Solar Powered Thermoelectric Dehumidifier

The goal of our senior design project is to make make a device that dehumidifies the air while being solar powered.

Some tools needed to create the project are miter and tables saws that can cut plexiglass, plastic, and PVC. Wire strippers, needle nose pliers, soldiering iron, and a lighter will be necessary for the wiring components. A drill will be needed to put holes in the plastic for the drill press does not have enough clearance. Lastly, a meter stick has been useful to measure out any lengths we may have to design in Solidworks or to make sure an item will fit.

Our Solar Suck Device uses a 62 Quart Coleman Rolling Cooler. Inside we have the power: a 12v 50AH battery and a 12V 15W solar panel. For the cooling there are 3 80mm fans and 3 sets of Peltier chips with heat sinks. Inside the cooler for the body are plexiglass sheets to create dividers for air. Lastly for the electronics we have switches, 12 gauge wire, heat shrink tubing, fuses, and spades.

The solar panel will be bolted on top of the cooler lid. A hold will be drilled to allow for the wires to reach the inside of the cooler.

Since the battery takes the most space, it was important to find where it will go first. The battery will rest near the wheels to help with mobility. The space in-between the wheels is a perfect match for the battery.

Plexiglass will be used to separate the different sections of the cooler. Since the bottom of the cooler is rounded, the plexiglass will have to be trimmed at the bottom and sides. Here a block of wood is holding up the battery and separating the battery from the rest of the device.

The Peltier device will lay between the front and rear of the cooler for maximum air flow and accessibility. The fans will be placed on either side to maximize air flow across the heat sink. The black marking are where the holes for the fans will be placed.

The solar panel is one of the most important parts of the project. We had to purchase brackets so that the solar panel may be attached and detached easily. It is also important to make sure there is enough room for the fans on the lid of the cooler as well a hole for the panel wires to enter the cooler.

Once the CAD drawings are finalized, it is now time to cut the cooler lid. The hole in the lid allows for maximum ventilation to the hot side of the Peltier fins but small enough that the fans have enough plastic to grab on to.

We have a fan on each side of the cooler to draw the hot humid air across the Peltier chips and another to push the cold, dry air out. The holes again are large enough for the fans to draw in the maximum amount of air while leaving the cooler with enough plastic for the fans to be attached.

Now with the fans added, we need to make a drainage system for the cooler so the water may be expelled and not leak on the inside of the cooler. We made three inch holes in the cooler for a PVC pipe on the sides of the cooler where the fans are and then placed clear tubing to a drain hold at the bottom of the cooler.

Now that device now has all major wiring components, the positive and negative wires are combined, heat shrink, connected to fuses, and then hooked to a rocker switch. The solar panel is also connected to the solar controller along with the battery. The solar controller has a diode to prevent the solar panel from being fried from the battery.