Once the Golf Cart Welder was working well, the next step was to add solar power.
Here's Marko welding a giant sports car rotisserie using the solar welder.
These panels charge the cart at about 3 amps. Welding or driving draws up to 150 amps, but only in short bursts.
To my surprise I have to disconnect the panel after a day or two to keep from overcharging the pack. I probably only charge one day a week. I better add an inverter so I can power my office and other tools from this thing.
Warning:
This thing is so damn cool you'll smile too much and hurt your face.
I probably should have put the cover back over the batteries before he started welding, cuz batteries can make hydrogen which can go pop.
You're smart kids, you can figure out other safety warnings for this thing.
Here's Marko welding a giant sports car rotisserie using the solar welder.
These panels charge the cart at about 3 amps. Welding or driving draws up to 150 amps, but only in short bursts.
To my surprise I have to disconnect the panel after a day or two to keep from overcharging the pack. I probably only charge one day a week. I better add an inverter so I can power my office and other tools from this thing.
Warning:
This thing is so damn cool you'll smile too much and hurt your face.
I probably should have put the cover back over the batteries before he started welding, cuz batteries can make hydrogen which can go pop.
You're smart kids, you can figure out other safety warnings for this thing.
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Signing UpStep 1: The Panels
A scrap dealer gave me a great deal on some badly weathered solar panels from the coast guard. He was on his way to his house in Zihuatanejo and was overloaded. Also he wanted to do us a favor. Thank you kind sir!
To my surprise most of the panels worked okay and the seagull poop cleaned off pretty well, althought the aluminum frames were pretty corroded.
These are 20 watt panels that produce an open-circuit voltage of about 18 volts. That's about right for a 12 volt battery, which is what they were made for. We wired up three of them to charge the 36 volt golf cart battery bank. Then I wired another three the same way to double the amperage. I tried them all in series, but it didn't work nearly as well. Only about half as many amps flowed.
To my surprise most of the panels worked okay and the seagull poop cleaned off pretty well, althought the aluminum frames were pretty corroded.
These are 20 watt panels that produce an open-circuit voltage of about 18 volts. That's about right for a 12 volt battery, which is what they were made for. We wired up three of them to charge the 36 volt golf cart battery bank. Then I wired another three the same way to double the amperage. I tried them all in series, but it didn't work nearly as well. Only about half as many amps flowed.
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Wouldn't it be safer to leave the cover off? By leaving it on, you concentrate the hydrogen in one place, and a stray spark bouncing into the box could ignite it. By leaving it open, the gas can rapidly rise away, and any breeze will disperse it.
Our electric truck has a camper shell over the bed and batteries, and when charging we always open the rear window to vent any hydrogen. We feel that we should try to catch it and install a fuel cell to extend the range.
The reason why your lead-acid batteries produce hydrogen, is because your over-charging the battery, or not, just by charging it normally, it creates hydrogen gas, over-charging produces more H in less time. Over-charging "EATS" your batteries.
As for the fuel cell, it won't do anything but subtract from your MPG
It might work but it will waste more energy then it produces
Your Welcome!
And I was joking about the fuel cell. They're useful in spacecraft, but pretty dumb in cars.
That's Ironic, it's called an Anderson connector.
Just kidding. :-)
+5/5 stars.