Hamza Kadir
Mansour Alazmi
Nenad Zezelj
ECET521: Solar Energy Systems
Spring Semester, 2012
Purdue University Calumet

This is project for designing a power circuit for a solar powered motor. We studied the characteristics of the solar panel to be used and used the V-I characteristics graph to achieve an optimum design. This kind-of a circuit, with some modifications, can be applied to any application where a regulated solar electricity is required.

Our course ECET521 played a very important role in introducing us to use of renewable energy for power, cooling and heating systems.
We were most interested in use of solar cells.
We chose this project to study the characteristics of solar panels hands-on.

Connecting a solar panel directly to a motor will make it run. However, there will be jitter and a rather unsmooth performance. So a circuit which regulates the power flow to the motor from the solar cell will allow a smoother run of the motor. This circuit may be built with capacitors for the smoothness and a smith trigger or similar functionality for the detection of minimum availability of sunlight.

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THUNDERBOLT MAGNUM SOLAR - item#68692 1.5 Watt Solar
Battery Charger
Plugs into 12 volt cigarette lighter
Blinking LED charge indicator
Panel mounts easily to windshield or dash - includes suction feet for mounting
Includes cigarette lighter adapter and battery terminal clamps

Solar cell type: Amorphous crystal
Peak output power: 1.5 watts
Voltage (max): 24

It is the basic concept of a voltage triggered solar engine. The 555 is actually configured to function like a Schmitt inverter, and used as a voltage detector. The trigger voltage is about 2.6 V .

The speed of the DC servo motor was measured at roughly 50 rpm at
12 pm on a full sunny day. However our trials to run it using strong lamps in the lab did not show satisfactory results.

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A Darlington Pair can increase the level of current to the load by many factors.
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We can substitute replacing the 2N3904 with a 2N2222 to provide higher current for driving the motor. Unavailable at the shop.
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Super capacitor: Illinois CAPACITOR 407DCN2R7K
SUPERCAPACITOR Alum Elect 400F 10V
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Choice of better panel: Ramsond 100 Watt Monocrystalline
Photovoltaic PV Solar Panel Module 12V Battery Charging

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Sunlight / Rain
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Producing indoor light power source
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Small panel
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Circuit component sizing

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We believe we have a better understanding of uses of solar panels, having undergone this project. This will help us for our future projects to come.