Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
LINNAEUS; GROUP 1
AUGUST 2016
Solar Converter|2
PART I
Introduction
The world is now preparing for an age without fossil fuels. The reality of this crisis is that
society cannot have growing demands on limited resources without eventually running out of
resource. There are a number of possible solutions for this issue, but these have not widely
adapted. According to Rinkesh (2015), the best possible solution is to reduce the worlds
dependence on non-renewable resources and let renewable resources play a larger part in the
supply of energy. Now, technologies have become available to combine the use of heat and
power, providing energy more efficiently than fossil fuels but the major reason for not adapting
Being part of a generation wherein reactors and solar panels are widely used, fossil fuels
are in high demand. It is what these devices( reactors, solar panels, etc.) use to generate energy.
As technology is a necessity to the society, so are these devices. Fossil fuels is a requirement to
power these devices but supply is very limited. Without any increase for our growing
population or aspirations, our known oil deposites will be gone by 2052. (Al Gore, 2008) The
rate which the world continuously consumes fossil fuels increases as the population also
increases and if it already had consumed very little energy, fossil fuels will run out later. This
will spread global issues both economically and ecologically. Although nuclear reactors have
been created they cause certain disadvantages, Beidler, Harmeyer, Herrnegger, Kissingler,
Igitkhanov, and Wobig (2001) conducted a study about fussion reactors, in terms of the reactor
designs, which concluded some problems on high cost on coil and low system power density.
Theses disadvantages bring complications to the interaction between the coils and windings.
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Solar panels is the one of the renewable resources being utilized nowadays. However, one
of the major issues that the environment faces is the consistent production of solar panels, People
believed that using solar panels is considered green but according to the article by Philip Bump
(2013), constant creating of slar panels by the industry leads to leaving millions of pulluted
sludge [waste materials] and contaminated water. 46.5 million pounds of sludge and
contaminated water are created through the first half of 2001 to 2007. Due to peoples
wastefulness and stubbornness, the industry still keeps on producing pounds of wastes [584
trillion] a year.
There are a number of ways to solve the waste problem but, although with these
solutions, the solar panels inefficiency to harvest the energy coming from the sun still remains.
Not all the light coming from the sun is absorbed by solar panels. Corresponding to this, Rinkesh
(2015) said that 60% of sunlight is wasted because most solar panels only have 40% efficiency
rate. But lately, as new technology emerges, solar panels have increased their efficiency from
The demand for greater battery life in low-power consumer electronics, other electronic
devices used in the society presents a need for improved energy efficiency with the control of
small rechargeable cells. The coming of long-lasting rechargeable battery cells and power-
efficient charging circuits has been a great help to engineers, scientists, and industry to excel in
self-sufficient products. Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery cells are presently the most self-
less, and if conditions are unsuitable for many chemical reactions, electrical storage can be an
extremely difficult task. The Li-ion battery is chosen due to its high energy density and
versatility.
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This study aims to construct TEEC (or Thermal Empyrean Energy Converter), a device
that can be more efficient than solar panels in terms of, sunlight efficiency gathered by the PV
cell, surpassing the 80% efficiency, and compare it with the comercially-bought PV cells. Solar
panels use solar cell to convert energy, which will be used with the TEEC device as well.
Because of the photovoltaic effect, a solar cell or photovoltaic cell can be a device that can bring
instant electrical energy to the battery for the reason that it automatically converts light energy to
electrical energy. This happens because it is a type of a photoelectric cell whose electrical
characteristics are current, voltage or resistance, alter when unsheltered to sunlight. PV Cells and
the TEEC device should be compared to see the differences between the two. To see which one
Example:
Similarities Differences
TEEC
Comercially bought PV Cells
One of the parts of TEEC is a converter made up of graphite and silicon. Graphite is a
good conductor of heat and electricity while silicon is greatly used in making glass and chips and
has heat-resistant, rubber like properties, which makes a good material for the study. To support
this idea, Nancy S. Giges and Massachusetts Institute of Technology researcher team (2004)
discovered a device that improves the effectiveness of solar panels. In this new device, the sun
heats up a two layer absorber (a cluster of muli-walled carbon nanotubes)- emitter (layer of
silicon photonic crystals) constructions and is placed over the PV cells. Thus, allowing more
The main objective of this study is to compare the commercially-bought PV cells and the
self-sustaining solar-thermal converter, that uses of graphite and silicon ( as a converter), with
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the abiliyy to power a battery to its maximum capacity and understanding how the device be able
to sustain the energy. Specifically, the TEEC device and the normal PV cell will be both tested,
under an open field, to power 2 small devices (light bulbs), and then compare its measurments in
time needed to convert the light to heat [ and heat to light] energy from the sun, in the capacity of
battery to reach its maximum power (TEEC) and lastly their sunlight efficiency gathered by the
PV cell. The formula below will tell how much percent of sunlight effieciency is gathered by the
PV cell:
Expected results of this study includes the battery will be able to sustain the energy
gathered by the device to produce electricity for the light bulb. This study also aims to show the
effectiveness of using graphite and silicon, as a converter, in harvesting the energy from the sun.
