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DC Grid Hackpad

Power outlets

There are several possible DC power outlets (combinations of) which should be considered.

Saf-D-Grid 380 (+/- 190) VDC sockets

Anderson Power Products has a safe DC power plug for high voltage, certified by the Emerge Alliance.

Resources

  • http://www.andersonpower.com/products/sdg.html

USB 3.1 Power Delivery / USB-C

The USB 3.1 Power Delivery standard extension specifies a way to deliver power at different voltages (5V, 12V, 20V) with a maximum power of 100W (20V) while maintaining backwards compatibility for powering legacy (5V) USB devices.

One possible application for the USB-C / USB 3.1 connectors could be to desig specific cables to replace existing 5, 12 or 20V power supplies for laptops, displays and other devices.

Nomenclature

  • USB 3.1 - The latest version of the USB standard
  • USB-C - The new connector defined by USB 3.1 as found on the new Macbook
  • USB Power Delivery - An extension to the USB standard for delivering power over USB, updated as part of USB 3.1.

Resources

SELF plugs/sockets

The SELV socket-outlets are 16A 2-pole safety extra-low voltage (up to 50 V) socketoutlets for use on appliances and devices. Standard voltages for socket-outlets are 6, 2, 24 and 48V ac. The socket-outlets are equipped with a groove coding to prevent the use of a plug not complying with the socket voltage. The SELV plugs are 16A 2-pole plugs for use with safety extra-low voltage socketoutlets. Standard voltages for plugs are 6, 2, 24 and 48V ac. The plugs are equipped with a ribbed coding to prevent being used with socket-outlet not complying with the plug’s voltage. Socket-outlets and plugs are intended for use with portable, encased transformers PFS, power supplies and electrical systems on boats and camping cars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DC_connector#IEC_60906-3:1994

MC4 connector

MC4 connectors are single-contact electrical connectors commonly used for connecting solar panels. MC4s allow strings of panels to be easily constructed by pushing the connectors from adjacent panels together by hand, but require a tool to disconnect them to ensure they do not accidentally disconnect when the cables are pulled. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MC4_connector

12V / 24V cigarette lighter sockets

These are the most widespread DC power sockets, known from car lighter plugs. Appliances using this socket can function on either 12V (typical for cars) or 24V (typical for trucks). Typical currents for cigarette lighters are 10A, curresponding to 240W at 24V.

Appliances

There is a wide range of appliances available with the cigarette lighter socket including:

  • Laptop power supplies
  • USB and mobile phone chargers
  • Vacuum cleaners
  • Water boilers
  • Fridges

Resources

Wikipedia: Cigarette lighter receptacle