Archive for the 'alternative energy' Category



DIY Solar Lantern - Part 3/3

Wednesday 30 April 2008 @ 5:51 pm

solar flashlightThis is how the cover looks after screwing the switch and pressing down the mini solar module/solar cell with double sided adhesive tape.

Next would be to tape the terminal block to the battery.

solar lantern

The way I did it is to tape a horizontal terminal block and then add 2 vertical terminal blocks on each side. One side would be wired to the negative terminal of the battery and the other side to the positive. The positive side goes to the switch first and not directly to the battery so I can turn it on and off when needed.

Below is a closeup view of the blocking diode. I used an old IN4001 . The diode has a white bar. The white bar is wired to the terminal (going to the side of the battery) while the other side of the diode goes to the ( ) side of the solar cell.

diy solar lantern blocking diode

Here’s how it looks from the other side. At first I thought of using just 1 big LED but later on, I decided to use many smaller bright white LEDs.

diy solar lantern

Here’s a top view shot

diy solar lantern wiring

Here’s a closeup of one of the LEDs. One side is connected to the (-) vertical terminal block and the other side at the ( ) terminal block.

solar LED lights

Top view shot of the 6 LEDs. 3 on each side. The LEDs in a way hold the 2 vertical terminal blocks together which is kinda neat.

solar LED lights

Side view.

solar lantern

Lastly, here’s the finished product.

solar powered lantern

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DIY Solar Lantern - Part 2/3

Wednesday 30 April 2008 @ 5:49 pm

To continue my DIY Solar Lantern project, I’ll now talk about the charging module. This is composed of the Nicad battery, Solar Cell, and a diode.

Charging Module

charging module

A diode is an electronic component that allows current to flow to one side but not the other way. For solar charging, we would be using a diode to allow current to pass from the solar cell to the battery.

However, during night time when there is no sun, a small current goes from the battery to the solar cell. This is what we would like to prevent and the diode blocks that current.

This is a simple charging circuit but it does not protect the battery from over charging. Maybe in the future, I’ll design something that would automatically switch off the charging process once the battery voltage goes to a pre-determined value. But for now, I’ll just make my DIY solar lantern as simple as possible.

Overcharging is the number 1 cause of battery damage. So for now, I’ll just have to estimate the number of hours I’ll leave my solar lantern under the sun.

The Solar Cell

I’ll be using a mini solar module (solar cell) which has an output voltage of 5v and a current of about 70mA at full sunlight. (This makes about 0.35watts of power).

How long does it take to charge the battery?

This depends on the capacity of the battery. In my case, I have a 280mAh Nicad battery. If my battery is fully depleted, it would take around (280mA/70mA= 4 hours) to fully charge.

Putting it all Together

First is to make a hole at the center of the canister cover. This is where the wire from the solar cell would pass through. I outlined the underside of the solar cell with a double adhesive tape so it will stick well on the cover. This also protects the solar lantern from getting rain so that water won’t go into the center hole where the wire goes. (It is not water proof though so I don’t suggest leaving yours outside if it rains). I might put some silicon someday (the one used in making aquariums) to make it waterproof.

DIY Solar Lantern

On the underside, I also added a double adhesive tape to close the center hole where the wire passed through. I added some more double adhesive tape and then press down my Nicad battery. I then drilled a hole for the switch.

DIY solar lantern

diy solar torch

To be continued….

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DIY Solar Lantern - Part 1/3

Wednesday 30 April 2008 @ 5:47 pm

One of my project ideas which I have been wanting to do for quite some time now is to make my own solar powered lantern. It basically works something like a solar garden light but it doesn’t automatically turn on when its dark.

Parts list:

  • solar cell
  • Nicad/Nimh rechargeable battery
  • terminal block
  • resistor
  • diode
  • double sided tape
  • a switch
  • wires
  • LEDs
  • transparent plastic canister

Tools needed:

  • soldering iron
  • multi meter (to measure voltage/current)
  • wire cutter
  • precision screwdriver
  • drill
  • pliers

Basic Theory of Operation

The solar lantern is composed of 2 main modules. The charging module, and the lighting module. The lighting system would be an LED or a number of LEDs connected to a power source. The charging system would be a way to charge the battery via small solar cell.

Lighting module

Lighting systemThis diagram shows how the lighting circuit works. The LED is passed through a resistor to limit the voltage/current that will pass through the LED. It is then connected to the battery.

How to compute for the value of the resistor.

The value of the resistor will depend on what LED you will be using and how much voltage is your power source. A typical LED needs about 15mA of current (0.015A).

In my case, I have a 3.6v Nicad battery, however once fully charged it goes to about 3.9v. Now a typical white LED has a voltage drop of about 3.4v so if I were to compute for the value of the resistor, it would be like this.

3.9v - 3.4v = 0.5v

Using V=IR

R=V/I = 0.5/0.015 = 33 ohms.

Watts = V * I = 0.0075 watts

Find a resistor with the next higher value available in your local electronics store. A 1/4 watt resistor will do.

Series or Parallel LEDs?

In my case, since my battery has only enough voltage for 1 LED, I don’t have a choice but to make a parallel connection. In my research on the internet, most advise not to wire LEDs in parallel. According to some of the articles I read, it is because parallel LEDs causes unstable current distribution. Some LEDs will get more current than it can take. Parallel LEDs can be done only if each LED has is own resistor.
As for now, I don’t have enough resistors so I will kinda violate this for a moment. Worst case is I’ll bust some of the LEDs which would be ok for now since it is not that expensive.

What I’ll be doing is to use 6 LEDs and I would make a parallel connection. Each LED requires about 15mA so the total current needed is 0.015A * 6 so that would be 0.09A or 90mA of current.

Using the V=IR formula again this is the resistor value I need

3.9v-3.4v= 0.5 volts needed to be dropped by the resistor

R=V/I = 0.5v/0.09A = 5.5 or 6 ohms.

Now to give a little allowance, I would use a resistor higher than 6 ohms but lower than the 33 ohms I computed if it were just 1 LED. I happen to have a 27ohm resistor so I’ll use that one.

To be continued…..

diy, solar lantern, diy solar lantern, solar powered lamp, solar flashlight, solar gadget

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