I do have an idea, actually. Your animation shows the wing surface area planed away from direct sunlight. So, my suggestion is that when loitering, the aircraft is programmed with an auto flight pattern that has it banking its wing surface towards the sun as a general rule.
Here is one suggestion: An MPPT controller takes out the most from the solar cells, but in a model airplane weight is a crucial issue. And the controller you are using is quite heavy. So it is possible that replacing the weight of the MPPT controller for more solar cells will give you more net energy, even if the solar cells are not working at the most efficient point. Example, if the controller weights 100g. then you can replace it for around 15 solar cells. That extra cells may produce more energy per day than the increment of efficiency of the smaller solar array. Obviously there is more things to take in consideration like weight of the encapsulation, changes on the structure, etc... On a design I am working there is a difference on energy production over a 10% using the cells with no MPPT controller and with the same airframe weight. Hope it helps.
Yes that is what I meant. Obviously with a diode in series in order to prevent battery discharge throw the solar cells. I can prepare you a simple excel sheet where you can play with and find out how to improve your solar energy collection with or without MPPT controller.
That is quite easy, Voc = Max Batt V + Diode drop V + other losses V I can give you a hand with all of that calculations and more. Have been working and designing batteries and solar panels for more than 15 years.
Great video and very helpful for beginners like me :) If you connect the mppt directly to the battery how do you ensure that the battery is properly charged (balanced)? Don't you need to put a PCB BMS (charger protection board) between the mppt and the battery?
Thank you. That's why we use vt6 li-ion, after every long flight they are all very well self balanced. You have to care about maximum charging current that the battery can accept. For us, 10 amps for a 4s vtc6 is ok.
I was thinking the same to have a flow controller to check how much current is required by the motor and rest to through to the battery or something like this as this model of the MPPT doesnot have that i am not sure what to do?? Connecting motor and battery in parallel dont you think it might create a problem.
Hello, I’m planning to build such a solar plane. I was wondering how the battery would be balanced charged onboard the plane. Did you use a BMS between the moot and the lipo?
Hlo sir I'm a beginner under a project of solar drone using mppt . Your video is very use full to me. THANK YOU. But I'm a bit confused regarding the mppt configuration , did you use 4S cells of vtc6 (4 pack) and 1 mppt to charge it? It will be very much helpful to me if u reply. please rply.
This MPP device is very expensive. Basically it is a step-down-regulator, a microcontroller which measure the voltage of the solar-cell and current of the solar-cell. With a PWM-output of the microcontroller and a driver for the MosFET of the step-down circuit (=MosFET + diode + coil) ,it is easy to adjust the output-voltage and change the output-power. Often I use an ordinary (step-down or step-up) switching converter chip (he can switch with a much higher frequency as the microcontroller and this leads to a smaller and lighter coil) and set the output-voltage with the microcontroller. To know where is the maximum-power-point is a bit of testing. With a slight variation of the output-voltage (higher and lower) you can simply change the output-power and see which setting is better (higher power-output of the solar-cell). It is smart to look at the voltage of the solar-cell, because you can predict the optimal point. You can react fast on changes in the environment brightens.
That Toroid and the large capacitors are the heaviest components on the MPPT acting like ballast. There must be lighter MPPT designs out there for such nice airborne projects
Just wondering, if a constant current constant voltage step down buck converter would be a better alternative to costly Genasun. They cost around $4 - $5 USD. It can supply constant voltage and current to your battery / motor at 90% efficiency (have not used it.. just heard from youtubers). I am new to this hobby.. so please let me know if I am missing something here.
Hi, you are right to think about it. In fact the MPPT is a DC/DC converter but it also regulate the current between solar cells and load, and constantly adapt it to improve solar panel efficiency, and respect the specific li-ion charging program. 5$ Dc/DV can not, I think, handle a high power. As someone said in comments, it is also possible to use solar panel directly connected to the battery, we did not do this test.
Hello. There are two pairs off parameters for two power modules ([batt(voltage), current] and [batt2,current2]). I would like to create a virtual third parameter witch result from current-current2. Then you can instantly see if you are charging or draining battery.
