Originally Posted By: highflyer
MNFISH,

I love people who push the limits!! I do have a few questions if you have the time.

1. How do you protect the pump until you get enough power from that one panel to run it (IE while it has partial sun and is producing some power, but not enough to run it)?
In direct 12V or 24V solar pumping there is a device that allows the pump to begin turning in low light and thus overcoming the stall. It's called a linear current booster or LCB

2, What pump is that? Did you find that off the shelf, or did you build it from parts?
The pump is a Gast off the shelf but the electronics to drive it are custom

3. How many amps?
It takes 75W to run. In a 12V system, around 6.5 amps

4. How did you check the CFM rate?
I did take some liberties and assumptions. I measured the pressure at the pump and assumed a zero loss thru the line and a stone diffuser. Then used the pump performance graph to get the CFM's. The system is set up to run at full speed even under cloudy conditions. Once 75W is attained, the performance graph should fit.

5. What diffuser are you using?
This is going to be another thread coming very soon. wink I have been using/testing both stones and membranes. The one pictured is a single membrane diffuser.

6. Are you protecting for ice or thermal cline?
Not exactly sure what you are asking for here...sorry, please clarify and remember to ask as though you are speaking to a third grader (my apologies to those third graders whose intelligence I just insulted smile ).

Thanks for any info, I have been doing mine for a while now as well, but I went with a battery and inverter style system because mine needs to run over night. I also want the rest of the power for pumping water from pond to pond and other functions.