ideas for projects - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: style-93
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 05, 2016, 03:40:25 pm
content: HelloI study electronics engineering and I'm searching for ideas for my final year project. There are some ideas in my mind like " Solar energy based projects " something like a discovery vehicle powered by solar energy or designing solar energy charging circuit. But I think that is done and nothing can be added. So I want new ideas related to solar energy or any ideas?Thanks

author: Frank_22
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 10, 2016, 07:40:42 am
content: How about solar-powered lawn mowers?

author: Mihemine
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 10, 2016, 09:24:10 am
content: I built a solar powered hydrogen generator a while back, and there are a bunch of interesting things you can do with thator maybe a solar powered device ( laptop or phone ? ) where you use flex panels to coat for example the laptop lid ?

author: LeonV
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 10, 2016, 09:34:48 am
content: A device that can log, in real time, what a solar array would produce.Effectively a solar array simulator.I started building one to use over a year to count the power that I use, and the power a solar array would produce so I can check how large of a solar array I would need for maximum savings with a grid tie system.I have no idea if a system like this exists already, I didn't have a good look.And the one I was trying to make would measure the power of a single cell so it would be very accurate for the specific technology in the cell. And possibly multiple technologies.

author: jeroen79
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 10, 2016, 12:48:16 pm
content: You mention that solarpowered vehicles have been done already.But maybe there is some aspect of it that has always been done wrongish or halfbaked that you can focus on?For example, instead of a fixed solarpanel you could make it track the sun for better performance.

author: CM800
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 10, 2016, 01:12:29 pm
content: Solar powered lawnmower sounds quite cool actually, build it to be kept outside all the time, maybe it follows the sun, then when it has enough charge to do a run of your guarden (taught) it then sends you a text for permission to mow!

author: android
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 10, 2016, 01:26:17 pm
content: Quote from: Frank_22 on August 10, 2016, 07:40:42 amI've been thinking for a while about a solar-powered lawn mower - with a twist: instead of driving an energy-burning set of high speed blades, you get it to slooowly snip a blade of grass at a time. You leave it outdoors all the time and it moves randomly (or maybe to a pre-programmed pattern) and snips away continuously - like a sheep. It should use minimal energy and you may even be able to use the grass clippings as an auxiliary power source.I haven't got any further with that idea though. Just putting it out there

author: Seekonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 10, 2016, 05:50:20 pm
content: I get hot water at my camp from PV solar. Pretty simple, PWM the heater element at MPPT. At home I have an electric water heater. From monitoring it, it uses about 3KWH a day just to overcome heat loss. I actually use an external heat pump so actual costs are half that. Electric is still quite popular in US and not likely to go away. 200-400W of panels is quite small and could be considered a homeowner project to install. If every home had these it would be a large reduction in power. When you use this small amount of power you insure 100% of possible solar energy is used. Lets face it grid tie is being killed by the utilities. Your challenge is to integrate grid power on one heater with solar, insuring 100% of solar is used and partial grid power is blended with it when there is demand. It is a million dollar idea. Something Home Depot could sell.

author: Alex Eisenhut
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 11, 2016, 12:57:35 am
content: Quote from: TCWilliamson on August 10, 2016, 01:12:29 pmIsn't that called a goat?

author: savril
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 11, 2016, 09:01:42 pm
content: Quote from: android on August 10, 2016, 01:26:17 pmCuting the grass slowly would, I think, require a sharp blade, which mean resharpening often. While keeping the fast moving blade, you could down size it. The cut area of the lawnmower is large to avoid the user a thousand pass, but a robot can do it without any concern.The size of the robot would however still need to be large because of the necessary solar panels.

author: Kilrah
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 11, 2016, 09:29:46 pm
content: Quote from: Seekonk on August 10, 2016, 05:50:20 pmI will never understand people who use 15% efficiency PV to generate heat, when you could use a ~100% efficient thermal panel instead (or just recover the excess heat behind the PV panel). Such a nonsense...

author: bitseeker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2016, 12:55:43 am
content: Quote from: Alex Eisenhut on August 11, 2016, 12:57:35 amYes, but one with zero emissions.

