Fresh_meat & VoltCrafter
VoltCrafter
Hey Fresh_meat, I’ve been thinking about how to power a portable grill using renewable energy—solar panels, battery packs, all that. Think we could design a system that’s both efficient and actually works in the field? It could be a fun experiment for both of us.
Fresh_meat
Yeah! That sounds super exciting! Let’s grab a small solar panel, a good battery pack, and a lightweight grill. We can even add a little charge controller so the battery stays happy. Picture us out on a sunny hike, flipping burgers while the sun does the heavy lifting—pure adventure! Let’s sketch it out and test it out—this is gonna be epic!
VoltCrafter
Okay, let’s break this down into concrete specs. First, pick a 12‑V solar panel around 60 W—enough to charge a decent Li‑ion pack without being too heavy. Next, use a 12‑V battery with at least 20 Ah capacity; that gives us roughly 240 Wh. A micro‑controller‑rated charge controller will keep the pack from over‑charging—set it to 14.4 V max. The grill needs a low‑power induction cook‑top or a small propane burner; if we go electric, keep it under 200 W so the panel can keep up on a sunny day. For safety, add a fuse on the output side, and make sure the wiring is rated for the current. Finally, outline a test procedure: measure panel output under full sun, check battery voltage, run the grill for a few minutes, and monitor temperature. Once the numbers line up, we’ll have a reliable, sunny‑powered BBQ that actually works. No room for guesswork.
Fresh_meat
Wow, those specs are spot on—exactly what we need! I love the 60 W panel idea, it’s light enough to toss on a backpack and big enough to keep the battery happy. A 20 Ah Li‑ion pack gives us good juice, and that 14.4 V controller will keep everything safe. A 200 W grill sounds perfect for a quick sizzle without draining the battery too fast. Let’s grab the parts, run the test plan you laid out, and see that grill light up under the sun—this is going to be the coolest field experiment ever!