Control Panel

The control panel measures the voltage of installed renewable sources of energy, battery voltage during consumption and with no-load, and charge and discharge of current. The electrical breaker switch prevents the battery from being short-circuited.

Considering that this equipment is being used for the purposes of school demonstrations, small size was not a factor. All parts have been salvaged from scrap parts. The measuring instruments were originally ammeters from heavy current distribution systems with a voltage range of 400 amperes. These parts can be inexpensively obtained from salvagers, bazaars, flea markets, or from companies which liquidate electronic devices. The rotary coil instrument has a small consumption and a linear dial. The serial resistor can be adjusted on a range of 20 volts, and the shunt resistor adjusted to a range of 2 amperes.

Control Panel for Renewable Energy Sources.

 

Pavel Novotny demonstrating the control panel which he recently built. On the top of the panel there are four voltmeters for renewable energy sources. Below is a charge ammeter, a battery voltmeter and an output ammeter. Two small front panels don’t have switches. One has a discharge bulb and the other has a circuit breaker.

Rear View: To make it simple, the framework is constructed with a sandwich-type case. The instruments are glued between the horizontal wooden boards. In the rear is the 12-pole terminal board for connection to energy sources, battery and appliances.

Battery: A ten-cell Ni-Cd accumulator, type 10NK060 is used. Its nominal capacity is 60 Ah. We got this one free from the telephone switching station where it was scrapped after 20 years of service.

The re-fit of this accumulator was done quite inexpensively by the
ALKAL Baterie s.r.o., 739 07 Raskovice, Czech Republic, phone/fax +420 658 692 298 (Mr. Sisala).

A newly re-fitted battery only has a 30Ah capacity, but it is adequate for our needs. It is both ecological and economical!