@@SolarGliderProject shy not just put one in the line between the solar and the system, will tell you how well the array is working (batt1) another in the line between the battery and everything else (batt2, ) and lastly, one for the propulsion system (batt3)? Then you can monitor each separately. you can use power 1, power 2, and ADC ports for them, just have to asign them. then customize guages in mission planner, to monitor all 3 via telemetry.
i like the project and i’m working on it in my FYP actually i have just one point to finish to project may u help me as it’s urgent about two sensor which type ( name ) i need to use , thank u
you project is super cool,am peter,i have been working on how to supply power to an electric aircraft while still in flight for 5 years,and am really looking for platforms like this ones so that we can develope the future of electric flight,possibly I dont know how we can share about the project.
Great video, as always. Love you guys work. I think those are the 3.55 watt SunPower cells. I counted 50 for about 170 watts or so of paneling. Is that right?
Thank you. I don't remember the exact cells number, we had to bypass some of them because of a too high voltage (32v voc max for the genasun we baught). I remember peacks at 160w
And, I just thought to add...as tacking is to sailing the wind, perhaps when doing a linear flight, canting the wings directly towards the sun in a zig zag (I suppose...it would hinge upon scientific research) flight pattern could possibly yield higher charging.
Just measure battery current. You will know if there a net surplus or deficit at any throttle position. Enough for the software to calculate remaining capacity in the battery and to decide what throttle setting to use.
Hey Great video ! I'm currently working on one and i just discovered that we need to use power sensor. Does someone can tell me which one is good to choose for 3S LiPo batteries ?
Hi, My name is Juan de Jesus, I am a student of engineering. Congratulations for this great video-tutorial. I am designing a RC solar-powered motor-glider aircraft. I was wondering if it is possible to ask you some questions about solar cells and how to connect them in my project via e-mail, please? Thanks
Hello, in the video, two voltage/current sensor are mounted on the circuit, one just in the mppt output and another one power module just after the battery?
@@SolarGliderProject thank you very much, when i listen the video, i don't understand well the place of the second power module, between the charge controler and the ????? point..so you set up mission planner to have the consumption on the first power module and the energy production on the other.. (you have negative value?)
Oh sorry, I said the "injection point", this words come from solar system in a house. That means the point were the solar power is injected between the battery and the load. In mission planer you have two groups of parameters : current, voltage... and current2, voltage2... The first come from the power module input, and the other from some pins on the board.
hello, je me posais une question: au niveau du second power module connecté à la pixhawk, pour récupérer les datas d'ampérage et de tension, vous ne connectez que la masse et tension en courant sensor, sans la phase? ou tout? j'utilise une pixhawk 2 .
Hello, these are not mppt has they claim to be. You can find a lot of fake mppt tear down videos on youtube. Unfortunatly they (real ones) are heavy and expensive because of a necessary coil.
Bonjour, je travaille en ce moment sur un projet de ce type. En revanche j'ai une motorisation en 6s, j'aurai 60 cellules (4,5w) sur l'aile. Mes deux batteries sont chargées par des BMS. y a t'il une règle précise pour le choix du mppt? j'ai trouvé le genasun avec sortie réglable de 20 à 29v. j'ai réfléchi de la façon suivante mais je ne suis pas sûr: VOC panneau 30v puissance maxi: 4,5 w x 60 = 270w ce mppt permet d'avoir jusqu'à 350w en panneaux et une tension maximum d'entrée de 60v maxi. (genasun.eu/collections/genasun-lithium-mppts/products/genasun-gv-boost-8-lithium-24-35-9v-custom-voltage-mppt?variant=20343182655586) donc le mmpt me semble convenir. En sortie je pense choisir un voltage de sortie de 25,2 v qui sera injectée vers les batteries, avec un bms pour la charge et équilibrage. ai je raison de choisir la tension maxi des batteries? le bms a une sortie de 25,5v en charge. il est indiqué que ce mppt peut fournir 8A et jusqu'à 9 sans soucis sous cette tension. est il adapté en revanche niveau ampérage? je me suis basé sur l'ampérage maxi theorique des cellules: 270 / 30 = 9A pas évident...
