Solar panel and motor: Any way to regulate the power transmission?
I'm an engineering student and for an individual hobby-like project i purchased a small solar panel and a small solar motor. I am planning on making a small solar powered toy car. The question i have is: is there a way to connect a control or some other ways of regulating the power that is absorbed by the cells? Other wise the motor will just continue to run. Any answer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
I assume it is a DC motor. You should have DC voltage coming out of the solar cell (For example 10V). You could use a transistor to switch the voltage on and off, then filter the output with an RC filter. You will have to choose the right RC time constant . It will have to be slower than the control pulse frequency, but faster than the desired motor response time.
If you switched the voltage with a 50% duty cycle, then filtered the output, you would get 5V, with a 75% duty cycle, you would get 7.5V, etc. Therefore, you could control the motor by controlling the duty cycle of the switching. A microcontroller like the BASIC Stamp can produce the control pulses.
What is the most cost-effective place to buy large solar electric panels?
We don't have enough money right now to buy capacity for the whole house, which would probably require about 12 kilowatts. However, I would like to start buying panels toward building up toward that.
But I want to buy the most solar panel for the least price. I think that piecing a lot of very small panels together will be a very expensive way to do it.
Does anyone know the least expensive way to buy large solar electric panels?
Great answers here. Just to summarize, in order of priority:
1) Reduce usage first. For every $1 you spend on conservation, that's about $4 less you need to spend on your solar system. It costs less to use less electricity than to make your own.
2) Research solar hot water. Solar hot water is ~ 85% efficient, as opposed to ~20% for solar electric. You get a better bang for your buck installing solar thermal than solar electric.
3) Install solar electric. Prices for solar panels have dropped dramatically this year as the demand in Europe has dropped and people are having trouble getting home equity loans in the US. You can get better pricing if you buy by the pallet (depending on the panel, 20 - 30 panels). You are right that you don't need to generate all that you use, and if you do steps 1 and 2, you'll be using less anyways.
Solar Videos
Smokin Solar: China Watch
Earth4energy - Own Solar Panel Construction Guide Review
It has never been easier to shop for Solar, So run don"t walk to get the Best Selection and pick up Solar at great prices!
Items recently purchased on this site:
Solar Powered Fence Post Pool Garden LED White Light, 20A Solar Charge Controller Panel Regulator 12V 24V , 40W solar panel,40 watt solar panel Special On sale!, Ladies Round Italian Charm Bracelet Watch Solar System Astronomy Gift, Solar Panel Charger Controller Regulator 12-24V 20A, solio classic ipod cell phone charger solar panel array battery, 3x Outdoor Garden Path Wall Solar Powered Power Fence Home Light Lamp LED, Solar battery charger and Solar energy for iPhone,iPad, iPod, BLACK COLOR, Colourful Solar Garden X'mas 7M 23ft 60 LED Fairy Light More Xmas Light Our Shop, Brinkmann Solar Crossbar Light Set, 4 Pc, 12 - Pack Solar Post Deck Cap Square Fence Light 5 LEDs, SOLAR OUTDOOR STRING ROPE TUBE LIGHT 50 LED STAIRS TREE, 12 AA 1200 mAh NiCd Rechargeable Battery Solar Lights, Solar LED Flashight for travel hand grip Lantern, 2PCS Smallest Mini Solar Powered Robot Racing Car Moving Toy Gadget for Kids , Solar Panel Charger Controller Regulator 10A 12V/24V, 4-Pk Outdoor Garden Solar Landscape Floating Color Changing Ball Light Lights , Solar Panel Charger Controller Regulator 10A 12V/24V, Auto Swich, Outdoor Research Women's Solar Roller Sun Hat, White/Khaki, X-Large, 36 LED SOLAR MOTION SECURITY LIGHT, 6 IN 1 Solar Power Moving Dog Car Airboat Robot DIY Toy Kit Teaching Gadget, Solar Backup Battery Charger for Mobile Phone GPS MP3 PDA Tablet 2600mAh Power, Solar Charged Dual Powered Bluetooth V2.0 Car Kit with Call Display Loud Speaker, Solar Group E1100W00 Standard Size Galvanized Steel Rural Mailbox, White, Car Kit Solar Rechargeable Bluetooth FM Transmitter MP3 SD Player Speaker Phone, ADJUSTABLE SOLAR ELECTRIC FENCE CONTROLLER TADD, Tycon Solar Charge Controller TP-SC12-5 5A for 12V , Vonsolar Garden Outdoor Eaves/Shed Solar Light-2148 X2, CASIO PROTREK PRW-2000G-3JR Multiband 6 Atomic Solar Radio Men's Watch NEW !!, Solar Shield, 80 pcs 3x6 Fully Tabbed Poly Solar Cells DIY Solar Panel Kit w/Wire Flux Diode, MEMPHIS SHADES EL PASO 17" SOLAR WINDSHIELD FOR HARLEY DAVIDSON MEP5219, Solar Gargoyle Statue, Smallest Mini Solar Powered Robot Racing Car Toy Gadget, 400 Watt Grid Tie Inverter for Solar Panel Wind Turbine, Silver Stainless Steel Solar Light VSE03044S X8, MEMPHIS SHADES EL PASO 19" SOLAR WINDSHIELD FOR HARLEY DAVIDSON MEP5229, Solar Energy Guide Website Business For Sale, 60 LED Blue Solar Power Light String Fairy Wedding Xmas, Solar Panel Charger Regulator Controller 10A/12V/24V Safe Protection CE Certify, 1KW+ 3x6 Solar Cells SE CELLS 550 Cells Plus Extras, 1.5 Watt/W 12V 100 MA SOLAR PANEL for Grid Tie Inverter, Totem Style Pillar Solar Home Address Marker Garden Sign Stake Resin NEW B1282, 5pcs Home Outdoor Garden Path Solar Powered Landscape Light LED Lamp, 75 WHOLE Solar Cells Full Tabbed PLUS Bus Wire and Flux, Solar System Space Science Mouse Pad MousePad Mat 158, SOLAR POWERED OUTDOOR VIDEO CAMERA DVR RECORDER + AUDIO, SOLAR POWERED OUTDOOR NIGHTVISION VIDEO CAMERA RECORDER, Solar Powered DVR Camera for Hydroponic Garden, Solar Powered Hidden Spy DVR Camera w/ LED + SD Card, Solar Power Lotus Pond Water Spray Fountain, 1 pcs 10W 17V 0.6A Solar Cell Panel Battery W/ Diode CA3, 1 pcs 12V/24V 10A Solar Panel Battery Controller CA3, CASIO EDIFICE, EQS500DB EQS-500DB-1A1, TOUGH SOLAR, STAINLESS STEEL, FREE SHIP, Size 6.5-9.5 Silvering Solar Quartz Ring Q187650, 1 pcs 6V 120mA Solar Panel Power Cell & FREE DIY Tools, Doosan Excavator Die Cast Model Solar 225LCV 1:40, DOCTOR SOLAR Man of the Atom #6 pg 1 by Roger Robinson, DOCTOR SOLAR Man of the Atom #3 pg 19 by Roger Robinson, 1 pcs 6V 2Watt 2W High Quality Solar Panel Power Cell,
This entry was posted
on Friday, January 29th, 2010 at 4:19 am and is filed under Solar Energy.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Both comments and pings are currently closed.
