controller, a simple buck converter off the 36V string with about a 51V power point.  Charging the battery has priority above all else.  The battery can be thought of as the fridge.  The converter is less than 180W on a 900W array. Don't laugh, PWM is at 120Hz using power transformer as the inductor.  The losses don't really matter, it is a part that anyone can find. All I need to do is power the fridge real time. The excess power is fed to two water heaters. I can generally dump 2.5KWH to heating water a day.  These heating elements are PWMed from a large capacitor bank, the same that feeds the converter.
The program decides where to send power based on the buss voltage.  This year my wife wants a dishwasher and I will be doing that in time slices.  Doesn't matter if it takes two hours to do.  The display for the entire system is just two blinking LED.

What I am trying to say is that it should be looked at as an entire system, not a bunch of black boxes slung together.  I see enormous energy waste in most RE systems.  Battery storage makes every system cost ineffective.

kikiloaw

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Re: Tim Nolan's Arduino MPPT - now with LCD
« Reply #67 on: January 07, 2017, 11:52:08 PM »
can somebody tell what is the max:
input voltage:?
input current:?

mega-hz

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Re: Tim Nolan's Arduino MPPT - now with LCD
« Reply #68 on: January 08, 2017, 02:59:03 AM »
i my new design it will handle voltages up to 200V and Currents up to 20A

NealXu

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Re: Tim Nolan's Arduino MPPT - now with LCD
« Reply #69 on: December 01, 2017, 11:21:23 AM »
Hi...I also think this is an interesting project and would like to know how you are getting on.Btw have you looked at how the commercial units do this? Or any reference designs.I know of 2 or 3 companies e.g. Microchip who have application notes on this sort of thing.

turnkey pcb
« Last Edit: March 12, 2022, 03:09:16 PM by NealXu »