Hi Guys,
I am brand new to this forum and am really looking for some advice,
Here is the back story; I am a marine biologist working in Fiji, basically I am setting up a mineral accretion system, commonly known as BIOROCK, the idea is you run a low current/voltage to an anode (+) and cathode (-) underwater, cathode in my case being a steel rebar structure (normal for this technique) and I am using an aluminium anode. What happens is the reaction taking place at the cathode promotes coral growth and creates an alkaline environment via OH-, the anode errodes, lost of information about this via the net.
My problem is more to do with my power delivery system, which is why I am posting here....
I am using a 50w solar panel, max amperage at 2.93, max voltage is around 20v. Now i am running around 60m/197ft of 16mm copper cable. Ideally at the structure I want around 1 amp. Now Fiji is nice and sunny so I connected up my panel to the cable first, tested it and I was getting around 19v from the panel through all the cable.
I have connected everything up now to the anodes & cathode and it does seem to be working (the anode is bubbling as it should and looks like it is corroding) GREAT! BUT, the cathode is not doing anything after 3 days, I should be seeing something.
Now it is all connected when I test the voltage at the panel in full sun I get around 1.5v, am I right in thinking the anode/cathode 'load' coupled with distance travelled is causing this huge drop....? If i am getting 1.5v at the panel does that mean 197ft away is seeing very little voltage or is 1.5v the whole system?
I haven't tested the Amps in full sun but did it in cloudy conditions today at the panel and was only 0.06 on a 20m setting on my multimeter!!!!
Can someone please confirm my huge drop in amperage and volts is due to the distance and the anode/cathode causing load (they are a load correct?)?
I am a but stuck of what to do next basically, should I get another panel, should I move the panel closer to the structures (very tough), should I buy a battery to be cooer to the structures (easier).......
I really hope somebody can shed light on the problems I am experiencing from the PV point of view,
Any help would be greatly appreciated,
Thanks,
Luke
I am brand new to this forum and am really looking for some advice,
Here is the back story; I am a marine biologist working in Fiji, basically I am setting up a mineral accretion system, commonly known as BIOROCK, the idea is you run a low current/voltage to an anode (+) and cathode (-) underwater, cathode in my case being a steel rebar structure (normal for this technique) and I am using an aluminium anode. What happens is the reaction taking place at the cathode promotes coral growth and creates an alkaline environment via OH-, the anode errodes, lost of information about this via the net.
My problem is more to do with my power delivery system, which is why I am posting here....
I am using a 50w solar panel, max amperage at 2.93, max voltage is around 20v. Now i am running around 60m/197ft of 16mm copper cable. Ideally at the structure I want around 1 amp. Now Fiji is nice and sunny so I connected up my panel to the cable first, tested it and I was getting around 19v from the panel through all the cable.
I have connected everything up now to the anodes & cathode and it does seem to be working (the anode is bubbling as it should and looks like it is corroding) GREAT! BUT, the cathode is not doing anything after 3 days, I should be seeing something.
Now it is all connected when I test the voltage at the panel in full sun I get around 1.5v, am I right in thinking the anode/cathode 'load' coupled with distance travelled is causing this huge drop....? If i am getting 1.5v at the panel does that mean 197ft away is seeing very little voltage or is 1.5v the whole system?
I haven't tested the Amps in full sun but did it in cloudy conditions today at the panel and was only 0.06 on a 20m setting on my multimeter!!!!
Can someone please confirm my huge drop in amperage and volts is due to the distance and the anode/cathode causing load (they are a load correct?)?
I am a but stuck of what to do next basically, should I get another panel, should I move the panel closer to the structures (very tough), should I buy a battery to be cooer to the structures (easier).......
I really hope somebody can shed light on the problems I am experiencing from the PV point of view,
Any help would be greatly appreciated,
Thanks,
Luke
Comment