Solar trailer short trips

[matthewslack]

Very early start as camp was rather public, and now 15 miles in, sitting in a Loch Lubnaig layby in dull skies. Barely generating at all, but it is quite early still, so digging out the patience.

Time to swap round a tyre to wear it's other side, check my axle bodge and hope for brighter skies. Only one significant hill, so touch and go but not yet desperate. I have known charging locations both sides of the hill from previous trips, so worst case is a bit of mains input.

Morning, ready to roll.



Not a powerful sky.

 

[matthewslack]

Home in one day, by the skin of my teeth! The axle did fine, helped by moving as much stuff as possible onto the bike. But energy management was the main challenge, with no real bright conditions until 5 miles from home! The solar battery was down to 34.3V at one point, and the Shimano down to its last bar.

I rode the last 12 miles of hilly back roads in level 1 and off where possible, with my heart in my mouth, through showers, cow and sheep poo everywhere, trying not to look at the display. Right at the end, just before the last steep hill, at last some sun. Only 79 miles waiting for it!

The first 16 km used 120Wh and generated 14, and that pattern continued for much of the day. Distances and energy numbers at intervals:

16km, 14Wh used, 120 Wh gen, 106 Wh taken from battery.
24 18 158 140
38 34 240 206
45 48 328 280
67 100 416 316
74 122 476 354
85 186 522 336
107 270 652 383
114 288 696 408
128 306 780 474
138 408 860 452

At the maximum, which is right near the end, I took 474Wh out of the 1000Wh solar battery which had started the day at only 37.5V. The big battery got me home. Had I been on the smaller version like my long trip, I would only have been able to manage 40 or 50 miles today, and with tomorrow's forecast, there would have been doubt about getting back under solar power alone.

Not many pictures to add, they'll come when my phone is back in signal.

Minor points about this trip: the 3A DC-DC converter works a treat, charging my tablet and new, big battery phone at a good rate, but the GoPro external power cable does not like even minor rain. I have a melted connector, and the only explanation I can see is shorting due to rainwater ingress. I need to check the camera is OK, likely yes, and the health of the battery USB port.

All in all a really good 6 days, four of great weather and terrain, and two of challenges just about met! 756km/470 miles over 6 days, bringing my solar adventuring total to 6,332km/3,934 miles.

In a week we will be two months past mid summer's day. Only another month until we enter the winter half of the year. Already the days are markedly shorter, the mid-day sun lower in the sky, and panel angle matters more. One more summer trip I hope, starting a week on Wednesday, and then focus needs to move to shorter days because of energy constraints. More learning to be had there!

Pictures later, but for now that's all.

 

[Patpending]

Home in one day, by the skin of my teeth! The axle did fine, helped by moving as much stuff as possible onto the bike. But energy management was the main challenge, with no real bright conditions until 5 miles from home! The solar battery was down to 34.3V at one point, and the Shimano down to its last bar.

Hi Matthew,
glad you made it home safe and sound. Many thanks for the advice re Trailer design you offered when we met on the cycle path near Stirling. Will endeavour to post some pictures once complete and on the road.
Regards
Rob

 

[guerney]

Against a sunny wall catoneaster is a sure winner late spring early/ summer, they sound like a swarm has arrived with so much activity from all manner of bees.
Lavetera with its silky pink large petal flowers is also another winner with bees, the main attraction is the pollen on the the anthers and the bees get smothered in it large grains.

The main focus with planting for bees is not just one or two plants of a variety but a mass showing that says come and visit the food is here in abundance. One reason why the Persicaris is a must it's display of red spikes is very appealing to them.

My spring sample I sent off last year to the centre of ecology & hydrology for testing showed the specie count of 13 plants visited that constituted the highest count from the pollen analysis.
Woodland forget-me -not accounted for 37% .
Sycamore 21%
Brassicas rape & cabbage accounted for 26%
And illex perado 12% a native plant common to the azores,madiera.
Amongst the others Green alkanet, ivy, bulbous buttercup, allium onion, allium chives, common nettle, dames violet.

