This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Project: Making a Solar Spinner
Let’s make the most basic solar-powered motor possible. It’s not just a solar panel connected to a motor, but it’s close. It’s called a Solar Spinner because the entire robot, except for the base, spins in the light.
What makes the robot work is a capacitor, an electronic component that stores a small amount of voltage inside an electrical field. In a way, it works like a small battery, charging up as solar power trickles in, and then releasing the electricity when the cap is full. See Figure 4.26.
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FIGURE 4.26 The Solar Spinner turns when the sun’s out.
Parts List
You’ll need the following parts to build your Solar Spinner (see Figure 4.27):
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- 3V DC motor—Jameco P/N 2158442.
- A small solar panel—Harvest one from a yard light, or Jameco has a good one, P/N 2136921.
- Stranded wire—Jameco P/N 2187876.
1-Farad, 5.5V capacitor—Jameco P/N 142957.
FIGURE 4.27 Grab these parts to build your Spinner.
Step-by-Steps
This is a very simple build, so let’s get started!
STEP 1 Solder the negative lead of the solar panel to the negative lead of the capacitor, and then connect both to the negative port of the motor. See Figure 4.28.
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FIGURE 4.28 Connect the negative leads of the three components.
STEP 2 Connect the negative lead of the solar panel to the negative lead of the capacitor, and then solder both to the negative port of the motor. See Figure 4.29.
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FIGURE 4.29 You guessed it—now connect the negatives.
What you basically have is a motor that turns when direct sunlight strikes the solar panel. What you do with that is up to you. Some folks have added a rubber knob to the motor, and the whole assembly rolls in circles like a one-wheeled car.
I decided to have the motor, cap, and solar panel rotate around the hub, with the hub fixed in place. You can see what I came up with in Figure 4.26.