DC Microgrid

   

DC Microgrid Release status: experimental [box doku]
Description	self-sustainable power grid
Author(s)	Severin, Uli

We wanted to build a DC microgrid at CCCamp19, but never fully got around to it. So we'll keep on trying in our lab, for the next camp and other events.

Gear we have built so far

• consume01

Hacks and other related information

• Hacking the Goal Zero Yeti
• More solar related information
• Batteries

Name

Our gear at CCCamp19

• Forty Eight Grid
• Team Forty Eight

List of recommended devices

• Soldering Irons
  • TS100 [1]
• Lab PSU
  • DIY PSU using DPS30xx or DPS50xx modules
• Battery Chargers
  • IMAX B6 Charger works for LiPo and Pb batteries
• Laptop chargers
  • Lenovo USB-C charger
• Networking Hardware
  • Switches
  • WiFi APs

Power Out Boxes

48V-> 24/12/5V

• DC sockets
• Car sockets
• USB
• Switches + Fuses
  • What kind of fuse?
• Volt/Amp Measurment - "Battery computer" -> Stats via LoRaWAN?

USB Charging Station

I have two 48V->5V DCDC converters (Product page, datasheet), which we could used tu build USB charging stations for powerbanks etc.

• USB "power sensing" via data pins: [2], [3], [4]

Power In Boxes

12/24V -> 48V

• Schottky Diode
• Fuse / Currentlimiting
• Batterymonitor / Datalogging -> LoRaWAN?
• Auto-Disable with Under/Overvoltage

Battery Computers

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32990834620.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32864994942.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32993234025.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32616324201.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32957814319.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32904528079.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32784107301.html

Connectors

• SELV [5] [6] [7]
• Speakon
• XT60
• XLR-4
• Car lighter plugs
• DC barrel plugs

Further Reading

• AltPwr
  • Old website (via Internet Archive)
  • https://web.archive.org/web/20170811173021/https://dcgrid.hackpad.com/
  • https://wiki.sha2017.org/w/Village:Energy
  • https://orga.sha2017.org/index.php?title=Projects:AlternativePowerNetwork
  • https://twitter.com/Commander1024/status/893835395661803520
  • https://hackaday.com/2017/09/08/that-decentralised-low-voltage-local-dc-power-grid-how-did-it-do/ -> (If interested in helping contact Hackerspace Revspace in Den Haag, the Netherlands: Ralph Willekes <benadski(at)gmail.com>)
• Micro Grids
  • https://dsrp.eu/post/123379831763/nailing-the-microgrid
  • https://dokterbob.gitbooks.io/stealmyideas/content/decentralized_high-voltage_dc_grids.html
  • https://github.com/OpenNanogrid/ON-draft
  • https://wiki.opensourceecology.de/OpenEnergy_NanoGrid
  • https://wiki.opensourceecology.de/DiVER/en
• Universal Battery Project
• SunZilla
  • Website
  • GitHub Repo

Ideas

Biolite "MicroGrid"

Biolite has a "base station" with a battery and connected lights to it (Core77 blog post). We could build a similar station and connect other stuff to it.

• Connection between lights via some common cable we all have - RJ45? passive PoE? To remain compatible with a bunch of other gear out there...
• GoalZero also has similar lights for their PowerPacks, like this one

Grid Connection Units

Nanogrid with different connection units

Units with µCs controlling direction, depending on the voltage in the local nanogrid and the microgrid.

• Can be direct (w/o DC-DC-Converters) or with voltage adjustment
• One-to-one connection via 230V?

Related

• More solar related information
• EventGrid: New AltPwr Wiki, Telegram Group, Telegram Channel
• CCCamp Wiki: Project Page, Self-organized Session
• Gear list started by /dev/lol people
• Mastodon thread