Bjr, le VOC du panneaux solaire ne doit absolument pas dépasser le Vmax en entrée du genasun, sinon il ouvrira le circuit. Nous avons débrancher des cellules sur notre aile à cause de ça. Je ne pense pas que le BMS soit là pour gérer la charge, mais pour protéger contre la décharge profonde ou la surcharge d'un élément. C'est le MPPT qui va s'occuper du courant et de la tension de sortie afin de respecter le programme de charge type des li-ions. Ça peut monter à plus de 9A en sortie. La Pmax en sortie est théoriquement 95% de la puissance fournie par le panneau. Il me semble que genasun vend un MPPT à tension de sortie customisée par firmware.
Exactly what I was looking for. Thank you very much. Great post!
Thank you so much, this video was simple and well illustrated. I will save it for future reference.
I do have an idea, actually. Your animation shows the wing surface area planed away from direct sunlight. So, my suggestion is that when loitering, the aircraft is programmed with an auto flight pattern that has it banking its wing surface towards the sun as a general rule.
I want to financially contribute to you because you did a great presentation
Thank you sir, the best presentation ever...
Excellent overview - merci beaucoup!
Great video, as always. Love you guys work.
Here is one suggestion:
An MPPT controller takes out the most from the solar cells, but in a model airplane weight is a crucial issue. And the controller you are using is quite heavy.
So it is possible that replacing the weight of the MPPT controller for more solar cells will give you more net energy, even if the solar cells are not working at the most efficient point.
Example, if the controller weights 100g. then you can replace it for around 15 solar cells. That extra cells may produce more energy per day than the increment of efficiency of the smaller solar array.
Obviously there is more things to take in consideration like weight of the encapsulation, changes on the structure, etc...
On a design I am working there is a difference on energy production over a 10% using the cells with no MPPT controller and with the same airframe weight.
Hope it helps.
Hi, do you wire solar cells directly to the load (batt+motor) ?
Yes that is what I meant. Obviously with a diode in series in order to prevent battery discharge throw the solar cells.
I can prepare you a simple excel sheet where you can play with and find out how to improve your solar energy collection with or without MPPT controller.
It would be interresting to make some test (on the ground). I think the solar panel voltage must fit perfectly whith the battery.
That is quite easy, Voc = Max Batt V + Diode drop V + other losses V
I can give you a hand with all of that calculations and more. Have been working and designing batteries and solar panels for more than 15 years.
These solar panels can easily break
Great video. Great job !
Great video and very helpful for beginners like me :) If you connect the mppt directly to the battery how do you ensure that the battery is properly charged (balanced)? Don't you need to put a PCB BMS (charger protection board) between the mppt and the battery?
Thank you. That's why we use vt6 li-ion, after every long flight they are all very well self balanced. You have to care about maximum charging current that the battery can accept. For us, 10 amps for a 4s vtc6 is ok.
I was thinking the same to have a flow controller to check how much current is required by the motor and rest to through to the battery or something like this as this model of the MPPT doesnot have that i am not sure what to do?? Connecting motor and battery in parallel dont you think it might create a problem.
Hello, I’m planning to build such a solar plane. I was wondering how the battery would be balanced charged onboard the plane. Did you use a BMS between the moot and the lipo?
Hlo sir I'm a beginner under a project of solar drone using mppt . Your video is very use full to me. THANK YOU.
But I'm a bit confused regarding the mppt configuration , did you use 4S cells of vtc6 (4 pack) and 1 mppt to charge it?
It will be very much helpful to me if u reply.
please rply.
Hello, yes it's a vtc6 4s pack.
Great video,... thank you ☺
This MPP device is very expensive.
Basically it is a step-down-regulator, a microcontroller which measure the voltage of the solar-cell and current of the solar-cell.
With a PWM-output of the microcontroller and a driver for the MosFET of the step-down circuit (=MosFET + diode + coil) ,it is easy to adjust the output-voltage and change the output-power.
Often I use an ordinary (step-down or step-up) switching converter chip (he can switch with a much higher frequency as the microcontroller and this leads to a smaller and lighter coil) and set the output-voltage with the microcontroller.
To know where is the maximum-power-point is a bit of testing. With a slight variation of the output-voltage (higher and lower) you can simply change the output-power and see which setting is better (higher power-output of the solar-cell).
It is smart to look at the voltage of the solar-cell, because you can predict the optimal point. You can react fast on changes in the environment brightens.
