Blog Post #7

For the work period of March 9 to March 23, the team has made significant progress in completing the fabrication phase of the project. Starting with the cold plates (top & bottom) have been received from the UH machinist after being fabricated to our design specifications. Furthermore, the bolts required to attach the top and bottom plates have also been acquired. The bolts needed are 10-32 x 3/4 in. Combo Round Head Zinc Plated Machine Screw which is crucial in keeping the two cold plates secured.

Figure 1: Fabricated Cold Plate

With the cold plate in possession, the fabrication of assembly has begun to prepare for the main demo on March 25th. Thus far, the two cold plates have been sealed together with an RTV gasket to avoid leakage when the coolant travels through the system. Additionally, the 10-32 x 3/4 in bolts have been added and secured properly as the cold plate is officially ready to be utilized within the system.  The motorcycle battery that is going to be the power source of the system for this testing and experimentation has been primed to be utilized for the demo. Not just that but testing equipment such as the volt meters have been acquired as well and the thermal infrared camera has been approved to be donated/borrowed through the UH MECE department. 

Figure 2: RTV Gasket Applied Cold Plate

For the period of March 24th to April 6th, the biggest milestone for the team is to complete the validation testing as that is the most critical next step. Testing out the entire system is what is needed as we need to gather the data and compare it to a solar panel that doesn’t have a system. Within this milestone, we hope to collect data on temperature differences, power differences, and efficiency gained or lost between the two solar panels that we are comparing. The means of doing this is through equipment such as thermal infrared cameras, thermocouples, voltmeters, and equations to further our analysis.

Figure 3: Bolted & Sealed Cold Plate

The current obstacles that face the team is that there is the potential for leaks in front of the system when the coolant is applied throughout the system. The RTV gasket would have to be reapplied in the case of this in a more distinct manner and more specific spots that would act as a better sealant than the current application of it. Furthermore, the stability of the solar panel, mount, and cold plate is also another obstacle that may be encountered through validation testing as well as the demo. This obstacle we aim to rectify if it does become an issue by replacing the brackets with a different shape that will allow for better stability instead of bolted rectangular brackets. The alternate solution would be hinges that would connect to the solar panel & allow for a more concentrated system of support. The weather for testing is another obstacle that is faced by the team as we begin the validation testing because we do need to test in warmer conditions compared to the rainy conditions that are currently prevailing.