How to Make an Air Dam for a Solar Panel

来源: 老生长谈 2018-02-19 09:55:15 [] [旧帖] [给我悄悄话] 本文已被阅读: 次 (4306 bytes)
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on my coach, i have installed 11 large solar panels, see http://bbs.wenxuecity.com/auto/472533.html.  the front one is 61.5" wide cross the coach side to side.  when coach is moving, especially when head wind is strong, say at 40 mph, and i am driving at 60 mph, that is a combination of 100 mph wind hitting the panel. two months ago when i did the panel upgrade, i did notice that 2 of the 4 front bracket anchor screws backed out about a quarter turn pushing up the dicor. i re-tightened them and re-dicored.  i thought it's necessary to protect the panel with a front air dam.

after discussing with a few friends, i came with a simple solution.  below is a quick report with some photos, hopefully this provides some hints to the fellow rvers in case anyone attempts to do it down the road...

(1) got a 3 inches x 2 inches x 10 ft roof-to-wall galvanized flushing sheet metal, for $6.57 at home depot.

(2) calculated the length.  in addition to the length of panel (dam length), add 3 inches to each end to tuck backward.  my total length was 61.5 + 3 + 3 = 67.5 inches.  

(3) the leftover was to be glued to the inside of the dam so to make it more rigid.

(4) considered the panel brackets and cut out the areas on the sheet metals.

(5) glued the two pieces together with "fuze it" ($6.97 at hd). let sit overnight

(6) attached the dam to panel frame.  i planted a 5/16" galvanized screw to the middle of the front panel frame, and cut a slide channel on the dam back side.  when installed, a support at the middle was in place in addition to that at two ends.

(7) affixed two ends to the panel sidings with 3/16" rivets

(8) i wrapped the front dam center edge with a wiper blade protector and dicored the edge where it touches roofing. notice the curved roof, only the middle section of the dam touches roof.

now it is completed.  hopefully the coach will get a better aerodynamics and eliminate the possibility of loosing screws again .

happy trails!

 

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a side note about solar performance:

at 10:00 am today in a regular sunny day in southern part of the country i took a pair of photos on the charge rates. one showed 67.4a, another 31.5a. at this time of year, and in early morning, i am getting nearly 100a downflow bulk!! (in summer time i might get 130a - 140a rate).   

所有跟帖: 

导流【板】是为了减小空气阻力省油,车头部太阳能面板松【脱】是因为空气的压差产生的对太阳能面板的升力吧? -Oneshotkill- 给 Oneshotkill 发送悄悄话 (107 bytes) () 02/19/2018 postreply 10:55:35

对,是升力造成的螺丝松动。有了风坝,会产生向下的压力,估计会防止松动。对吧? :) -老生长谈- 给 老生长谈 发送悄悄话 (98 bytes) () 02/19/2018 postreply 11:23:20

只要前部面板底部或两侧仍有较大间隙升力只会更大,也许装个roof deflector比较理想。 -Oneshotkill- 给 Oneshotkill 发送悄悄话 (104 bytes) () 02/19/2018 postreply 11:36:57

好主意我再看看 -老生长谈- 给 老生长谈 发送悄悄话 (82 bytes) () 02/19/2018 postreply 11:39:35

BTW,那把caulk gun是史上最费力最不好用胶枪,没有之一。:-DDD -Oneshotkill- 给 Oneshotkill 发送悄悄话 (0 bytes) () 02/19/2018 postreply 12:19:14

啊?我从来都是用它的~~ 请推个好用的吧 -老生长谈- 给 老生长谈 发送悄悄话 (0 bytes) () 02/19/2018 postreply 12:39:18

亚马逊/HD都有卖。 -Oneshotkill- 给 Oneshotkill 发送悄悄话 (87 bytes) () 02/19/2018 postreply 13:40:53

好,下次去hd顺便瞅瞅 -老生长谈- 给 老生长谈 发送悄悄话 (0 bytes) () 02/19/2018 postreply 15:18:46

你下面的问题是为了折腾这个? -US_CAR.- 给 US_CAR. 发送悄悄话 (0 bytes) () 02/19/2018 postreply 22:04:59

两码事没关联 :) -老生长谈- 给 老生长谈 发送悄悄话 (278 bytes) () 02/20/2018 postreply 07:48:49

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