For Humble bees and solitary wild flower meadows and white /red clover for a general mix, the hairy footed bee in spring loves lung wort and easy to grow plant.

Blimey. I wouldn't know where to start sourcing the seeds of the plants you mentioned. However, I can buy kgs of mixed "Wildflower Meadow" seeds quite easily for their intended 15ft X 10ft area next to my pumpkins, partially shaded by a Damson tree. I'm in the process of clearing it of less varied weeds (buttercups, nettles, thistles, dandelions, poppies, plus all sorts I know not of), while trying to keep up with watering requirements. No rain today either, despite chances apparently high (according to the Met Office) for thunderstorms. Highly irritating.

Bees do seem to love diving into and scrambling about inside pumpkin flowers. I've seen them trying to open not ready flowers to get inside.

 

[guerney]

My spring sample I sent off last year to the centre of ecology & hydrology for testing showed the specie count of 13 plants visited that constituted the highest count from the pollen analysis.
Woodland forget-me -not accounted for 37% .
Sycamore 21%
Brassicas rape & cabbage accounted for 26%
And illex perado 12% a native plant common to the azores,madiera.
Amongst the others Green alkanet, ivy, bulbous buttercup, allium onion, allium chives, common nettle, dames violet.

By offering free testing, the Gov is of course saving money by effectively using beekeepers as agents monitoring fruit security. We're not quite there with bee sized drones to do the same job, or more GM self-pollinating equivalent fruit and veg plants, which won't need bees or other pollinators.

And illex perado 12% a native plant common to the azores,madiera.

WFT? Are your bees using Ryanair? Adequate room for bees knees.

 

[Nealh]

I'm in the process of clearing it of less varied weeds (buttercups, nettles, thistles, dandelions, poppies, plus all sorts I know not of), while trying to keep up with watering requirements.

These plants are all good sources of nectar bar the nettles if not flowering, dandelion is known to be one the highest concentrations of nectar % wise. Thistles are very important to pollinators.
If one was to watch them for sevreal hours one would see all manner of insects using them down to tiny bees of only 3mm in size.

Borage seed is widely available but is variable in setting and can lay dormant for years until disturbed, phacelia also widely available and is guaranteed to grow I have found but may need resowing after 4 or 5 years to keep it plentiful.

P.S.
Excuse the topic drift a little Matthew, however to my defence you did start the bee waffle .

 

[matthewslack]

I'm only using solar bike tours as a smokescreen to tease out bee expertise!

 

[matthewslack]

@Patpending

Good luck with your build and journeying. There is enough of the year left to build a V1 test bed, and get some miles in.

My progression has been driven by the trips I've made. Things I thought would be essential but were not finished in time have not been much missed (detailed datalogging and handlebar control panel/energy display), and reliability issues have entirely been mechanical and structural. The solar part is simple, robust and works like a dream.

 

[WheezyRider]

Shame the axle went again. Is it there to act as a torsion bar? Looks like it could do with some thickening at the joint end. Is it steel? Can you weld a sleeve over the top at the joint to reinforce it?




As a side point, that ply looks pretty awful stuff...drifts from 7 ply to 8 ply at the corner

Is it any good in the rain? I have used "external ply" from Wickes before and it is total crap once it gets wet - it delimanates, even if you try to seal it. I've found that you need proper "class 3" grade ply for outdoor projects. I've had quite good results with some stuff called "Ultipro" from Jewson.

 

[guerney]

Could that square rubber chock be putting far too much stress at the weld point? I'd try adding chocks of similar material at 1/3rd and 2/3rds of the length across, to engage at the same height/time. Probably best wrapped and glued around the axle.

 

[matthewslack]

Shame the axle went again. Is it there to act as a torsion bar? Looks like it could do with some thickening at the joint end. Is it steel? Can you weld a sleeve over the top at the joint to reinforce it?


View attachment 48560

As a side point, that ply looks pretty awful stuff...drifts from 7 ply to 8 ply at the corner

Is it any good in the rain? I have used "external ply" from Wickes before and it is total crap once it gets wet - it delimanates, even if you try to seal it. I've found that you need proper "class 3" grade ply for outdoor projects. I've had quite good results with some stuff called "Ultipro" from Jewson.

