Posted by Leachim Sredna on June 6, 2008, 2:13 pm
Hi Group,
Although the weather is and has been cold and dull round here (South of
France) so far this year, even the few bright rays we do have would provide
me with a bit of hot water - if only the differential regulator had not gone
wrong!!
I assume some of you will be familiar with the concept and design of these
regulators for thermal solar heating systems. This one uses a PT100 probe on
the solar collector and another on the hot-water storage tank to start and
stop the circulation pump....
Re-built by a boffin friend a few years back, this home-made regulator had
been working well until recently. Fed from a 12V electrical supply, it
comprises essentially of a CA3130E operational amplifier acting as voltage
comparator, a 100 ohm potentiometer (offset), LED light, a diode and a few
resistors and capacitors, as well as a voltage regulator stepping down the
supply from 12v to 9v. (All this I know because of the documentation the
aforesaid boffin, now indisposed, provided...)
Investigating why it seemed no longer to be working (LED indicating
circulation pump function glowing feebly even though pump was not kicking
in, but pump then staying on after I just briefly override the regulator), I
noticed that the CA3130E had literally fallen to bits and that the immediate
area beside it appeared blackened. Humidity? (There has been a great deal of
heavy rain.) An insect or worm? It's baffling...
I've replaced the CA3130E and cleaned things up, and there does not appear
to be any other external damage to the components. But there still seems to
be some kind of fault. I've taken the regulator box offline and tested it
with a 12v bulb in place of the pump and a couple of 110 ohm resistors in
place of the PT100 probes. This confirmed that there is something erratic or
faulty in the regulator box (some kind of short-circuit perhaps?) and also
suggested that the probes and their wiring are alright.
Any suggestions, please? As I have no experience of testing electronic
components or handling a soldering-iron, I would consider replacing the
present regulator with a commercially-produced one, if I could find on which
uses both a 12 volt supply (I am not on the mains) and my existing
custom-made PT100s.
Thanks in advance any help,
Leachim Sredna
Posted by Morris Dovey on June 6, 2008, 2:36 pm
Leachim...
Examine the circuit board for burned/broken conductors (especially
around the CA3130E and the voltage regulator) and for solder "bridging"
in the same area.
If you can't find anything by looking, check both input and output of
the voltage regulator - or if you don't have access to a voltmeter, just
replace the regulator IC.
Oh yes, it wouldn't hurt to make sure your battery is providing the
proper voltage... :-)
--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/
Posted by Duane C. Johnson on June 6, 2008, 6:00 pm
Leachim Sredna wrote:
> Hi Group,
> Although the weather is and has been cold and dull round here (South of
> France) so far this year, even the few bright rays we do have would provide
> me with a bit of hot water - if only the differential regulator had not gone
> wrong!!
> I assume some of you will be familiar with the concept and design of these
> regulators for thermal solar heating systems. This one uses a PT100 probe on
> the solar collector and another on the hot-water storage tank to start and
> stop the circulation pump....
> Re-built by a boffin friend a few years back, this home-made regulator had
> been working well until recently. Fed from a 12V electrical supply, it
> comprises essentially of a CA3130E operational amplifier acting as voltage
> comparator, a 100 ohm potentiometer (offset), LED light, a diode and a few
> resistors and capacitors, as well as a voltage regulator stepping down the
> supply from 12v to 9v. (All this I know because of the documentation the
> aforesaid boffin, now indisposed, provided...)
> Investigating why it seemed no longer to be working (LED indicating
> circulation pump function glowing feebly even though pump was not kicking
> in, but pump then staying on after I just briefly override the regulator), I
> noticed that the CA3130E had literally fallen to bits and that the immediate
> area beside it appeared blackened. Humidity? (There has been a great deal of
> heavy rain.) An insect or worm? It's baffling...
> I've replaced the CA3130E and cleaned things up, and there does not appear
> to be any other external damage to the components. But there still seems to
> be some kind of fault. I've taken the regulator box offline and tested it
> with a 12v bulb in place of the pump and a couple of 110 ohm resistors in
> place of the PT100 probes. This confirmed that there is something erratic or
> faulty in the regulator box (some kind of short-circuit perhaps?) and also
> suggested that the probes and their wiring are alright.
> Any suggestions, please? As I have no experience of testing electronic
> components or handling a soldering-iron, I would consider replacing the
> present regulator with a commercially-produced one, if I could find on which
> uses both a 12 volt supply (I am not on the mains) and my existing
> custom-made PT100s.
