Custom recumbent trike first test

Posted yesterday about planning to put the solar panel onto the trike:

• Planning to affix solar panel to trike — December 04, 2024

Thanks to Bart and Jimmi, who emailed me with advice about adhesives. I tested the Parfix silicone on the back of the solar panel, and also on a piece of aluminium. The bond with the solar panel is incredibly strong, mediocre with the aluminium. I did not degrease nor sandpaper the surface of the aluminium, which would have contributed to the mediocre bond.

However, I decided that the bond to the aluminium is good enough, as it is likely sometime in the future will upgrade the solar panel to a higher wattage. Some adhesives are too good, making removal of the panel just about impossible. Yes, used the Parfix, as that is what already have and as stated, it is "good enough".

As mentioned in the previous post, decided to use aluminium angle to hold the panel down:

Ran a bead of silicone along underneath the panel, before affixing the angle. On reflection, probably that silicone wasn't necessary, just some applied to the internal framework to prevent flapping in a strong breeze. In fact, without silicone might have been better from the point of view of thermal expansion and contraction. Anyway, its done.

Today took it outside for a short test ride. Here it is posing in the courtyard:

Blue sky, about 10am, expected to be getting good output from the solar panel; however, the MPPT controller readings were all over the place. Here is a snapshot:

...see only 65W. Also very disconcerting, sometimes it dropped to zero amps output for several seconds. I rode the trike around and around in a circle, and output came up to about 153W.

The battery had been previously charged to 100%, so probably the weirdness out of the MPPT controller is due to the BMS. Hope so amyway. Now it is the evening, and have the battery on discharge, through a 220V inverter powering a 30W incandescent globe. Will let that run for a couple of hours. Tomorrow plan to take the trike outside again and see if the charging has improved. Will also try the elejoy MPPT controller.

The experience of riding the trike around in circles was pleasant. One thing, the front suspension is too soft, but I expected that, and have replacement shock absorbers with stiffer springs; will fit those soon.

A side-project has been started, a throw-over weather protection tent:

...the bottom will have hooks attached, to be pegged to the ground, and there will be more fabric glued onto the sides.

The interesting possibility with this tent is that it could be more than just weather protection for the trike; if one side is extended out, it could become a habitable area. Don't know; there is no vision in the mind how this habitable area could be achieved. Will just keep contructing it, following my nose. Note, the fabric is very thin ripstop nylon, left over from years ago when I was into tent construction.      

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