Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

MAGLEV

True, but I want to learn the tech so I can apply it to the larger projects.

With that in mind, I think I'll skip the pre made devices, and try to make something myself. The device I'll need to point the solar panel will need to be pretty powerful to protect the panel in high winds.

I cant think of a way to implement maglev, but I think one of these methods might be the go....


Both require this...

Attach a door hinge to the back of the mirror/panel

Attach a mast to the door hinge, as a stand for the mirror/panel

The mast sits in a pipe so that it can rotate freely (bearings or not, it wont be doing a lot of rotating)

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Method 1. -----linear actuator----------

Find some PVC conduit or something similar in PVC, and fix a hex nut half way up with a few grub screws, and another hex nut fixed in the same manner, a foot down from the first.

Attach the length of PVC to one side of the mirror/panel

Attach a geared down motor or continuous rotation servo to the bottom of a length of threaded rod via a unijoint, and wind on the PVC and nut arrangement.

That should give me a linear actuator to lift one side of the mirror/panel, to create the tilt required.

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Method 2. ----- chain (or for this small model, some string and a cotton reel) and sprocket--------

Half way up the mast, attach a motor so that the shaft strikes out at 90 degrees to the mast.

Add a bike sprocket to the motor shaft.

Attach a bike chain to one end of the hinged mirror/panel.

Run the chain around the socket, then attach it to the other side of the mirror/panel so it is tight.

If the motor turns one way or the other, the mirror or panel will pivot on the hinge giving the same motion as the linear actuator method.


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The rotational motion could be achieved via a pulley and second motor with it's shaft pointing parallel t the mast, with a pulley mounted on the shaft.

Attach a belt between the two and we should see the needed rotational movement.


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Any thoughts about which bits will fall over, why, and what to do about them?

Any thoughts on the merits of one method over the other?

Any thoughts about any other way to go about this?

Any other thoughts?

SV I think he is ignoring you... so MAGLEV

I'll join in too

Is the angle up/down so critical? If you're at (say) 35ºS the apparent North-South movement of the Sun isn't going to be that much so if you point the panel at the equator, (at 35ºN or straight up) you should be near max for most of the year.

Maybe if you were on the equator you'd need the vertical tracking...

As for shadows and cloud, a small delay built in would make sure there is no reaction unless it's an extended period, (to give the cloud a chance to pass or cover both sensors) and maybe you could build a really big fly swat to smack any idiot standing in front of one side of the panel before the tracker starts to move? Or have it scream at them, "MOVE DIPSHIT!!!"

This might be true if you mount the pivot for the solar panel at 35 degrees to the vertical (ie the axis pointing directly at the pole star)

However if your pole is vertical, or you plan on pointing your boat in more than one direction during the trip then you will need both vertical and horizontal adjustment...

Think about pointing the panel at the sun during sunrise, and then also at noon. It's higher in the sky at noon than it is at sunrise


When I started Uni I got interested in BEAM robotics, and designed a popular circuit that is used to make a tiny little solar powered critter move around, following the light source. Loads of fun

This is pretty cool.

We don't have a pole star. Northern hemisphere gets Polaris, we have the Southern Cross and pointers.
Also the earth is tilted on it's axis causing the suns position to move in the sky during the year, hence the seasons.

Finally, what does any of this have to do with MAGLEV?

I doubt you'd be pointing either at a pole star or even a pole (as in south) Normally you'd mount the panel to point at the Sun, which is (mainly equatorial) I may have said it in a confusing way but what I meant was you could mount the panel so the surface of it points at 35ºN of straight up, that way it is pointing directly at the Sun when at the Equinoxes and only 23.5º off directly at the sun at Summer and Winter solstices.

Then the tracker would take care of the morning-to-evening movement by tracking across only one direction. (East-West)

The boat idea is a different kettle of fish - the tech details of getting a panel to tracks such twists and turns would mean (I think) it is far simpler to just lay it flat and lose a percentage of the input. It might be possible to put it on a 360º swivel mount but I'm not sure how you'd automate the tracking on a windy river.

I think we're all in violent agreement here...



Oh and just for the pedants:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigma_Octantis

Yes, we have Sigma Octantis, however magnitude 5.6 is not really visible to the naked eye.
Compared to Polaris it is a pretty pathetic attempt at an alignment star really.

Have you heard of arduno?

I believe its an easy open sourced system that can also be controlled by phones.


There is an excellent kickstarter program currently running that has a system with slide rails/motors/sensors etc and its all bluetooth and can run from your mobile for programming etc. All connects using extruded aluminium rails. Kind of like a smart meccano set.


got any drawings you can get up of your ideas?

Also i have a 3d printer if you needed any brackets or ball socket joints elbows etc.


http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/139 ... t-platform

Thats the link, you could almost get one of these kits to do anything with enough inputs like a temp sensor (if you know what you are doing, i dont ...)

further your idea about the extrusion is cool.

Not sure if you know but there were dicksmith kits etc that looked like bugs with wheels and motor outputs, they were designed to follow a light source i believe.

You could use something like that and then take the output signal that would normally go to the wheel motors to run a relay or something.

Yeah, that will probably work fine for a stationary one, soI'll probably build that first. But the one for the boat will need to be very responsive, and able to deal with more changes. But I guess a manual adjustment for angle world work. That way I could probably build it a bit stronger as well.

I see your maglev and raise it a railgun