Solar Light How a Solar Garden Light works Two different circuits and how they work Both circuits can be converted to 5v regulated output. See: Power Supply 5v SolarNo kits are available for this discussion. The complete Garden Light can be bought for less than $5.00!! Both Solar Garden Light circuits in this article perform 2 functions: 1. They charge a battery and 2. Turn on a high-bright white (or yellow) LED at dusk and off during daylight hours. The two circuits are completely different in design and we will see how different designers tackle the same problem. Here's the clever part: The circuit doesn't deliver a DC voltage to the LED but a high-frequency pulse. CURRENT LIMIT RESISTOR Although a current-limiting resistor between a solar panel and a battery is technically needed, it is not necessary if the battery will not be overcharged. THE SOLAR CELL The SOLAR CELL actually consists of a number of cells as each cell only generates about 0.5v to 0.6v. The function of each component
Simple animation to explain complex principles 1, aircraft radial engine 2, oval Regulation 3, sewing machines 4, Malta Cross movement - second hand movement used to control the clock 5, auto change file mechanism 6, auto constant velocity universal joint 6.gif 7, gun ammunition loading system 8 rotary engine - an internal combustion engine, the heat rather than the piston movement into rotary movement # Via World Of Technology. 1, inline engine - it's cylinders lined up side by side 2, V-type engine - cylinder arranged at an angle of two plane 3, boxer engine - cylinder engine arranged in two planes relative
Simple Solar Circuits Simple Solar Circuits: How to get started adding solar power to your small electronics projects. Use the sun to power small solar and battery powered night lights, garden lights, and decorations for halloween. The first part of a solar circuit is… a device for collecting sunlight. [Before we move onto our first examples, a word of caution: These are small simple circuits. Direct Drive: The most obvious way to use power from a solar panel is to connect your load directly to the output leads of the solar panel. Here are a couple of examples of this in practice: On the left, we’ve hooked up one of our little solar panels directly to a small motor taken from an old CD player. Interruption-resistant direct drive: The “direct drive” circuits work well for their design function, but are rather basic. Instead of adding a single supercapacitor, you might notice that we’ve actually added two. Adding a battery In this circuit the solar panel charges up a 3-cell NiMH battery (3.6 V). Detecting Darkness
Washit cleans you and your clothes simultaneously The final concept art for Washit - a combined shower and washing machine - shows both domestic and public use Image Gallery (4 images) Water is a precious resource and in places like Australia and the U.K., the onset of summer coincides with restrictions on water use – hosepipes for watering gardens are banned, and showers are recommended over baths. But even taking a shower uses a fair amount of water, which all ends up down the drain. There is, or at least there could be in the future. Washit uses a closed-water plumbing system that collects the greywater from the shower outlet and stores it in a tank ready for washing laundry. The designers of Washit imagine the appliance will be used both in domestic and public settings. A collection of sketches showing the design process behind the Washit concept Source: Behance via Inhabitat via iF About the Author Dave is a technology journalist with a ravenous appetite for gadgets, gizmos, and gubbins. Post a CommentRelated Articles
LiPo USB Charger Hookup Guide - learn.sparkfun.com Introduction We love LiPo batteries! They pack a walloping, power-supplying punch in a tiny, flat package. And, they’re incredibly easy to recharge, when that time comes. If you’re looking to make your project mobile and easily rechargeable, we can’t recommend this pairing enough: an 850 mAh LiPo battery and an embeddable USB LiPo charger. This tutorial will explain how to use the USB LiPo Charger with any of our single-cell LiPo batteries. Required Materials USB LiPo ChargerA single-cell LiPo battery The charger can be made to work with batteries of any capacity, including 40mAh, 110mAh, 400mAh, 850mAh, 1000mAh, 2000mAh, and the 6000mAh fatpack.A 5V power source, options include: A computer USB port with attached mini-B USB cableA USB Wall Adapter and mini-B cableA 5V Wallwart Supply Suggested Reading Inputs and Outputs On this page, we’ll dissect the USB charger, examining all of the inputs, outputs, and specifications of the board. Charger Input – Power Supply System Output Charge Status LED
2012 James Dyson Award winner announced Dan Watson's SafetyNet, which lets juvenile and non-target fish escape commercial fishing nets, has taken out the 2012 James Dyson Award For the past month, the judges have been casting a discerning eye over the 15 finalists of the 2012 James Dyson Award and they’ve now made what no doubt was a difficult decision. Taking out the major prize is Dan Watson, who will receive £10,000 (US$16,000) for his SafetyNet system that tackles the problem of overfishing by providing escape exits for juvenile and non-target fish caught up in commercial fishing nets. Watson is a graduate of the Royal College of Art in the U.K, which will also receive £10,000 (US$16,000) as a result of him taking the top honors. In awarding the prize, James Dyson said, “This tangible technology approaches a serious environmental problem, we should celebrate it. Source: James Dyson Award About the Author Post a CommentRelated Articles Just enter your friends and your email address into the form below
Portable Solar USB Charger -- Solar Panel; recommended max power output less than 6 W. -- 1N914 or similar diode This protects the solar panel by allowing current to flow only from the panel to the batteries (aka prevents discharge from the batteries onto the solar panel). -- USB car charger -- Rechargeable 9 V battery* Use two if you want to charge an Apple product. *Why a 9 V battery? -- Battery holder for 9V (or use alligator clips) -- Project container (e.g. tupperwear, altoids tin, cookie tin, etc.).
European Space Agency working on using rocket fuel in cars At first glance, hydrogen seems like a brilliant alternative fuel for motor cars. It burns so clean that all it produces is water, it’s the most abundant element in the universe and it doesn’t need all those rare earth elements and heavy metals that electric vehicles depend on. The only trouble is, it’s very difficult to handle. In an effort to make hydrogen cars practical, the European Space Agency (ESA) and Austrian automotive manufacturer MagnaSteyr are adapting technology developed for the Ariane rockets so that it can be used in cars, as part of ESA’s Technology Transfer Programme. Hydrogen has a few problems as an alternative to petrol. It has a very low energy density, which means you need more of it to do the same job. Hydrogen fuel tank for the Hydrogen 7 (Image: Magna Steyr Aerospace) In 2006, BMW unveiled its hydrogen car, the Hydrogen 7. This is where MagnaSteyr came in. An Ariane rocket (Image: ESA/CNES/Arianespace/Optique Video du CSG) Source: ESA