Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #05301
To: beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
From: Don Papp donp@cronus.oanet.com
Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 20:51:28 -0600 (MDT)
Subject: [alt-beam] Solar Cell Voltage Doubler
Hmm. It works. Not as bad as I thought it would be, actually.
http://anubis.ab.ca/proj/vdoubler/vdoubler.gif
I got the idea after reading about Craig Maynard's Chloroplast Solar
engine. Needs a minimum 5V, eh? What if you don't want to gang up solar
cells? What about if you want to just use a tiny 24x22mm cell, but it
only puts out 3.5V?
Well, this is sure taking its time charging a .033F supercap, but it *is*
charging it. If I disconnect the cap and just measure the output of the
circuit a little under a foot below my 40W desklamp, I read 6.04 V. (*)
I tested it by having it charge a supercap, measuring the voltage rise
with my DMM, and looking at it once in a while. Not very scientific. :)
Not completely tested, and hasn't been hooked up to any SEs yet - it
was just an idea. Perhaps someone out there will find a use for it (or
shoot it down, as the case may be).
| Donald Papp
| don@oa.net
(*) Theory says the voltage out should be (2*VDD) - (2*Vdrop) or (2*3.5V)
- (2*0.7) or 5.6V . My solar cell is actually putting out 3.83 V, so
using that number instead, the formula says (2*3.83) - (2*0.7) = 6.26V .
Close enough, I suppose.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
eGroups.com home: http://www.egroups.com/group/alt-beam
http://www.egroups.com
- Simplifying group communications
Home