Design of a Portable Demonstration Unit of Solar Power Systems for Analog Electronics Courses

Yoon Kim; Shurjo Maitra

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Conference: 2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Publication Date: June 24, 2017
Start Date: June 24, 2017
End Date: June 28, 2017
Conference Session: Electrical and Computer Division Technical Session 5
Tagged Division: Electrical and Computer
Page Count: 14
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--28117
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/28117
Download Count: 1147

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Paper Authors

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Yoon Kim Calvin College

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Yoon G. Kim received his M.S. and D.Sc. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis in 2000 and 2005, respectively. He is a faculty member of the Electrical and Computer Engineering program in the Engineering Department at Calvin College in Michigan and teaches courses in analog electronics and control systems. He has over 11 years of industrial Research and Development experience in the area of telecommunication systems, where he designed analog and digital systems, including digital set-top-box converters for Hybrid Fiber Coax cable networks, digital video scramblers, data acquisition systems, analog subscriber line interface systems, DC-DC converters, DC-AC converters, and microprocessor boards. His research interests include Wireless Sensor Networks, Power Electronics and Embedded Systems.

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Shurjo Maitra Calvin College

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Abstract

This paper presents a practical approach to improving the knowledge and awareness of solar power systems by using a demonstration unit in an analog electronics course. The unit aids instructors in teaching an introductory-level laboratory experiment focused on solar power harvesting and storage and enables instructors to bring in a functional system into classrooms for upper-class undergraduate electrical and computer engineering students. The unit can be used to demonstrate many of the aspects of solar power systems, helping instructors address sustainability and renewable energy issues. Solar power systems based on photovoltaic cells have been successfully deployed as renewable energy sources. They have become one of the promising technologies that are providing a sustainable energy source as many natural resources for energy generation deplete. Due to the importance and wide acceptance of this technology, a demonstration unit has been developed to introduce solar power systems to students at various stages in their education. The approach to improving the students’ knowledge of solar power systems is to integrate students’ knowledge and experiences with basic electric circuits acquired from their first electronics course and to enhance their learning about up-to-date technologies through classroom demonstrations or hands-on experiments in labs. The unit would benefit students in understanding renewable energy. Students will learn how to obtain environment-friendly energy sources from sunlight. It will provide students with an opportunity to apply their knowledge in science and technology to solve a real-world problem. The unit includes a custom-designed light fixture consisting of thirty (30) high-power LEDs as optical energy source; two watt photovoltaic cells as the energy harvesting devices; a fixture for adjusting the solar cell angles; a battery charge controller; voltage and current meters for measuring power; a variable resistor and switches for measuring the I-V characteristics of the cells; and a sealed lead-acid battery as energy storage. The overall size of the unit is 22 x 16 inches and it would be setup on students’ lab stations or on a cart for instructors in a class. This paper includes complete working schematics, part numbers & vendor lists, measurement data, and procedures for experiments and demonstration. It would enable any instructor to easily adopt the solar power demonstration unit as a lab and classroom instrument in their analog circuit courses.

Citation
Format

Kim, Y., & Maitra, S. (2017, June), Design of a Portable Demonstration Unit of Solar Power Systems for Analog Electronics Courses Paper presented at 2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Columbus, Ohio. 10.18260/1-2--28117

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - This paper presents a practical approach to improving the knowledge and awareness of solar power systems by using a demonstration unit in an analog electronics course. The unit aids instructors in teaching an introductory-level laboratory experiment focused on solar power harvesting and storage and enables instructors to bring in a functional system into classrooms for upper-class undergraduate electrical and computer engineering students. The unit can be used to demonstrate many of the aspects of solar power systems, helping instructors address sustainability and renewable energy issues.
   Solar power systems based on photovoltaic cells have been successfully deployed as renewable energy sources. They have become one of the promising technologies that are providing a sustainable energy source as many natural resources for energy generation deplete. Due to the importance and wide acceptance of this technology, a demonstration unit has been developed to introduce solar power systems to students at various stages in their education.
   The approach to improving the students’ knowledge of solar power systems is to integrate students’ knowledge and experiences with basic electric circuits acquired from their first electronics course and to enhance their learning about up-to-date technologies through classroom demonstrations or hands-on experiments in labs. The unit would benefit students in understanding renewable energy. Students will learn how to obtain environment-friendly energy sources from sunlight. It will provide students with an opportunity to apply their knowledge in science and technology to solve a real-world problem.
   The unit includes a custom-designed light fixture consisting of thirty (30) high-power LEDs as optical energy source; two watt photovoltaic cells as the energy harvesting devices; a fixture for adjusting the solar cell angles; a battery charge controller; voltage and current meters for measuring power; a variable resistor and switches for measuring the I-V characteristics of the cells; and a sealed lead-acid battery as energy storage. The overall size of the unit is 22 x 16 inches and it would be setup on students’ lab stations or on a cart for instructors in a class.
   This paper includes complete working schematics, part numbers &amp; vendor lists, measurement data, and procedures for experiments and demonstration. It would enable any instructor to easily adopt the solar power demonstration unit as a lab and classroom instrument in their analog circuit courses.

AU  - Yoon Kim
AU  - Shurjo Maitra
CY  - Columbus, Ohio
DA  - 2017/06/24
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Design of a Portable Demonstration Unit of Solar Power Systems for Analog Electronics Courses
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/28117
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--28117
ER  -