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ELV supply for tent camping.

A friend owns a farm and offers tent camping pitches as a sideline. 

They wish to provide a limited and safe ELV supply to such camping pitches, for lighting, charging of electronics, and other low power uses.


Does anyone see any flaw in my proposal which is as follows.


For each pitch provide a 13.8 volt DC supply, current limited to 8 amps, this obtained from a DC to DC converter contained in a locked enclosure. Output via 2 core heavy duty rubber sheathed flex terminated in a plastic box on which will be mounted 3 automotive type cigar lighter outlets. Small green LED pilot lamp to show that the supply is on. No overcurrent protection required as DC to DC converter is current limited. No means of  isolation provided at such a low voltage.

When not in use the trailing leads and the outlet boxes will be stored under some form of small shelter.

When in use, outlet box in users tent.

Cable size selected to give a minimum of 11 volts at full load.


10 camping pitches, 5 post mounted boxes, each containing two supplies.


"mains" input to these DC to DC converters to be 3 wire DC at 26/0/26 volts nominal, which could be up to to about 30 volts actual. Obtained from the main RE system at the farm buildings.

Distribution via 10mm twin with earth cable, overhead and well out of reach. Each post will also have a small amenity light to give low level area lighting.


The main 3 wire DC system has the center wire earthed. The CPC in the 10mm twin with earth cable will be used as a current carrying conductor, but only for the earthed center wire.

The 13.8 volt circuits derived from this system are isolated from earth.
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  • I'd be wary of current limited being enough to protect against all possible load side events such as folk trying to charge car batteries backwards and other marvellous errors, and I;d add an idiot diode and a fuse,


    What are you/they expecting to be plugged in ? one of the first thing I can imagine will be a car battery to 230V inverter, unless the farm is hiring out the 12V lights with the plugs already fitted as well.


    Do folk use  cigar lighter outlets much any more ? most cars are non smoking and most of the hand held electronics I have seen expects 5V, from the 'USB' type connector.

    Or 18V for a laptop.

    Camping fridges maybe and these are about 60Watts, so 12V and 5A or so.

    M.
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  • I'd be wary of current limited being enough to protect against all possible load side events such as folk trying to charge car batteries backwards and other marvellous errors, and I;d add an idiot diode and a fuse,


    What are you/they expecting to be plugged in ? one of the first thing I can imagine will be a car battery to 230V inverter, unless the farm is hiring out the 12V lights with the plugs already fitted as well.


    Do folk use  cigar lighter outlets much any more ? most cars are non smoking and most of the hand held electronics I have seen expects 5V, from the 'USB' type connector.

    Or 18V for a laptop.

    Camping fridges maybe and these are about 60Watts, so 12V and 5A or so.

    M.
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