Philadelphia University

Faculty of Engineering Technology

Mechanical Engineering

CASE STUDY OF SOLAR POWER BANK

First Semester 2020

December 2020

By: Alaa Adnan Ahmad Al-Shishan

Submitter To: Eng. Ahmad Ateyat

Case Study: Solar Power Bank

Figure 1: Single Solar Panel Power Bank

 Understand the Opportunity
 Power bank by definition is a portable battery that uses circuitry to
control any power in and power out
 They can be charged up using a USB charger when power is
available, or it can be charged by the solar panel when off-grid, and
then used to charge battery powered items like mobile phones and
a host of other devices that would normally use a USB charger
 Power banks are widely used by almost everyone in the world on a
daily basis
 Power banks are mainly used to charge smartphones, cameras,
headphones or any other digital gadgets
 Fast charging and big charging capacity solar power banks are vital
when people are off-grid
 People are willing to pay a relatively higher price for a reliable
product to charge their devices when they are in remote areas

Develop The Concept

 Develop a business plan to produce two products as follows:
1. Solar power bank with a single solar panel in 2 months
2. Solar power bank with 4 solar panels in 4 months

 Identify all the required tasks:

1. Electrical, control firmware, interface
2. Resources: How many teams, engineers, technicians?
3. What is the budget?

 Identify the vendors:

1. Who are the vendors?
2. What is the lead-time?

 Organize the tasks and the appropriate time-lines on a Gantt

chart

 The Solar Power Bank Design Includes:

 1. Electronic parts
2. Plastic parts
3. Solar panel
4. Battery
5. Rubber protection case

 The electronic parts are used to:

1. Control the input/output charging circuitry
2. Control the LEDs

 The plastic parts are used to:

1. House the electronic parts
2. House the battery
3. Serves as a stand-off base for the solar panel

 The Solar Panel is used for:

1. Collect power from the sun and convert it into electricity

 Battery is used for:

1. Store electricity to discharge it when required

 Rubber protection case is used for:

1. Protect the Solar Power Bank from breaking and serves as a
shock-absorber

 The electronic parts are mounted on the PCB

 The PCB includes:

1. USB-A female connector
2. Micro USB charging port
3. Inductors
4. Capacitors
5. Diodes
6. Transistors
7. Resistors
8. LEDs
Figure 2: USB-A femal connector (Left hand side) – Micro USB charging port (Right hand side)

Figure 3: Inductor (Left hand side) – Capacitor (Right hand side)

Figure 4: Diode (Left hand side) – Transistor (Right hand side)

 Figure 5: Resistor (Left hand side) – LED (Right hand side)

 USB-A female connector: Rectangular-shaped connectors used

for data transfer and power administration. They are most
commonly used for charging devices or transferring data from a
storage device to a viewing device
 Micros USB charging port: This connection can be easily
identified by its white-colored receptacle and compact 5 pin
design, used for power administration
 Inductors: It is a passive two-terminal electrical component that
stores energy in a magnetic field when electric current flows
through it. An inductor typically consists of an insulated wire
wound into a coil
 Capacitors: A device that stores electrical energy in an electric
field. It is a passive electronic component with two terminals
 Diodes: It is a two-terminal electronic component that conducts
current primarily in one direction; it has low resistance in one
direction, and high resistance in the other
 Transistors: It is a semiconductor device used to amplify or switch
electronic signals and electrical power. It is composed of
semiconductor material usually with at least three terminals for
connection to an external circuit
 Resistors: It is a passive two-terminal electrical component that
implements electrical resistance as a circuit element
 LEDs: It is a semiconductor light source that emits light when
current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine
with electron holes, releasing energy in the form of photons
 Figure 6: Solar Power Bank Block Diagram

Figure 7: Solar Power Bank Circuit

Implement The Concept

The proposed system above is solar based and solar panel plays a
vital role in the experiment. Here, we have one solar panels of 6v,
for receiving the sunlight, which is connected to the battery of the
system where the charge from the sun is stored for future use. The
battery is also 12v with three 4v battery connected in series. Then,
the battery is connected to the mobile charging circuit which is
connected to a USB output connector where a mobile can be
connected for charging. There are two relay circuits, one attached
between the solar panel and the battery and other one attached
between the battery and the mobile phone which is controlled by
the microcontroller. The microcontroller is the brain of the whole
circuit as it checks and allows the required amount of flow of
charge from one end to another. If at any point, we might get low
or high voltages, then the microcontroller signals the relays and the
relays cut the connection by switching off to protect the
appropriate elements like the transistor, resistor etc. There are also
LEDs attached at the solar panel side, at the charging point for
detection of flow of charge. There are also 4 LEDs to show the
percentage of charge available in the battery.

Figure 8: Solar Power Bank Schematic Diagram

When the solar panel is open, then sunlight falls directly on the
photovoltaic cell of the panel and it converts the solar energy to
electrical energy. The panel gives a voltage of 12v and the charge
flows through the relay to the battery if the voltage is appropriate
and is equal to the value set by the microcontroller to the battery.
There is also a LED which displays the transfer of charge from the
panel to the battery. When the battery is charged perfectly up to its
full capacity, which is shown by the 4 LEDs connected to the
battery through the microcontroller, the microcontroller shows the
percentage of charge available in the battery and then we can
connect a mobile phone at the end of the circuit. Here, we also
attach a relay circuit which checks the flow of voltage. If we get
low or high voltage, the relay switches off and the circuit becomes
open. With the appropriate charge, we can charge the mobile phone
at the end of the circuit where we can get an USB output port and
the phone will be charged by connecting to the port.
References

1. https://developpa.io/solar-mobile-charger-powerbank/
2. https://blog.brandstik.com/testimonials-case-studies/case-study-evio-duo-
solar-6000-mah-power-bank-for-skf/
3. https://www.instructables.com/Solar-Power-Bank-with-salvaged-18650/
4. https://theorycircuit.com/solar-power-bank-circuit/
5. https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/news/teardown-tuesday-portable-power-
bank-solar-charger/