Support System Final Concept
Please see spring progress for updated pictures and designs.Full Stand Design Zoom Solar Panel and Brain Box
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The solar panel will be mounted directly to the top of the post. The solar panel’s cross sectional area, which improves its energy harvesting capability, but has an inverse and adverse effect on the wind loading of the post. With the panel effectively acting as a sail, it is the primary concern for the post failure.
As an attachment for the discussed upper portion of the stand, there will be a site dependent base design. As a preliminary, mating flange surfaces pictured in figure 1 will attach the upper portion of the stand to a buried anchor and will be securely bolted together.
Attachment points for the solar panel mount, and brain box mounting will also be made out of aluminum stock. They will both be machined in house and from various sections of 0.125’’ Al-5052 plate stock. This alloy was selected due to supreme corrosion resistance and ease of welding. The solar panel mount will be securely bolted in place with an adjustable hinge, locked by wing nuts. The brain box attachment will include a bungee latch system which will be secure, yet easily assembled and disassembled without the user removing his or her gloves.
There was also much mechanical
consideration given to the design of housings for the electronics,
sensors and
power systems. First and foremost, these housings needed to able to
endure the
harsh winter conditions. The basis of this design lies in Pelican cases
which
are cheap, lightweight and have a built in moisture management system.
The
first major issue with these cases was how to make necessary electrical
pass
throughs for wires connecting various sensors as well as connecting the
battery
housing to the communications housing (aka brain box). Initially, we
investigated the option of individual electrical penetrators with three
pin
connectors. However, we decided that one penetration into the box would
minimize the chances of ice intrusion through limiting the number of
penetrations in the housing. The Pelican Case and electrical pass
through are
shown above.
The penetrator we have selected is an off the shelf part from Dorn Equipment, and is designed for the rigors of high pressure, deep sea applications. It functions using a body which is placed in a hole in the housing. This threaded body is then secured in place with a lock nut. A wedge shaped rubber stopper is then placed inside the body and locked in place with a threaded cap. As the cap is tightened down it compresses the rubber stopper forming a very good seal. The rubber stopper will be drilled with three or four holes for appropriate cable diameters coming to and from the housing.
This is pictured to the left. We will use identical cases and penetrators for both the battery housing and the communications housing.
Since the penetrator will pass a cable straight into and out of the housing without any connectors, water and weatherproof connectors will be placed in-line a few inches distal to the housing. This will allow quick replacement of sensors or housings in the field should there be an unexpected failure.
Katie Gallo
kgallo@uvm.edu
Tom Lanagan tlanagan@uvm.edu