Rolive

Hi all

A higher nozzle diameter has the benefit of being able to print faster due to to bigger layer width. There is a tradeoff, you'll have to lower print speed and/or raise temperature to maintain proper layer adhesion. That means that there is an optimal nozzle size for a given print speed/temperature combination. You also don't want temperature too high because it will burn/degrade your filament.

In my experience layer adhesion is quite poor with a nozzle of 0.8mm and it also prevents you from printing finer details (gear teeth for example). The tradeoff versus a 0.4mm nozzle doesn't seem worth it especially if you print overnight.

What are your experiences?

Hi

I'm interested in building my own solar panels mostly for educational purposes. The idea is to use individual solar cells and solder 36 of them in series to get about 18V open circuit voltage. It's what commercial solar panels have as well so its easier to integrate later.

The cells are bonded to the substrate using optically clear silicone or EVA. Not sure which is better. Polyurethane is not good because the mere mention of humidity will cause tons of bubbles.

As for the substrate. Optically clear tempered glass is prohibitively expensive unless bought in bulk. Normal glass is significantly cheaper but could that be a safety hazard? I seriously doubt that thermal shocks are strong enough to break glass sheets unless cold rain falls on it.

Has anyone tried plexiglass/acrylic? It's UV resistant but could bend/warp at higher temperatures breaking the cells.

Perhaps using screen protectors for obsolete phones/tablets could work as well. It's really thin and strong but I don't know it holds up in a hailstorm.

Would love to hear from your experiences in DIY solar panels.

I'm interested in learning how to make a proper PCB rather than perf board with wires all over the place.