Hi. Doy have some Article about this?
How about paper batteries on the lenght of the wings? It could serve as dual purpose. And has Lot of storage area for extra energy.
That Toroid and the large capacitors are the heaviest components on the MPPT acting like ballast. There must be lighter MPPT designs out there for such nice airborne projects
Excelent video!!
Just wondering, if a constant current constant voltage step down buck converter would be a better alternative to costly Genasun. They cost around $4 - $5 USD. It can supply constant voltage and current to your battery / motor at 90% efficiency (have not used it.. just heard from youtubers).
I am new to this hobby.. so please let me know if I am missing something here.
Hi, you are right to think about it. In fact the MPPT is a DC/DC converter but it also regulate the current between solar cells and load, and constantly adapt it to improve solar panel efficiency, and respect the specific li-ion charging program. 5$ Dc/DV can not, I think, handle a high power. As someone said in comments, it is also possible to use solar panel directly connected to the battery, we did not do this test.
any lighter weight MPPT charge controller? maybe slightly less efficiency, but still less weight than 200 grams :))
Why not go for 6S battery since you have enough voltage to charge it?
Hi quick question, so you can charge the 4s lipo battery at 10.5 amps? Or does it not mean that on the genasun converter? Thanks
you can add a batt2 voltage and current sensor in Arduplane.
What is the question exactly? was not clear..
Hello. There are two pairs off parameters for two power modules ([batt(voltage), current] and [batt2,current2]). I would like to create a virtual third parameter witch result from current-current2. Then you can instantly see if you are charging or draining battery.
@@SolarGliderProject shy not just put one in the line between the solar and the system, will tell you how well the array is working (batt1) another in the line between the battery and everything else (batt2, ) and lastly, one for the propulsion system (batt3)?
Then you can monitor each separately.
you can use power 1, power 2, and ADC ports for them, just have to asign them.
then customize guages in mission planner, to monitor all 3 via telemetry.
Hello, what explainer video software did you use for your video? Thanks
Hi, all vidéos was made with after effect and première pro.
i like the project and i’m working on it in my FYP actually i have just one point to finish to project may u help me as it’s urgent about two sensor which type ( name ) i need to use , thank u
Ça faisait longtemps ! Super, comme d'hab ! 👍
nice work
you project is super cool,am peter,i have been working on how to supply power to an electric aircraft while still in flight for 5 years,and am really looking for platforms like this ones so that we can develope the future of electric flight,possibly I dont know how we can share about the project.
Great video, as always. Love you guys work. I think those are the 3.55 watt SunPower cells. I counted 50 for about 170 watts or so of paneling. Is that right?
Thank you. I don't remember the exact cells number, we had to bypass some of them because of a too high voltage (32v voc max for the genasun we baught). I remember peacks at 160w
so great!
Can use for lithium 18650 batteries
And, I just thought to add...as tacking is to sailing the wind, perhaps when doing a linear flight, canting the wings directly towards the sun in a zig zag (I suppose...it would hinge upon scientific research) flight pattern could possibly yield higher charging.
Just measure battery current. You will know if there a net surplus or deficit at any throttle position. Enough for the software to calculate remaining capacity in the battery and to decide what throttle setting to use.
which part's website link?
Hey Great video ! I'm currently working on one and i just discovered that we need to use power sensor. Does someone can tell me which one is good to choose for 3S LiPo batteries ?
Sorry i dont know but when i find it i will say you
Sir well done. May i request how many cells battery was on board. What was its configuration. Secondly the size and make of folding propeller used.
Pleassee i have to do a prototype for solar impulse 2 ...can tou tell me the instruments and the way pleassse really i need yoir help
Hi, My name is Juan de Jesus, I am a student of engineering. Congratulations for this great video-tutorial.
I am designing a RC solar-powered motor-glider aircraft. I was wondering if it is possible to ask you some questions about solar cells and how to connect them in my project via e-mail, please?
Thanks
why not use a BMS and a SMPS? SMPS would keep constant voltage and BMS would deal with balancing/chg batt...
** In other words, can we make a lithium battery airplane with long range that can use solar to charge one of the backup batteries??
