Solar panels as power source?

[daveindelaware]

In my 2+ years of researching RV's, I have come to find that solar panels are almost a necessity in providing a never-ending supply of power for all the RV systems.... And this got me thinking:

Has anyone here used solar power for powering their lasers instead of batteries or the AC outlet?

Just curious!

 

[3zuli]

it could with small 5mW, but you would need a BIG (expensive) solar panel, which could supply laser's current

 

[lasersbee]

And what would the purpose be of powering Lasers with
Solar Panels...:thinking:

Jerry

 

[Grix]

A laser pointed at solar panel should be able to power up itself.

 

[daveindelaware]

And what would the purpose be of powering Lasers with Solar Panels...:thinking:

Purpose? Must everything have a practical purpose? LOL. Maybe the purpose would be just to see if you could power a laser with the sun via solar panels.

Or maybe a laser trip-wire system around the perimeter of your home so you know if someone steps foot on your property?

Or maybe a Christmas laser light show, powered at night by a solar charged battery from daytime collection?


I guess I should have specified HOW the panel would be used. I originally figured the panel would be wired directly (or semi-directly) to the driver, or to some other means of power regulator, and then used to power the laser directly....

But then again, perhaps the solar power system in discussion could be a battery charging system (instead of a direct-power source)? Like a battery array, which then is used to power an inverter for AC powering of a "portable" laser system (for mobile light shows, etc). Then anyone could run a laser light show independent of any power grid to plug into. Maybe that makes more sense?

This was just an idea that came to my mind, based on my research of RV's and solar/battery systems. The RV is a self-sufficient vehicle which does not need to plug into AC power anywhere if there's a solar panel (or two or three) on the roof providing a constant charge for the house batteries.

I thought this concept could be applied to lasers. I dunno - maybe there's no practical use for solar+lasers, since non-lab lasers can use small portable batteries.

I'm just blabbering.

 

[3zuli]

And what would the purpose be of powering Lasers with
Solar Panels...:thinking:

Jerry

solar panel -> laser -> solar panel etc...
perpetum mobile? :thinking: :shhh:

 

[HIMNL9]

LOL ..... the only application in which i see a minimum of logic using solar panels and lasers, is if was possible o cover a laser host with a layer of solar panels (and a layer of protective transparent resil plexiglass-like on them, ofcourse), and use the produced energy for recharge the lithium battery, with an appropriate converter ..... (just another crazy idea from your friendly mad scentist )

 

[lasersbee]

Now that makes more sense.... using Solar energy to recharge
the internal batteries of a Laser when not in use...

@daveindelaware...

Yeah... If you are looking for answers... We need a specific purpose...
The reason I asked for a purpose (project) was because we are a
R&D company... and that is the 1st thing we ask before going down
the wrong path...

If all you want to do is run any Laser just from the Sun...
Calculate the max current draw of your Laser and get a Solar Panel
that can easily output that current. If you need it to run in cloudy
conditions as well... then get a bigger Solar Panel...

If you want to use the Laser as a Perimeter Alarm at night... then
you need a Battery Storage system as well...


Jerry

 

[daveindelaware]

@daveindelaware...

Yeah... If you are looking for answers... We need a specific purpose...

I originally asked the question just to see if anyone here had ever put the two things together before, for any kind of purpose....

But the more I think about it, I guess the only way it makes sense is to use the solar component to recharge the batteries, whether they're small CR123 rechargables, or larger 200 Ah AGM battery banks. Either way, the solar panels would provide the charge for the batteries, bringing them back up to 100% capacity.

I could see if someone had a mobile laser light show "truck" that they could just drive to a location, and run all their equipment off of a battery bank for a show at night, and then recharge the batteries using the solar panels the next day, then this might be a possible practical purpose.

Heck, maybe when I get my RV, I'll start my own mobile laser light show business. (probably not, but it's fun to dream/think about stuff)

 

[HIMNL9]

Covering the top of the truck with solar panels can give you enough energy for charge a bank of batteries (with an appropriate converter/pump charger ..... it can work when the truck is just parkerd or going around (if not parked inside a garage, ofcourse), so, it's not totally wrong, as idea ..... only, it depend from how much the laser power is (if you're thinking about argons, they eat a lot of energy and are terrifically inefficents ), and how much the rest of the equipment require (scanners, motors, controllers, drivers, converters, the PC for the show, and so on)

You risk to end with half or more of the truck filled of gel batteries, for last a night of show .....

And another thing ..... if you think about a laser show in a place where you don't have an alternative source of energy (power plug) ..... what show is ? ..... with music ? ..... then, where you get the energy for the rest of the apparates ? (musical instruments, amplifiers, etc.) .....

Each problem perhaps cause another problem .....

 

[Things]

I've powered lasers with solar panels before. Doing it without batteries is kind of impractical (Lasers during daylight in bright sun? Pfft ...), however it could be used to charge batteries in the laser.

 

[laserlands]

it is great for enviroment protection. but how to let the sun-panel manufacturer benifit and popularize the this technology? maybe a sun-source power rechargable battery for common electronic devices like AAA can be developed and be applied as power source of laser devices too.

 

[lasersbee]

Already exists..... no need to re-invent the wheel...

Solar Charger + battery pack for phones, IPods, cameras on eBay.ca (item 260521378923 end time 09-Jan-10 06:11:18 EST)


Jerry

 

[ossumguywill]

A laser pointed at solar panel should be able to power up itself.

At first I raged... then I saw trollface.jpg