Solar Containment Device
This Solar Containment device aims to solve one of the biggest issues with solar power today, being that they can only charge under sunlight. This causes all of these devices to typically be installed on high up or otherwise incontinent places such as roofs making it difficult for them to be used by those who live in apartments and limiting where and when solar panels may be used.
This project is an attempt to rectify this by tracing the sun and keeping low to the ground even being portable.
Supplies
Arduino Uno (specific Arduino model is not important the R3 that I used is linked)
Photo Resistors (5539)
9g Servo Motor
MG995 Servo Motor
9V Rechargeable Lithium Battery
Box This is the specific box that I used. Any box L 8inches, H 12inches, W 4inches will work
Designing the Solar Panel Mounts
The main component of the project is the solar panels movement as such the mounts are the first thing that needs to be tackled. The STL files are attached bellow.
- Print using PLA
- Generate supports everywhere
- Infill 60%
Code
With only four sensors and two motors to deal with the code is not difficult at all to write.
Before beginning to program ensure that the My Servo library is installed:
Something important to note is that the My Servo library limits the servo to move in 180 degrees.
Downloads
Wiring
Wiring in relation to The following wiring is assuming that the Photoresistors are using the same analog pins as the code states. Any analog pin will work for any of the four so to change that simply change. Same goes for the digital pins that the servos are attached to.
Power
Another thing to note in the Wiring that will be displayed in the real Circuit is that the 9V Battery is supposed to be a lithium battery that is charged by the solar panels. The power system works by having the lithium battery be charged up by the solar panels and then have the power go back into the system. This is to have a larger power reserve that a capacitor cannot provide. As well as smooth out the power even more than the capacitor can.
Photo resistors
Photo resistors are not polarized like a majority of electrical components or sensors are, they act most like resistors because at their core that is what they are. The sun causes the resistance within these photo resistors to lower. This resistance can be read using the analog pins of the Arduino.
Soldering
Due in part to the size of the box wires are going to have to be soldered onto the ends of all four photo resistors to ensure that they can connect to the Arduino on the bottom.
In addition the solder and wires that come on the solar panels from the factory is brittle and should be resoldered to prevent it from falling off.
Uploading program
In order to avoid possible overload for the system turn off the external lithium battery or simply disconnect from the VIN pin on the Arduino.
Box Assembly
- Using a 3MM drill bit create four holes, one in each corner of the box
- feed the wires of the photo resistors through
- In the middle trace the 180 Large motor
- Drill four holes where the screws of the large motors would lie
- Unscrew the screws from the bottom of the motor
- Be careful as these screws hold the motor together
- Screw the motor using the original screws through the holes
- In the inside of the box screw in the Arduino towards the middle and the Battery underneath it.
- Use the original mounting tape of the bread board
Motor Assembley
- Screw the panel flaps into the motor hinge using four screws
- Using screws and nuts mount Part 1 into the motor hinge
- Screw the servo horn into the motor mount
- Screw the motor mount onto the large servo motor
Place in the Sun
While the photo resistors do react to florescent lights, the specific model type specified works best in the sun as do the solar panels attached to it.
In the attached video shade is used to intentionally abstract the photoresistors for demonstration purposes