Yes we can
Hello, in the video, two voltage/current sensor are mounted on the circuit, one just in the mppt output and another one power module just after the battery?
Hello, yes two power sensors, we use sensors with ACS759 effect Hall. The diagram in the video shows you where to place them.
@@SolarGliderProject thank you very much, when i listen the video, i don't understand well the place of the second power module, between the charge controler and the ????? point..so you set up mission planner to have the consumption on the first power module and the energy production on the other.. (you have negative value?)
Oh sorry, I said the "injection point", this words come from solar system in a house. That means the point were the solar power is injected between the battery and the load. In mission planer you have two groups of parameters : current, voltage... and current2, voltage2... The first come from the power module input, and the other from some pins on the board.
hello, je me posais une question: au niveau du second power module connecté à la pixhawk, pour récupérer les datas d'ampérage et de tension, vous ne connectez que la masse et tension en courant sensor, sans la phase? ou tout? j'utilise une pixhawk 2 .
Hi ,how do you think to contact pixhawk ? Can you explain with circuit diagram?
Love it ...Live it
Bonjour, comment marche la mise en parallèle du moteur (avec l'ESC) avec la batterie ? Est-ce que cela se fait automatiquement ?
Oui, juste un câblage en parallèle.
Sir is the glider can fly all day??????
A sunny day yes.
Outstanding
Great job
as shown the genesun gv-10 is very expensive. I suggest getting mppt controllers on banggood for 10 bucks
Hello, these are not mppt has they claim to be. You can find a lot of fake mppt tear down videos on youtube. Unfortunatly they (real ones) are heavy and expensive because of a necessary coil.
How to connect 6 solar panel to lipo battery
How it is connected???
Which device is used??
It should be available in India
in this system, as I am going to feed the control board
How to make solar plane
Bonjour, je travaille en ce moment sur un projet de ce type. En revanche j'ai une motorisation en 6s,
j'aurai 60 cellules (4,5w) sur l'aile. Mes deux batteries sont chargées par des BMS.
y a t'il une règle précise pour le choix du mppt?
j'ai trouvé le genasun avec sortie réglable de 20 à 29v.
j'ai réfléchi de la façon suivante mais je ne suis pas sûr:
VOC panneau 30v
puissance maxi: 4,5 w x 60 = 270w
ce mppt permet d'avoir jusqu'à 350w en panneaux et une tension maximum d'entrée de 60v maxi. (genasun.eu/collections/genasun-lithium-mppts/products/genasun-gv-boost-8-lithium-24-35-9v-custom-voltage-mppt?variant=20343182655586)
donc le mmpt me semble convenir.
En sortie je pense choisir un voltage de sortie de 25,2 v qui sera injectée vers les batteries, avec un bms pour la charge et équilibrage. ai je raison de choisir la tension maxi des batteries?
le bms a une sortie de 25,5v en charge.
il est indiqué que ce mppt peut fournir 8A et jusqu'à 9 sans soucis sous cette tension.
est il adapté en revanche niveau ampérage? je me suis basé sur l'ampérage maxi theorique des cellules: 270 / 30 = 9A
pas évident...
Bjr, le VOC du panneaux solaire ne doit absolument pas dépasser le Vmax en entrée du genasun, sinon il ouvrira le circuit. Nous avons débrancher des cellules sur notre aile à cause de ça.
Je ne pense pas que le BMS soit là pour gérer la charge, mais pour protéger contre la décharge profonde ou la surcharge d'un élément. C'est le MPPT qui va s'occuper du courant et de la tension de sortie afin de respecter le programme de charge type des li-ions. Ça peut monter à plus de 9A en sortie.
La Pmax en sortie est théoriquement 95% de la puissance fournie par le panneau.
Il me semble que genasun vend un MPPT à tension de sortie customisée par firmware.
Please dude allow on spanish too! cooll video
Can you show me step by steps please
Thank you. You can contribute here paypal.me/pools/c/81zmoRvuQl
1:23 hehehe.
Its not his Native language. Its a small mistake & a common one.
eu like aviao
1:24 1:25 data shet. 1:34 pm pp. Its funny im sorry
Please call the motor "motor" as this is the name for electric ones. "Engine" is not an electric motor, it is for combustion engines. 👏👏