Solar Powered Small-Scale AC Generator
Format
SOECS Senior Project Demonstration
Faculty Mentor Name
Kyle Watson
Faculty Mentor Department
Mechanical Engineering
Abstract/Artist Statement
A synchronous generator is not a new concept or creation. They are used to help supply power to towns and cities by converting direct current to alternating current so that it can be used by standard appliances. However, synchronous generators are generally very large – housed in power plants more suited for powering towns and cities, instead of an individual. Our solar powered small-scale generator will be much more versatile and will be able to be used anywhere, completely off the grid. This will be ideal in undeveloped places like Africa, where sun is plentiful but electricity is not. Thus, we set out to design a cheap, replicable miniature AC generator. We tried to use off-the-shelf parts as much as possible to keep simplicity and cost down, in accordance to our goals. We built a foundation and metal base for the entire assembly and pieced together the solar panel, motor, and rotor-stator assembly, along with all of the assorted attachments. This project has been mostly successful. We completed our requirement to produce AC power at a relatively constant speed, although it did end up costing a little bit more than anticipated.
Location
School of Engineering & Computer Science
Start Date
2-5-2015 2:30 PM
End Date
2-5-2015 4:30 PM
Solar Powered Small-Scale AC Generator
School of Engineering & Computer Science
A synchronous generator is not a new concept or creation. They are used to help supply power to towns and cities by converting direct current to alternating current so that it can be used by standard appliances. However, synchronous generators are generally very large – housed in power plants more suited for powering towns and cities, instead of an individual. Our solar powered small-scale generator will be much more versatile and will be able to be used anywhere, completely off the grid. This will be ideal in undeveloped places like Africa, where sun is plentiful but electricity is not. Thus, we set out to design a cheap, replicable miniature AC generator. We tried to use off-the-shelf parts as much as possible to keep simplicity and cost down, in accordance to our goals. We built a foundation and metal base for the entire assembly and pieced together the solar panel, motor, and rotor-stator assembly, along with all of the assorted attachments. This project has been mostly successful. We completed our requirement to produce AC power at a relatively constant speed, although it did end up costing a little bit more than anticipated.