Solar panel frame for trike take-2

About 10 months ago I constructed a frame for solar panels to go on top of the custom recumbent trike project:

https://bkhome.org/news/202310/320e-solar-recumbent-trike-solar-panel-redesign.html

...yeah, I've been working on this trike project that long! Very experimental, so lots of dead-ends. Including the solar panel frame; that design was not very rigid. This time, I have used aluminium square tube, 25.4x25.4mm (1x1 inches), 1.2mm wall thickness. This has been braced with 30x30mm angle, 3mm thick and 50mm 3mm thick flat strap. Got all of this from Bunnings.

Change of plan for the solar panel. The above post states that the allowed width in Western Australia is 660mm; however, in mid-2022 that got increased to 800mm. However, I am limiting to 740mm so as to fit through my front door and motel doors when touring. A local company here in Western Australia, Amptron, had a 24V 200W panel on sale -- I forget the exact price, about AU$320 I think, well below normal retail, so I bought one. That was about 5-6 months ago. Here it is:

https://amptron.au/products/200w-24v-semi-flexible-mono-crystalline-solar-panel/

That's the panel that will now be going on top of the trike. It is "24V" and will charge a "48V" LFP battery, through a boost MPPT controller. The panel is 1600x670mm and here are the pieces of tube laid out on top of the panel:

...the gaps between the cross-pieces are 300mm, except at the rear 250mm.

Started by riveting the corners, 4mm pop rivets, with pieces of the 30x30x3 angle:

Also riveted angle on the inside, which was a problem as the electric drill chuck is too wide. The workshop that I attend has this handy flexible small chuck that solved the problem:

Success riveting the inside:

...the photo shows strap riveted on for extra reinforcing. The hook is this one from Bunnings:

https://www.bunnings.com.au/goliath-small-aluminium-fastener-hooks-4-pack_p4230095

I scattered 12 of these hooks around the frame, as convenient for hanging whatever in the future. They are suitable for hanging 12mm (1/2 inch) eyelets, in case want to hang a tent-like weather protection around the trike. Here is the entire frame:

It is very rigid. And light -- on my bathroom scales it  is just over 2kg. Good, objective achieved. Also, the vertical poles connecting to the trike will have bracing; though, might only be able to do that at the back.

The frame is not quite finished. There will be brackets to attach the vertical poles to the trike. Also will probably mount the boost MPPT controller underneath the solar panel frame.    

Tags: light