Flexible Panels, Mounting Methods and Heat

[Eddy]

Thanks Terry will have a play, apologies Barboots for off topic

[Barboots]

That's OK Eddy... I'm about done I think.

It got pretty tight in the junction boxes by the time I squeezed the diode/heatsink assembly in there. I was very tempted to ditch the fuses...

[BillieBlue]

Why do they always make the outside caseing too small.

[bagmaker]

where will the heat dissapate to in that box?

[Barboots]

where will the heat dissapate to in that box?

You think that the semiconductor PN junction will run at the same temperature with or without the heatsink?

If it wasn't for the requirement to be on the road today or tomorrow, I would have started again. New mountings to roof, eplacement of the Thermoclear, diecast J-boxes, etc... everything except the cabling from the van interior.

Cheers, Steve

[bagmaker]

I dont really know Steve, it looks a fairly large heatsink to be in that size box is all. If the box is out of sight on the roof as well.....
Not wishing to be a worry wart, just maybe keep tabs on it the first few high amperage charges.
That plastic box would have a similar sized mate in cast ally at Jaycar, the heat loss is comparatively huge.

[T1 Terry]

Forget the diecast aluminium box, the sun gets it that hot you can't touch it. The fuses go inside the van so you can access them and those type blade fuses are a resistor all of there own and will create heat as well. Blade fuses for 20 amps or less, Midi fuses for current between 20 amps and 80 amps, Mega fuses for anything above that. We've had so many fuse holder melt downs we have given up on the ANL and mini ANL fuse holders, the mini ANL fuses at least fit into the midi fuse holders but the ANL fuses do not fit into the Mega fuse holders. If the mini ANL and ANL fuse blocks were machined out of brass rather than gold plated muck metal they would probably do the job fine, but they become so expensive the midi and mega fuse holders are a far better option.

T1 Terry

[Barboots]

I have a fuse for each panel. If they blow for some reason, I'll be up on the roof dealing with the problem anyway.

[T1 Terry]

I have a fuse for each panel. If they blow for some reason, I'll be up on the roof dealing with the problem anyway.

Ummm....... logic says that can't work as intended. The fuse must carry more current than the panel can generate or it will blow under normal operation, the diode says there can be no back current to the panel so that can't cause an over current condition if there is a short to the body, so the fuse in that position would be a non functional safety device causing unnecessary added failure points and resistance.
Replace them with a No Ark circuit breaker mounted inside the RV between the junction block and controller or solid state relay if you use that control method. We use 40 amp units and one for each solar group that can generate 40 amps or less with 6 B&S cable each side

T1 Terry

[Barboots]

It's to stop the battery lighting up the panel. Are you saying that's not possible?

There's a 30A breaker at the battery, but I would have thought a flexible could burn before that snaps.