Final Product: 

Mechanism:

The mechanism of this charger is that first of all since it is a solar-powered charger, there are two 5 volt solar panels that are required to power the USB. Each solar panel has an anode and a cathode or a positive electrode and negative electrode, each of them is soldered with wires. To combine the voltage produced from two 5V solar panels, the negative wire of one is soldered with the positive of the other, and the two other wires (one positive one negative) acts as the anode and cathode a solar panel of the combined voltage of 10 volts from both solar panels. With the 10 volts solar panel, the positive gets connected to a switch which gets connected to the positive of the USB, while the negative goes directly to the USB so that in order to activate the current flow, the switch must be turned on, otherwise the current gets blocked. The source of electricity is are the solar panels, they provide electricity where the electrons flow from the anode to the cathode.

Success in the process: 

During the process of creating the device, the area that is most successful is actually created. Throughout the process of creating, I became relatively efficient since I have managed to master the skill of soldering after learning it and managed to saw the wood with precise measurements and hot glue them to make the frame within 30 minutes which is efficient, I was focused and concentrated in what I was doing.

Another area I am successful in is being able to fix a problem in the design. The device wouldn’t work sometimes and I fixed it through careful checking of the circuit and resoldering efficiently.

Things needed to improve:

One area I need to improve is time management. On the first day of making, I didn’t complete the design for my device yet, so that day, which should have been making the charger, I, instead, looked for the required materials and continue working on the design for the device. Then the soldering took a lot of time for me to master which I expected to have been done during the planning where I would look at tutorials on sodering. Towards the end of the project, I didn’t get enough time to further improve my project.

Impact on environment/client:

While traditional rechargeable chargers have been popular, the solar-powered charger is highly impactful for the client, whenever in the morning, outside, the clients can access an infinite amount of energy that gets converted into electrical energy to charge their phones, meaning that simply using this device outside could generate energy to power our one of the most important devices of our daily life–the phone. While the rechargeable chargers are great, the solar-powered charger could be used infinitely without charging or bringing any sort of inconvenience, it can be used as long as it is in the morning and have some amount of sunlight (even on cloudy days it works). So when your rechargeable chargers are dead, using this would not only charge the clients’ phones, but also give them opportunities to go outside and breathe the fresh air of nature.

Create

Day 1:

Summary: On day 1 of building the prototype, I did not complete the planned goal which is to complete the wiring of the solar panels. Throughout the class, I gathered materials and used multimeters to test whether the solar panels are working or not. During the second half of the class, I learned to solder through watching a youtube video along with the guide the teachers. Today, I have learned that soldering is basically melting a piece of a string of lead and drying it so that it could connect two different electrical components together while still ensuring electrical flow through them.

Day 2:

On day 2, I have managed to practice a lot of soldering and learned to master solder, and completed the circuits part of my device.

I also learned that solar panels work most efficiently outside where there is sunlight. At first, I tested in the design center, and didn’t work, I learned that the artificial lights in the design center are not enough to power the solar panels since I tested outside with a multimeter, and when the switch is turned on, the USB lighted up, meaning the USB is powered under the sun. Using a multimeter, it was detected that the solar panels send approximately 10.8 volts of electric current to the USB charging port, making it perfect for charging (average voltage of charger within 8-12 voltage).

Day 3:

On day 3, it has been noted that the wirings are very fragile as it has been detached from the solder, so to improve the strength of the circuits, I resoldered the wires so that it could be stronger. I spent the first half of the class improving the solder to make it stronger.

The frame of the charger is made from wooden blocks. During the process of making the frames of the device, I had to make adjustments to the original design. In the original design, I had a layer of wood underneath the solar panels, I figured this wouldn’t work since there are wirings underneath as well that need to be tucked inside the gap of the frames. So the layer underneath the solar panel is discarded and I added small wooden blocks as support for the solar panels to create space for the wires. On this day, I have completed my prototype and tested it outside which works successfully.

Wooden Blocks (1.5cm*0.9cm)as supports for the solar panels to create space for the wirings

Video of the prototype working (USB lights up meaning it has been powered)

Images of the prototype:

Improve 

After the completion of the prototype, I have gathered feedback on the project from people in my class:

-Make the solar panel stronger

-Add a warning sign to switch off the switch when the phone is charged to 100%

Otherwise, the product is usable, clean, and convenient.