> Thanks in advance any help,
> Leachim Sredna
Just build a new circuit. These circuit snipets work
well for me. See:
http://www.redrok.com/misc1.htm#diftemp
Duane
--
Home of the $35 Solar Tracker Receiver
http://www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm [*]
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Posted by sam c on June 9, 2008, 8:30 am
Leachim Sredna wrote:
> Hi Group,
> Although the weather is and has been cold and dull round here (South of
> France) so far this year, even the few bright rays we do have would provide
> me with a bit of hot water - if only the differential regulator had not gone
> wrong!!
> I assume some of you will be familiar with the concept and design of these
> regulators for thermal solar heating systems. This one uses a PT100 probe on
> the solar collector and another on the hot-water storage tank to start and
> stop the circulation pump....
> Re-built by a boffin friend a few years back, this home-made regulator had
> been working well until recently. Fed from a 12V electrical supply, it
> comprises essentially of a CA3130E operational amplifier acting as voltage
> comparator, a 100 ohm potentiometer (offset), LED light, a diode and a few
> resistors and capacitors, as well as a voltage regulator stepping down the
> supply from 12v to 9v. (All this I know because of the documentation the
> aforesaid boffin, now indisposed, provided...)
> Investigating why it seemed no longer to be working (LED indicating
> circulation pump function glowing feebly even though pump was not kicking
> in, but pump then staying on after I just briefly override the regulator), I
> noticed that the CA3130E had literally fallen to bits and that the immediate
> area beside it appeared blackened. Humidity? (There has been a great deal of
> heavy rain.) An insect or worm? It's baffling...
> I've replaced the CA3130E and cleaned things up, and there does not appear
> to be any other external damage to the components. But there still seems to
> be some kind of fault. I've taken the regulator box offline and tested it
> with a 12v bulb in place of the pump and a couple of 110 ohm resistors in
> place of the PT100 probes. This confirmed that there is something erratic or
> faulty in the regulator box (some kind of short-circuit perhaps?) and also
> suggested that the probes and their wiring are alright.
> Any suggestions, please? As I have no experience of testing electronic
> components or handling a soldering-iron, I would consider replacing the
> present regulator with a commercially-produced one, if I could find on which
> uses both a 12 volt supply (I am not on the mains) and my existing
> custom-made PT100s.
> Thanks in advance any help,
> Leachim Sredna
>
>
hi leachim
you can buy a ready made product from :
http://www.arttecsolar.com/retail.html
keep in mind that this will be sent from usa so you may have to pay
import duty's e.t.c....
if your not adverse to a bit of soldering you can buy direrental
controller kits from conrad electrical (http://www.conrad.fr/ ) they sell
one based on kty sensors
http://www.conrad.fr/kit_interrupteur_differentiel_de_temperature_c_47_p_19247_19248_355938
hope this helps
sam c .
XML site map
> Although the weather is and has been cold and dull round here (South of
> France) so far this year, even the few bright rays we do have would provide
> me with a bit of hot water - if only the differential regulator had not gone
> wrong!!
> I assume some of you will be familiar with the concept and design of these
> regulators for thermal solar heating systems. This one uses a PT100 probe on
> the solar collector and another on the hot-water storage tank to start and
> stop the circulation pump....
> Re-built by a boffin friend a few years back, this home-made regulator had
> been working well until recently. Fed from a 12V electrical supply, it
> comprises essentially of a CA3130E operational amplifier acting as voltage
> comparator, a 100 ohm potentiometer (offset), LED light, a diode and a few
> resistors and capacitors, as well as a voltage regulator stepping down the
> supply from 12v to 9v. (All this I know because of the documentation the
> aforesaid boffin, now indisposed, provided...)
> Investigating why it seemed no longer to be working (LED indicating
> circulation pump function glowing feebly even though pump was not kicking
> in, but pump then staying on after I just briefly override the regulator), I
> noticed that the CA3130E had literally fallen to bits and that the immediate
> area beside it appeared blackened. Humidity? (There has been a great deal of
> heavy rain.) An insect or worm? It's baffling...
> I've replaced the CA3130E and cleaned things up, and there does not appear
> to be any other external damage to the components. But there still seems to
> be some kind of fault. I've taken the regulator box offline and tested it
> with a 12v bulb in place of the pump and a couple of 110 ohm resistors in
> place of the PT100 probes. This confirmed that there is something erratic or
> faulty in the regulator box (some kind of short-circuit perhaps?) and also
> suggested that the probes and their wiring are alright.
> Any suggestions, please? As I have no experience of testing electronic
> components or handling a soldering-iron, I would consider replacing the
> present regulator with a commercially-produced one, if I could find on which
> uses both a 12 volt supply (I am not on the mains) and my existing
> custom-made PT100s.
> Thanks in advance any help,
> Leachim Sredna