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Table of Contents
Non-PV Solar Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Step 5: Finishing Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Step 6: Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Advertisements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
http://www.instructables.com/id/Non-PV-Solar-Power/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Non-PV-Solar-Power/
Image Notes
1. Dumb fragile fan blades...
http://www.instructables.com/id/Non-PV-Solar-Power/
Image Notes
1. Previous design that really didn't work. I didn't finish it.
Image Notes
1. Nice and goopy.
Image Notes
1. Cardboard is bent and fits perfectly in the fins of the 'sink.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Non-PV-Solar-Power/
Image Notes
1. Baseplate
2. Shroud with aluminum foil on the inside. Extremely succeptible to melting if
the sun moves or you aim it wrong...
http://www.instructables.com/id/Non-PV-Solar-Power/
Image Notes
1. Previous frame idea that was OK except I didn't cut it well and it was
impossible to mount the power collector.
Step 5: Finishing Up
Now that you have your frame and everything built, we will make that reflective shroud I mentioned. I did this by cutting four pieces of foam that were half as wide and a
bit longer than a side of the Peltier, gluing them on in the formation that you can see, and double-sided-taping aluminum foil to the inside. Hint: Mylar from the inside of
potato chip bags is a better reflector.
I actually extended it so I could put a plexiglas window to trap the heat, but it was right at the focal point so it distorted the lense... maybe I'll drill a hole.
To give the fan some extra power, I wired together a 3v 150ma solar panel for $3 and used skewers to hold it up, and put it in series with the Peltier. Power for usable
applications can still be drawn from the + and - of the peltier because the solar panel is just for the fan.
I used springy-wire splicy things to connect the wires. The circuit has the peltier and solar cells in series to generate ~5V for the fan.
Image Notes
1. 3V 150mA. Solar cells were 50 cents each from the electronic goldmine.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Non-PV-Solar-Power/
Image Notes
1. Baseplate
2. Shroud with aluminum foil on the inside. Extremely succeptible to melting if the
sun moves or you aim it wrong...
Step 6: Notes
From my setup, my highest recorded voltage is exactly 2.7v. The internal resistance of the Peltier is ~3 ohms because at 7.5v input it draws ~2.5A. This means I could
get 2.7/3 = .9A out, and 2.7*0.9 = 2.43W.
So, now I will figure out the cost for the average person to build it.
Heatsink = $5
Peltier = $5
Lens = $5
Fan = $5
Optional:
Solar Cells = $3
Total: $20-25
This is equal to right around $10/W, which is on par with the cost of commercial solar panels. Pretty good for an untested experiment. However, some disadvantages of
this are:
-My enclosure is too flimsy to be held vertical so it can harvest power at the middle of the day
- Needs to be well aimed to be effective
-Large
-Less efficient than PV
Yeah, this technology probably isn't ready for prime time. But it is interesting and very fun/cheap to make.
One thing you might be wondering, is why is the power output so low?
Well, first of all, the wattage of a Peltier is not the power it will output. It is the power it will draw at it's rated voltage. Another thing, Peltiers are not designed to generate
electricity. They are optimized to pump heat. To really take advantage of the energy available, you will want to get a Seebeck unit. These are the same thing, but
optimized to generate. With a seebeck unit, power output would go up by many times. Same with price.
So, I will continue working to improve the output. There are a lot of things I can and will be trying. Make this project your own!
Here are ideas I had:
Use something like the LM2623, LM2371, Mintyboost circuit, or LVBoost to get this up to 5v to charge/power USB devices and Li batteries. You probably will have to
parallel a couple of whatever you use to get full output and decent efficiency.
Use one of the projector-TV fresnels and focus it onto a 3-by-3 grid of Peltiers. Put them in series and no inefficient boost converter needed.
Build a solar tracker to harness the output all day.
Get sheet aluminum about 10" by 10", put peltier+heatsink in center, paint other side black, insulate it and put plexiglas over it and it will be a lot like PV.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Non-PV-Solar-Power/
Image Notes
1. It's going!
Image Notes
1. Another view.
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Comments
50 comments Add Comment
scarabdrowner says:
barnabas09 says:
scarabdrowner says:
astral_mage says:
Dhakian says:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Non-PV-Solar-Power/
astral_mage says:
http://www.customthermoelectric.com/
go here :)
desertrat666 says:
maovi says:
nice
jomac_uk says:
iciolan says:
dlginstructables says:
carey124578 says:
likewho says:
bananafred says:
arbit3r says:
AQUARIUMWAREHOUSE says:
DELETED_Fuingurth says:
ctm53 says:
ha haaa you got that book to! it sucked and i hated it so much!!
my friend got so pissed he threw a knife at that book!!
http://www.instructables.com/id/Non-PV-Solar-Power/
czenob says:
mine looks like like crap because its my school's, but it's the same book
darkevilapie says:
NullLifeException says:
scubascooby says:
Kaiven says:
Ooooh! Brilliant! So in theory, anything that uses electricity to produce heat can use heat to produce electricity?
Padlock says:
Kaiven says:
Oh, well I have a gas stove, not electric, so I wouldn't think that :P
Padlock says:
Kaiven says:
Padlock says:
Kaiven says:
Padlock says:
CybergothiChe says:
Padlock says:
I wouldn't think so. I'm too afraid to try it, though; I have an expensive microwave.
CybergothiChe says:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Non-PV-Solar-Power/
Taranach says:
CybergothiChe says:
Padlock says:
Padlock says:
CybergothiChe says:
Padlock says:
CybergothiChe says:
in the video I give a brief analogy of the process takingeffect...nothing you can't gain from the post
above (Oct 12, 2009. 10:01 PM)
CybergothiChe says:
this is the way it is :P the photos show the aftermath.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Non-PV-Solar-Power/
Kryptonite says:
CybergothiChe says:
:)
riverreaper says:
Padlock says:
This is not a gas toaster... it's a piece of metal that holds 4 or more pieces of bread.
And, by the way, that picture is disgusting.
I also go camping at least 8 or 9 times a year. Alot. Its funny, because the reason it took me so long to respond was because I just got
back from camping.
Steelsmith1 says:
CybergothiChe says:
Win7Maniac says:
theawesomeninja says:
but a motor can be spun in turn to create electricity, but that's a bit different.