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Solar Engine
The solar engine is an on board power plant for BEAM type robots, sometimes called living robots. The circuit is simple in function. The main components are a solar cell, main capacitor and a slow oscillating or trigger circuit. The solar cell charges the capacitor, until a predetermined voltage is reached, where the trigger circuit dumps the stored electrical power from the main capacitor through the main load (usually a high efficiency motor). The cycle then repeats.
| The inspiration for this solar engine came originally from Dave Hrynkiw from Canada, who uses a similar design to power a solar ball robot. I liked the electrical function so much that I decided to design my own solar engine. In doing so I was able to create a new and improved circuit that surpasses the efficiency of the original circuit by about 100 %. |
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Figure 1 |
Figure 1 is the schematic
for the solar engine. Here's how it works. The solar cell
charges the main 4700 uF capacitor. As the capacitor charges,
voltage level of the circuit increases. The UJT begins
oscillating and sending a trigger pulse to the Q1 . When
the circuit voltage has risen to about 2 volts from the
main capacitor, the trigger pulse is sufficient to turn
on the Q1. When Q1 turns on, this turns on Q2 the 2N3906
transistor through the 2.2K resistor. The 2N3906 keeps
the 2N3904 turned on until all the store power in the
main capacitor is dumped through the 2N3904 and the high
efficiency (HE) motor. The motor spins momentarily as
the capacitor discharges then stops. The cycle repeats. |
| The solar engine circuit is simple and non critical. It may be constructed using point to point wiring on a prototyping bread board. A PCB pattern is also included for those who want a neat looking project. |
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