reverse power meter bodge?

[Paulh_Boats]

Good work Alan, looks like a PIC in the err, pictures.

I tried to persuade the family that your LED power meter would be cool.... typical girly response though    no interest but they say a pump for the shower (which only delivers 2L/min) is more useful!

That got me thinking - PWM the pump according to the solar tank temperature. In summer we have reached 92C  so full speed would be essential. But early spring/late autumn I want to conserve the hot water.

-cheers
Paul

[ericw]

If you don't need to have displays of the various powers then as the phase of the output of the CT on the supply connection will reverse when you change from receiving energy to supplying energy, can you detect this along with its magnitude to give a simpler system?

[Alan]

Its a good job the cheque book is not involved.

Your wish list seemed quite Doooable at first till the small brain kicked in.

There was enough input / out put pins, but not enough of the right sort for
your wish list.
Two generated load inputs and two house load inputs.
and my 0 to 5 volt proportional out put, Pulse width modulation
output, serial out put, L.e.d. Bar graph output.

A redesign with multiplexed data lines and digital to analogue out put was called for.

There is a blue link on the board. Installed means eight stepped outputs proportional to available power above house load.

With the blue link removed output is a 0 to 5 volt signal for driving an Industry standard thyristor controller with out put proportional to available power above house load.

A five volt pulse width modulation out put is available for both options.




http://steamboilers.homecall.co.uk/PCB4.jpg

Software still under test but seems to work

Regards

Alan

[guydewdney]

STUNNING!

so you have built a doohicky(tm) that can either variably warm several heaters via the thyristor controller (ie - so I might have 6 slightly warm heaters) or digitally step up and down 8 heaters - so I have 4 hot heaters, and 4 off / cold heaters.

I'm so happy! THANK YOU!

[noah]

When can I buy one?

[guydewdney]

The last email from The God That is Alan (praise be, and kneel before Him, for thou art unworthy....) is that he was finishing software testing and looking for a box to shove it in.

[Alan]

Tis in a box.



http://steamboilers.homecall.co.uk/GUY1.jpg

 Just needs to get in a card board box to final resting place.



http://steamboilers.homecall.co.uk/GUY2.jpg

Just need one day with less than 96 hours in,  to finish off.

Regards

Alan

[knighty]

looking good....

now you've done one and got the hard work out of the way.... you should make another 10 for ebay



one question tho.... what's with the simpsons stuff in the background ?

[frotter]

WHO in their right mind would have smote this saintly individual (Alan) hmmm..?
Is it you Wyleu....

He is a credit to the original ethos of t'intertent IMHO.
Have an applaud sir.

 

[Quakered]

Is this brilliant idea and implementation going to be turned into a product that the more electronically challenged amoungst us (i.e. me!) can buy?

Cheers

Patrick

[wookey]

Not until he posts the schematic and source, or someone re-implements it.

[ericw]

As fitting multiple heaters, especially as a retrofit to an existing cylinder will be tricky, how tolerant of large phase angle controlled loads are the inverters used for PV?  Would burst firing using whole cycles be any better?

[michaelwr]

This is well worth a bump as it may just save me a divorce.

Im looking for something to power a heater when I have enough excess power and save the wife leaving the heating on all day as she can't be bothered getting a jumper or shutting all the doors.

[Other-Power]

Is there any news on this device?

Many thanks

Jon

[guydewdney]

It works very nicely - thank you - the only tweek I would ask for would be a finer 'generated' and 'used' bar graph - but everyone who comes to my house is very impressed with the idea.

I still dont know what the extra, unmentioned, yellow LED does... the one in the corner.