author: Seekonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2016, 01:17:34 am
content: Quote from: Kilrah on August 11, 2016, 09:29:46 pmJust one question, do you have one? A PV system is far cheaper, easier to install, doesn't freeze and is more site friendly. I see those other systems abandoned after they fail. In my case the panels aren't even on my land. You can not see any of my buildings from Google Earth. Easier to move heat with a wire. PV winds hands down. 100%, just shows you have no idea what you are talking about.

author: ZeTeX
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2016, 02:05:04 pm
content: A bomb

author: KMoffett
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2016, 09:38:16 pm
content: Google: FYP "final year project" solarKen

author: promacjoe
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2016, 11:13:21 pm
content: Quote from: ZeTeX on August 12, 2016, 02:05:04 pmyou got to be kidding, or at least I hope you are. But in today's day and age, even suggesting that can get you in trouble. Don't even suggest taking such a device on campus unless you want to be Put in jail, or worse. In today's environment, it's no joke. And it is definitely not funny. Years ago, I had one employee at RadioShack suggest, In front of other customers, that I was making that kind of device. He not only lost the sale, he lost his job because I complained to RadioShack headquarters about Him. That was just after the Oklahoma Bombing. It wasn't funny then and It is not funny now. and this board does not need people making such suggestions.and if you really want to know how not funny it is, talk to someone, who's lost someone in a terrorist act.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2016, 11:41:48 pm
content: The math says it's possible to build a quadcopter that can hover indefinitely in full sun (solar powered).It would need to be ~ 1.5meters x 1.5meters to have enough solar cells to lift its own weight + a little extra.There's problems to overcome like stability, since it will need to be light but also have large surface area exposed to wind. (Or just say outdoor use is outside scope)Would need some testing to find a good combination of large props (17-22inch) and motor to give best efficiency.Need some sort of frame made from carbon fiber rods for low weightWould be a fun project.You would need to use arrays of the 22% efficient 125x125mm sunpower cells.Their weight is ~8 grams and produce ~ 5A at 0.6V in full sun. They are however VERY easy to crack (being raw silicon wafers).So you will need to find a way to keep them flat and protected.http://www.aliexpress.com/item/10pcs-x-Sunpower-Maxeon-Flexible-Solar-Cell-21-8-High-Efficiency-3-34W-125-x-125/32559086051.html?ws_ab_test=searchweb201556_0,searchweb201602_3_10057_10056_10055_10037_10049_10059_10032_10058_10017_10060_10061_10062_10064,searchweb201603_7&btsid=69ea1874-701d-4dfb-beff-163ba108fac8

author: bitseeker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2016, 05:31:00 am
content: I like the robo-mower concept. For practical purposes, I'd probably make it run on batteries that are recharged via solar cells mounted on top of a small garage/charging station that the mower returns to.

author: mpicker21
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2016, 05:52:23 am
content: +1 for the grass cutting Roomba.If you can make it give you perfect straight lines and alternate each mowing so you get a checkerboard pattern you'd be on to something. Also you could put some sort of weed eater rig on the side that activates when it's going along fences or obstacles. Find another guy who's willing to create a bot that cleans up after Fido first.

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2016, 06:23:08 am
content: Here is an interesting project that involved solar powerhttps://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/balloon-got-to-romania-this-time/balloons that circumvent the world and send back telemetry.This will be the coolest project in your class.

author: han
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2016, 07:46:27 am
content: I had this in my mind...If Simple Solar panel project needed, You can make simple PV analyzer (IV Characteristic).Just with Arduino, Mosfet as variable load, and few other component.(and maybe Lux meter or sun simulator for stable measurement).

author: Kilrah
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 14, 2016, 09:06:17 am
content: Quote from: Psi on August 13, 2016, 11:41:48 pm

author: Molenaar
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 15, 2016, 02:19:24 pm
content: If you want something that certainly looks cool but is not terribly useful, make a solar powered tesla coil!

author: alexanderbrevig
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 15, 2016, 04:43:13 pm
content: You might attract more audience with a title that includes the key term solarI would make a solar powered game where win condition is decided when power is gone. Green strategy hehe

author: ZeTeX
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 15, 2016, 04:48:10 pm
content: Quote from: promacjoe on August 13, 2016, 11:13:21 pmYou made someone lost his job because he joked about that you where making a a bomb?

