NASA on Wrenches? [RE-wrenches]

Sun Nov 4 12:24:22 PST 2007

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Did I miss something?
What's all the fuss about with working on a live high voltage array?
Couldn't they do this repair at night? ;-)

Roy Butler
NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer®
NYSERDA eligible PV & wind installer 
Four Winds Renewable Energy, LLC
8902 Route 46
Arkport, NY 14807
607-324-9747
www.four-winds-energy.com

Although no trees were killed in the sending of this message, 
a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.

John Raynes wrote:

>
> Are these Sanyos?  Seems as if NASA would want the highest 
> efficiencies, and they could afford it.  So how do they keep the 
> temperature limits from voiding the warranty?  And Sanyos are only 
> supposed to be used in grid tie, but they're a little ways away from 
> the grid...
>
> John
>
>
> At 01:43 PM 11/4/2007 -0500, you wrote:
>
>> Probably no warranty as it was installed outside the US, but we can
>> send in the panels for consideration at our expense....
>> bob
>>
>> On 11/4/07, Steve Johnson <stevejohnson at comcast.net> wrote:
>> >
>> > Is this repair under warranty?  Surely a big outfit like Lockheed 
>> Martin
>> > warranties their work.
>> >
>> > What's the per diem up there anyway?  I suppose the owner puts you up
>> > and provides meals.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Jeff Clearwater, Village Power Design wrote:
>> > >
>> > > Hi Folks,
>> > >
>> > > Well I think we should invite Scott Parazynski -
>> > > the astronaut who repaired the P6 Solar Array
>> > > today on the International Space Station (ISS) -
>> > > to the Wrenches list.   I mean -  after all -
>> > > consider his job and what he works on.
>> > >
>> > > Customer:  Taxpayers
>> > > System Type:  Off-Grid
>> > >
>> > > Sound familiar?
>> > >
>> > > Some More Specs:
>> > >
>> > > FOR THE P6 ARRAY:
>> > >
>> > > Array Wattage:  32.8 KW
>> > > # of Cells:  33,000 with 4100 diodes (Does not come with 
>> Evergreen Diode
>> > > Kits)
>> > > Array Vmp:  124 VDC (must not have consulted
>> > > SMA's sizer for optimizing high voltage)
>> > > Array Imp: 264 Amps !
>> > > Array Dimension:  107' x 38'
>> > > Array Area:  4066 ft2
>> > > Array Design Life: 15 yrs (Customer plans to replace arrays on 
>> his own!)
>> > > Racking: Accordion Blankets (engineering calcs
>> > > not available from UniRac & no permit required -
>> > > snow load not a factor)
>> > > Tracking:  360º Single Axis (with 2nd axis pitch
>> > > control of 4-5º) (sensor unit said to be better
>> > > than even Wattsun's)
>> > > Charge Control:  BCDU Battery Charge/Discharge Unit (not from 
>> Outback)
>> > > Batteries:  Not L16s - They are Nickel-Hydrogen
>> > > at 8 KW Charge Rate. 6 KW Discharge Rate.
>> > > 38,000 rated C/D cycles at 35% DOD.  Actual Ahrs
>> > > or KWhrs not clearly stated (that I could find).
>> > > Design life:  6.5 Yrs.
>> > > Dump Load:  14 KW per array. (Not yet available from AEE)
>> > >
>> > > TOTAL INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION PV: (8 Arrays)
>> > >
>> > > Wattage:  262 KW
>> > > Array Vmp:  124 VDC
>> > > Array Imp: 2116 Amps!
>> > > Array Area: 32,528 ft2
>> > >
>> > > Contractor: Lockheed Martin Space Systems,
>> > > Sunnyvale, CA (Doesn't even have a C-46 License!)
>> > > Total Contract Cost for 8 Arrays:  US $450
>> > > Million (2000 dollars) (payment required upfront)
>> > >
>> > > Price/Watt:  $1715/Watt (it's a lot more if you
>> > > want a ground mount - but UniRac will take a
>> > > while to get back with you)
>> > >
>> > > Well much of this is just like our work - well
>> > > except maybe the price - and the view.  But the
>> > > part about him hanging out on the end of a 110'
>> > > arm.  That feels just like some of our work!
>> > >
>> > > I really think he's a candidate.
>> > >
>> > > What do others think?
>> > >
>> > > Jeff Clearwater
>> > > Village Power Design
>> > >
>> > > PS A complete description of the power
>> > > electronics/storage on the ISS PV system (on the
>> > > P3-P4 truss array)  can be had from:
>> > >
>> > > 
>> http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/space/spacestation/components/docs/P3-P4.pdf 
>>
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > and a good paper on space PV trends can be had at:
>> > >
>> > > http://www.aec-able.com/corpinfo/Resources/PAJ-IEEE-98.pdf
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > The Space Systems ISS solar arrays are the
>> > > largest deployable space structure ever built and
>> > > will be by far, the most powerful
>> > > electricity-producing arrays ever put into orbit.
>> > > When the Station is completed a total of eight
>> > > flexible, deployable solar array wings will
>> > > generate the reliable, continuous power for the
>> > > on-orbit operation of the ISS systems. The eight
>> > > array wings were designed and built under a $450
>> > > million contract from the Boeing-Rocketdyne
>> > > Division in Canoga Park, Calif., for delivery to
>> > > the Boeing Company and NASA.
>> > > Each of the eight wings consists of a mast
>> > > assembly and two solar array blankets. Each
>> > > blanket has 84 panels, of which 82 are populated
>> > > with solar cells. Each panel contains 200 solar
>> > > cells. The eight photovoltaic arrays thus
>> > > accommodate a total of 262,400 solar cells. When
>> > > fully deployed in space, the active area of the
>> > > eight wings, each 107 by 38-feet, will encompass
>> > > an area of 32,528-sq. ft., and will provide power
>> > > to the ISS for 15 years.
>> > > --
>> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>> > > Jeff Clearwater
>> > > Village Power Design
>> > > Sustainable Energy & Water Solutions for Home & Village
>> > > http://www.villagepower.com
>> > > gosolar at villagepower.com
>> > > NABCEP (tm) Certified Solar PV Installer
>> > >
>> > > 877-765-2784
>> > > FAX: 530-466-3663
>> > > 425 Nimrod St,
>> > > Nevada City, CA 95959
>> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`~
>> > > --
>> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>> > >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Steve Johnson
>> > LightWave Solar Electric
>> > Nashville, Tennessee
>> >
>> >
>> > - - - -
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>> >
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>> >
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>> >
>> >
>
>
>
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