To improve the design, I reinforced the solar panels by applying tape beneath the ledge where the solar panels connect. Furthermore, I added a warning sign on the bottom of the device:

To make it more aesthetically pleasing/usable, I thought about sandpapering the surface of the wood to make it feel better when holding it. However, I ran out of time.

Testing of the final product: (it even works on cloudy days!)

Plan for the project: Solar-powered USB charger

The solar-powered charger would have two solar panels (each 5v) that would connect and act as a 10v solar panel. The sunlight received by the solar panels will be turned into electrical energy, it will be connected to a switch that will allow the electricity to either flow to the USB or be blocked, the purpose of the switch is that when charging phones when the battery reaches 100% if the charger keeps charging, it will overcharge and cause harm to the phone. When the switch is turned on, the solar panels would power the USB charging port making it so that people with a USB charger be able to charge their devices. The energy transfer is demonstrated through the transformation from solar power captured from the sun to electrical energy that could help charge phones for people as a convenient solution to the daily problem of decreasing phone batteries.

Materials:

-2X 5V solar panels

-5X wires

-1X USB charging port

-1X Switch

-1X 13cm*16.3cm Wooden board

-2X 1.5cm*6cm Wooden Board

-1X 13cm*1.5cm Wooden board

Tools required:

-Hot glue gun

-Soldering Iron

-Wood sawing machine

-Wire stripper

-Multimeter (to test the voltage of certain parts of the device)

Sketch:

Sketch of the plan (finalized, however, could be improved during the process of making)

Schedule:

Day 1: To complete the circuit part of the device (making sure that the device works)

Day 2: To work on assembling the device together and making the shape of the device

Day 3: Same as job on day 2

Project Brief:

The G9 Engineering project is a design project where students have to design, build and improve a device that could demonstrate their knowledge of energy transfer; a device that would convert a renewable energy source into another form of energy.

Real-life problems: 

Energy capture and storage

Possible Energies:

-Mechanical energy is the generation of energy through motions, ways to utilize this source of energy is to use handles or pulleys (machines) that would trigger motors, turning the energy generated from motions into electrical energy.

-Solar panels capture energy from the sun and get converted to energy that can be stored in batteries. It is considered one of the sustainable/renewable energy sources.

-Wind energy captures the energy from the motion of turbines spun by the wind, transforming it into electrical energy. It is one of the renewable energy sources.

Audience:

-People who want to save money and time

-People who want to use renewable energy sources to reduce carbon emissions

-People who like going to dark places (camping) and needs light.

Problems and solutions to the problems:

-Idea #1: Adequate light sources are the cornerstone of our vision in the dark, when people go out in the wild where there is no light such as when camping in a heavily wooded area in the dark, we are unable to see and spot things clearly, plus, there are no sufficient amount of batteries left for a normal lamp. There are portable lamps that we could simply apply energy to (through spinning a handle ) that would generate electricity that is used to power a light bulb, the light can then be used to light up the surrounding environment.

Pros: Practical to those that don’t have resources (such as batteries) to light the surroundings, since all this device needs is applied force

Cons: It is difficult to make this device portable since motors are generally large and for this to be hand-made makes it relatively hard.

Idea #2: Normal lamps/light sources are sometimes unaffordable or impractical to those who wanted to save money and time from buying batteries, when people want to light things up clearly at night without having to spend money, a solar-powered light source would be an efficient way to solve the problem. It captures the sun’s energy and converts it to light energy to light the environment up.

Pros: Very practical to those that don’t have batteries.

Cons: Difficult to make since the mechanisms are relatively complex to make a portable lamp. Climates and conditions where there is no sunlight are not able to use to this device.

Real-life image of light powered through solar energy

Idea #3: Phones are the foundation of our daily communication, entertainment as well as resources, charging devices supply the phones with power to sustain the phones. However, oftentimes people’s phones and the phone charging device run out of battery, and perhaps we need our phone to contact someone but there aren’t charging devices anywhere near. A solar-powered charging device for the phone would solve the problem. The idea is that a portable device is going to convert and store solar energy and turn it into usable energy, directing it to the phone.

Pros: Very practical device that allows quick and simple way of charging.

Cons: Difficult to make a portable device since the mechanisms involved are relatively complex. Furthermore, in climates and conditions where is there is no sunlight means there is no way to utilize this device.

Solar-powered chargers

Limitations:

-Only two weeks to build (time management is important in this project)