The axle 'in my opinion' is flawed in both concept and manufacturing process, and I think is no longer in production. Most Burleys seem to be rigid now, with elastomer springing also seen. My first axle was an older Burley Solo, the second was my temporary solid aluminium rod which bent, and the third was a wider Burley from a German ebay listing which needed the plywood interface. The ply is standard off the shelf stuff from an offcuts pile, not specially sought out.

The axle tube is responsible for keeping the wheels parallel, allowing all the other pivots etc to be quite basic. But welding it into the swing arms is catastrophic because it now has to resist torque when one wheel hits a pothole as well as bending from the one sided wheels. Even worse, welding weakens aluminium and ths change in thickness at the weld edge creates a stress concentration and aluminium is terrible in fatigue. Failure by cracking at the weld edge is inevitable.

The rigid Burley axle has no welds, so will not fail in the same way. I plan to mount it on the swing arms using plastic blocks and stainless steel bolts. Hopefully this week.

 

[Nealh]

Probably needs a sturdier chassis /axle, the CF Y frame utilises a 31.6mm x 3mm square aluminium section for the main axle, a round section of aluminium is then substantionally welded in to the open ends for the QR 12mm axes to slide in.

 

[matthewslack]

Could that square rubber chock be putting far too much stress at the weld point? I'd try adding chocks of similar material at 1/3rd and 2/3rds of the length across, to engage at the same height/time. Probably best wrapped and glued around the axle.

When that bump stop block hits the base there is a sudden spike in bending load because the wheel is outboard. Mid span blocks unlikely to help as they won't touch down because the tube will bend.

I'l see how the Burley rigid axle fares, as it is the only realistic solution I can get ready in a work week, and go from there.

@Nealh, that CF sounds good and strong. I might look into a suitable square tube. I have two sets of fragments of a suitable round tube now!

 

[WheezyRider]

The axle 'in my opinion' is flawed in both concept and manufacturing process, and I think is no longer in production. Most Burleys seem to be rigid now, with elastomer springing also seen. My first axle was an older Burley Solo, the second was my temporary solid aluminium rod which bent, and the third was a wider Burley from a German ebay listing which needed the plywood interface. The ply is standard off the shelf stuff from an offcuts pile, not specially sought out.

The axle tube is responsible for keeping the wheels parallel, allowing all the other pivots etc to be quite basic. But welding it into the swing arms is catastrophic because it now has to resist torque when one wheel hits a pothole as well as bending from the one sided wheels. Even worse, welding weakens aluminium and ths change in thickness at the weld edge creates a stress concentration and aluminium is terrible in fatigue. Failure by cracking at the weld edge is inevitable.

The rigid Burley axle has no welds, so will not fail in the same way. I plan to mount it on the swing arms using plastic blocks and stainless steel bolts. Hopefully this week.

Ah, aluminium alloy...not good in such an application. I would not weld it, use brazing instead. Often gives a better joint than welding. You can get brazing rods for aluminium quite cheap, all you need is a blow torch so it's quite easy to do.

 

[matthewslack]

After a dull day and a bit parked in the car park at work because the axle was never going to manage the 4km bumpy, potholey, hilly way home, the solar battery is fully charged. It took 750Wh, which means it was down to about 25%/250Wh or a bit less.

I rode the 4km on Monday on just the remaining half a bar in the Shimano battery. It didn't make it! So it really was home by the skin of my teeth!

 

[guerney]

Attaching directly to flexible ply could be causing axle bending, stretching and compression stress - perhaps attach the axles to a box section frame and attach the ply to it? And/or - would welding a long square box section onto the opposite sides of the rubber chocks, under where the wheel axles insert, further relieve stress on the axle? You could further reinforce/prevent the square bar from bending, by inserting one of your left over round tubes? Or you could get rectangular section and insert two? Or weld on two square box sections containing two round tubes, and weld those together along their lengths? Bash some bungs into the ends... Or if you have three round tubes, use triangular section?

