How many watts solar panel to power this Fan?

[Dakota]

Hi guys. New to the forums. I have been reading for some time. Thanks for having me.

I have a project going on and trying to buy a solar cell that will power it correctly.

I need to ventilate a boat while we are away to keep it dry and moisture free. Only during periods of sound during the day the the water vapor forms in the heat. Fan does not need to be connected to the battery, infact we prefer that it does not to keep the batteries isolated.

I am going to buy a RULE blow fan to push air out of the small cabin and keep fresh air coming in while we are away. The fan is overkill for this project, but it fits the ducting well on the boat and they are safe for closed wet environments. The fan is rated at 2.6 max amps at 12v which is way too much air pushing for what we need.

So what do think would be an appropriate portable solar cell to attach to the boat to run this at 1/2 to 1/4 of max speed? The smaller the solar the better for space reasons on the boat cover.

We have a an old Uni-Solar MBC-131. rated power 5.5 watts, 15.6 volts & .35 amps . But I have a feeling that doesn't have enough output to even get the electric motor started let alone push some air.

Can someone please advise? I'd rather think through it then just buy and hope it all works ok.

Thanks so much

 

[Dakota]

Anyone?

 

[(*steve*)]

Try it. See if the motor starts.

There are small extraction fans designed for cars that operate from a small solar panel. They may not shift enough air, but they might be worth looking into.

 

[Bluejets]

12v x 2.6A = 31.2W ....half speed maybe 1/2 of that.

 

[Dakota]

12v x 2.6A = 31.2W ....half speed maybe 1/2 of that.

Thank you. Need a bigger solar panel. Can't get the motor turning.

 

[(*steve*)]

The motor will require a high current to start turning. Did you try spinning the motor by hand? The panel may be able to keep it turning.

Practically, this won't be much use as the motor week stop again as soon as the first cloud appears

It may be best to have the panel charge a battery and have the fan turn on when the battery voltage reaches 13V and off when it drops to 11.5V.

This is relatively simple and will prevent overcharge and limit discharge.