The ones who will greatly benefit from the self-sustaining solar converter are infrastructures,
communities, and places which eperience power and electricity shortage in places which are far
from the cities. Not only will it aid the government save money to lessen the power usage in their
community but it will also support reduced power consumption of businesses, malls, and
factories. This will also help future researchers develop a new ways to help change the way to
get energy.
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Flowchart
PART II.
Materials
The 8nm 10nm of graphite that collects light from sun and converted into heat will be
bought at Well Engineered Prods. Co, Inc. located at Caloocan City, Metro Manila.
The tungsten screws will be used to connect the Graphite and Silicon Dioxide and will be
The silicon dioxide, measuring from 50-70 ml, which converts the heat emitted from the
graphite material back into light energy such that the PV cell can capture it can be bought at
The PV cell which collects the light that is converted by the silicon dioxide from heat
light will be ordered online at OLX.com due to the unavailability at any stores, suppliers, or
company. The price of the PV cell is ranging from P3, 000 P9, 000.
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The lithium-ion battery will be bought at JG Reliant Industrial Distributor and Services
The copper wire needed will be connecting the Photovoltaic cell [PV cell] to the
electricity converter, electricity converter to the lithium-ion battery, and the battery to the light
bulb. It will be bought at a hardware store such as; the Ace hardware store, measuring 40-50
meters long.
The charger controller that controls the charging of the li-ion battery such that the battery
will not over charge will also be ordered at OLX.com or Alibaba.com due to the seller at Cavite
that it can be bought online. The price of the controller is ranging from P900 P3, 000.
Procedures:
The construction of the Carbon-SO2 converter shall need graphite that contains carbon
and silicon dioxide and together with the said materials will form the device. The graphite is the
screwed with tungsten screw on top of the silicon dioxide, the graphite will function as the
collector of light and heat it back up to the light bulb so that the PV cell can acquire.
The PV cells will be connected by placing it on top of the lithium ion battery. By placing
metal connectors on the top and the bottom of the PV cell, it will be able to draw out the current
The charger controller will be connected to the lithium ion battery with the help of copper
wires, so that the controller can sustain and control the charging the battery such that the life
span of the will not be lessen, by the sustainable energy gathered from the graphite.
Linking the three devices together (Carbon-Silicon Converter, PV cell Battery, Battery
charger controller)
The copper wires will connect the two devices together. This will help the energy
gathered by the first device (GraphiteSO2 converter)to the second device (PV cell-battery) to
the final device (Charger controller-lithium ion battery). The light energy gathered by the
(Graphite SO2 converter) will be captured by the PV cell that will be converted into the
Testing
When the TEEC device is charged and containing the converted energy, it is going to be
connected to the LED light bulb (5watts) using the copper wires that are connected to the lithium
ion battery that provides the electricity to illuminate the LED light bulb.
Comparing
Compare the TEEC device to a commercialized solar cell. Compare the sunlight efficiency
of the two models using this formula:
ESW S ,Y ( indicated radiation flux ) A c ( area of collector)
P (maximum power output)
max ( maximum efficiency )= max
After solving for the models sunlight efficiency, compare the energy production of the two
models. The output of a solar panel is usually stated in watts, and the wattage is determined by
SET UP:
Carbon
Tungsten Screw
PV Cell
Silicon Dioxide
Light Bulb
Battery
Metal
Contacts
Copper Wires
Charger Controller
S o l a r C o n v e r t e r | 10
BIBILIOGRAPHY:
Bump, P. (2013, February 11). Are solar panels the worst thing for the environment ever? Um,
no. Grist Editor's Pick.
Giges, N. S. (2014, April). Making Solar Panels More Efficient. Retrieved from ASME:
https://www.asme.org/engineering-topics/articles/renewable-energy/making-solar-panels-
more-efficient
HARMEYER, E., BEIDLER, C., HERRNEGGER, F., KISSLINGER, J., IGITKHANOV, Y., &
WOBIG, H. (2001, December). STELLARATOR FUSION REACTORS AN
OVERVIEW. EURATOM Association, 1-6.
Kukreja, R. (2009, August). Disadvantages of Solar Energy. Retrieved from Conserve Energy
Future: http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/Disadvantages_SolarEnergy.php
Lombardo, C. (2015, June 15). The Next Galaxy. Retrieved from Disadvantages and Advantages
of Nuclear Fusion: http://thenextgalaxy.com/disadvantages-and-advantages-of-nuclear-
fusion-list/
Measuring PV Efficiency. (2013, January 3). Retrieved from Pv Power:
http://www.pvpower.com/assets/Measuring-PV-Efficiency-Solar-Panels.pdf