Solar Panel on an Avgas Bowser

[Cylinder Head]

Has anyone tried fitting a solar panel to trickle charge an Avgas Bowser pump battery?

Seems that it should be a relatively straight forward way to keep the battery topped up. I put this to our local trading standards guy and he felt that eliminating the need to disconnect the battery regularly to charge it would lower the risk.
Just wondering if anyone has tried it and has any experiences (good or bad) to report?
CH

[Exo.]

I know EBG Helicopters down here at Redhill popped a very small panel onto their bowser.

Honestly it's such a small trickle I'm not sure how much assistance it provides - if we had one down the other end of the field I might set up a test!

Try Puntosaurus via the forum as I think he set it up.

[longbox]

Hi I have them on my Jet A1 bowsers and to be honest we never have to charge the battery by the mains, we use ours very regularly

[albatross]

Don't see why not. There are solar powered trickle chargers avaiable.

Solar Trickle Charger - The best solar battery chargers (http://www.solarpowerathome.com/solar-trickle-charger.html)

[Arm out the window]

Works a treat on one of ours, but then we are in North Queensland.

[SASless]

I would want to be very careful about how you wire the thing up....good grounding, shut off switch that would isolate the Panel at the Panel end itself.....but other than that.....why not!

[puntosaurus]

I used this (http://www.maplin.co.uk/solar-powered-12v-1.5w-battery-trickle-charger-98358), and it works just fine. I had in mind a clever switching system that isolated the charger whilst the bowser pump was in use, but in the end I just connected it to the battery.

[John R81]

And it works fine, last time I got fuel out :D:D:D

[timprice]

Solar power and Avgas, am I missing something?

[Stu B]

We fitted one to our 2,000 ltr avgas fixed-position (integrally-bunded) bowser at our small (FW) flying club but then found ourselves served with a prohibition notice until it was removed because it was an unapproved modification to a fuel installation:=. However, it had worked very well for us for several years (southern UK, dispensing up to 30,000 litres in a year, with a panel about a foot or so square). So it certainly works from a pure engineering perspective, but regulations are another matter. I understand the problem is that an area within about 4m of the bowser is deemed a hazardous atmosphere area for fire risk (DSEAR regulations) and only properly certified equipment can be installed there, with particular constraints on electrical connections, etc.
So we approached the firm who supplied the bowser and they provided an approved design modification. This consisted of a metal locker stationed about 5 metres from the bowser (i.e. out of the 4m DSEAR area) with a solar panel on it, and the battery was relocated from the bowser into the locker. The panel is continuously attached to the battery, but to actually refuel there is now a long lead stored in the bowser that we unwind and plug into the battery unit. We have been re-inspected with this new system and the inspector was content.

HTH!

[Arm out the window]

the inspector was content.


Bloody hell, you can have 240 V mains hooked up to the pump, but they're worried about a few volts out of a solar cell?

[VFD]

Bloody hell, you can have 240 V mains hooked up to the pump, but they're worried about a few volts out of a solar cell
You can have 480, 575, 600 hooked up. It has to do with the sealing of the electrical devices, conduits and cords to deal with the Explosion Proof regulations.

I am not sure of DSEAR regulations but it would require the solar panel and charger to meet Class 1, Group D, Div2 regulations in the US. Then it would have to involve the battery containment as well. Cost wise you would be looking at an exorbitant cost.

Moving out of the 4m radius as Stu B indicated allows use of normal equipment.

VFD

[Cylinder Head]

Many thanks for all input. It seems that this idea has been used by a number of operations and no problems have been reported - but then I guess if you have got it wrong, you're probably not around to say so!
This is a mobile bowser, so regs about fixed installations don't apply but there may be others that do. I am having bowser inspected at end of the month and will post feedback from the enginneer on the proposed modification.

I can't help thinking that if there were a problem, the sailing / caravanning / camping industry would have seen a number of incidents.


CH

[500e]

Atex-System Explosion Proof Solar panel module SM085 Ex for hazardous areas. (http://www.atex-system.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=387)

Gespasa · Fluid Technology · / Fuel / ATEX Pumps / AG-600 12 or 24VDC (http://www.gespasa.co.uk/pro/fuel_u1/atex_d2/ag_t371/index.html)
We are looking at the design of a bowser at present

Anything with ATEX :uhoh:

[SASless]

The suggestions are about safety issues.

That the current efforts have not had a problem does not suggest they are as good as they could be. If they never do have a problem, meet all the regulatory requirements then fair dinkum.

If they don't and you have a hiccup....don't expect your insurance carrier to cover your losses if they find out you had a "cobbled up" system.

Advice is cheap....uninsured uh oh's are not.