Bolting through lengths of 1"X 1" wood underneath, would make the ply more rigid. You could then get away with using thinner and lighter ply. Or you could make the ply more rigid by bolting up through the wood struts?

 

[matthewslack]

Perhaps the last hurrah of summer as after a mad scramble to fit my new solid axle, reinforce cracks found in the trailer base tubes, track down missing tent pegs and so on, I am back on board the good ship Isle of Lewis about to head out to Barra.

A low key trip this time, no huge distances or climbs, just five or six days being a solar powered tourist on some of the most beautiful islands in the UK.

Odometer starts at 11,032km, solar battery full, Shimano battery on four bars.

 

[matthewslack]

Catching up a few days after my return.

This was a short 220 mile, 5 day trip taking in the southern part of the Outer Hebrides. I added Vatersay at the south and Berneray at the North to my knowledge base, and four new camping sports, all beside white sand beaches.

Late August days are a fair bit shorter than midsummer and the sun is lower on the sky. Different tactics are required to make the most of the solar energy on offer.

There are now only four good hours where a flat panel is good enough, two either side of solar noon, rather than the six in midsummer. Outside those hours, in full sun it is better to stop and charge with the panels pointing at the sun, and ride in less sunny hours and in hours further from noon.

On grey days, there is less generation too, so my 75 mile daily average is no longer a given. Mileage was not a priority on this trip, but had it been, I would have been looking at 60 miles a day or a bit less with the weather I had. The touring season is just about over.

First night camp on Vatersay. Between two beaches, below the road for shelter from a strong wind, on community owned land. Camping for a small fee welcomed, toilets and showers provided. Highly recommended.



Mirror proving popular.



Whalebone on the shore on South Uist.



Grey skies over South Uist mountains.



Another great beach side campsite, welcome evening sun after a long day on level 1.



And a very reasonable sunset.



Morning sun, and no rush, so more welcome charging.



North coast of North Uist. Very colourful.



And on to another fine beach side camp at East Bay on Berneray.



Great views to Skye in the other direction.

 

[matthewslack]

Day one of what may be the last trip of the season. I'm heading down to the Mull of Kintyre lighthouse and back, over 5 days with only one good looking solar day in the forecast!

57 miles today, on 620Wh from the solar battery and a good two bars of the Shimano, so 850 or so in total with only 350 generated. It just wasn't the bright day forecast, so I'm lower on battery than I hoped.

Tomorrow is the good day. The challenge is 66 miles to the lighthouse and try to fill the solar battery too! We'll see.

Today was mostly lanes, too much tree cover and too many short sharp hills down the west side of Loch Awe, to an old jetty in Lochgilphead for camp. Short days now. Tent needs to be up by 7pm, and I need a headtorch for the first time since March.

I have a new mechanical failure. The stand broke, so bike has to lean or lie.

View north to Ben Cruachan and the loch.



Last of the evening sun.

 

[matthewslack]

Catching up after a night of 40 to 45 mph westerly winds, on a west facing coast.

Saturday was a perfect blue sky day, good enough to tempt me into an extra 20 mile loop round the west side of the peninsula, and then onward to Southend, at the south end of the land. Not enough day left for the final few miles to the lighthouse, so a picnic site below a stone wall opposite a beach was camp.



Several camper vans of various sizes with conversational occupants nearby.

Despite the blue sky, the low sun angle meant lots of level 1 riding to keep generation somewhere near consumption. At the end of 83 miles, 878Wh in, 924 out from the solar plus another bar down on the Shimano, so 1024 or so total for 12.2Wh per mile. Plenty of hills in those extra 20 miles!

Breakfast time charging from the moment the sun got up meant I started Saturday with the solar battery full.



Fine view down Loch Fyne.



View across to Jura from that extra loop.



Afternoon charging stop. 7 amps pointing at the sun, 2 amps flat.



Camp. Closer to houses than I like to be, but hidden below the wall.



And across the road, the beach.