author: promacjoe
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 15, 2016, 05:35:10 pm
content: Quote from: ZeTeX on August 15, 2016, 04:48:10 pmalthough that was not my intent, from what I understand that was the result, (a corporate decision). Or at least he no longer worked at that store or any other store that I visited. as I said, it was right after the Oklahoma bombing. And people were still very nervous about it. and I do not need unfounded rumors floating around about what I might be doing. if I remember correctly, I was working on a automotive AC charging/recovery machine. And there was nothing illegal about it.in my opinion, with all the news about terrorist bombings, it is at least inappropriate to suggest that anyone make any device, that could cause mass destruction, to be taken to a school or university as a school project. it is not helpful. and it is definitely not funny. At least I do not think it is funny. Who knows what terrorist would think.Joe.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 17, 2016, 05:57:01 am
content: Quote from: Kilrah on August 14, 2016, 09:06:17 amDoh!, Yeah i should have expanded on what i meant.I was thinking about testing in an open top stadium.Where you would get sun but no wind.

author: Trigger
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2016, 02:35:52 am
content: Get outside of your comfort zone. Build a vacuum tube lab power supply. They're actually very stable and just fun. Now here's something for those with an interest in tubes and don't want to mess with high voltages. You don't have to. In the 50s they came up with a 12v tube to use in car radios. So you can play with vacuum tubes and learn some old analog design with safe voltages.Here are a few.6GM8 -- Twin Triode with 6.3V on filaments and plates12AC6 -- Remote Cutoff Pentode12AD6 -- Pentagrid Converter12AE6 -- Dual Diode & Medium-Mu Triode12AE7 -- Medium-Mu Triode & Lo-Mu Triode12AF6 -- Remote-Cutoff Pentode12AG6 -- Pentagrid Converter12AJ6 -- Dual Diode & Hi-Mu Triode12AL8 -- Medium-Mu Triode & Power Tetrode12BL6 -- Remote-Cutoff Pentode12CN5 -- Remote-Cutoff Pentode12CX6 -- Remote-Cutoff Pentode12CY6 -- Remote-Cutoff Pentode12DE8 -- Diode & Remote-Cutoff Pentode12DK5 -- RF Pentode12DK7 -- Dual Diode & Power Tetrode12DL8 -- Dual Diode & Power Tetrode (sep. cathodes)12DS7 -- Dual Diode & Power Tetrode12DU7 -- Dual Diode & Power Tetrode12DV7 -- Dual Diode & Power Tetrode12DV8 -- Dual Diode & Power Tetrode (sep. cathodes)12DW8 -- Diode & Dissimilar Dual Triode12DY8 -- Medium-Mu Triode/Remote-Cutoff Tetrode12DZ6 -- Remote-Cutoff Pentode (With Curves)12EA6 -- Remote-Cutoff Pentode12EC8 -- Med.-Mu Triode/Semiremote Cutoff Pentode (9 pin)12EG6 -- Dual-Control Heptode (Pentagrid Amplifier)12EK6 -- Remote-Cutoff Pentode12EL6 -- Dual Diode & Hi-Mu Triode12EM6 -- Diode & Power Tetrode12EZ6 -- RF Pentode12F8 -- Dual Diode & Remote-Cutoff Pentode12FA6 -- Pentagrid Converter12FK6 -- Dual Diode & Lo-Mu Triode (With Char. Curves)12FM6 -- Dual Diode & Medium-Mu Triode12FR8 -- Pentode & Triode & Diode12FT6 -- Dual Diode & Triode12FX8 -- Medium-Mu Triode & Pentagrid Converter12GA6 -- Pentagrid Converter12F8 -- Dual Diode & Remote-Cutoff Pentode12G8 -- Dual Triode12J8 -- Dual Diode & Power Tetrode12K5 -- Power Tetrode12U7 -- Dual Medium-Mu Triode (9 pin)8056 -- High-Frequency Triode (Nuvistor)list from:http://www.junkbox.com/electronics/lowvoltagetubes.shtmlMy current project I'm gathering the materials for is building a vacuum tube geiger counter to monitor background levels. I'm use to working on and with them so the 400-950v needed doesn't bother me. The space is clear around it and it's switched off before anything goes near it until it's in an enclosure. What's nice is there's lots of USSR vintage 400v regulator tubes matched to the Russian geiger tubes I'm using.You'll learn a lot getting stuff working with tubes that will carry over to your future projects.