Solar engines
Zach DeBord's amazing twin-engine solar roller, made from two SyQuest platters, two 3v solar cells, and using the common BEAM power-control circuit known as a solar engine.
The BEAM Wiki defines a solar engine as:
"A circuit used to collect power produced by a solar cell and save it in a storage device (typically a capacitor) until it reaches a usable level. The power is then released from the capacitor and used to drive an actuator (typically a motor). This process repeats in a cyclic fashion, allowing a robot to execute intermittent bursts of activity."
There are a number of different types of solar engines. Here are the basic categories:
Type 1: Voltage-Triggered Solar Engines
These are the most common engines and include the 1381-based circuits (based on the 1381 voltage detector chip) and the FLED solar engine (which uses a Flashed LED as the trigger to the power phase of the circuit.
A Type-1 FLED solar engine where the entire circuit is freeformed on the leads of the storage capacitor.
Type 2: Time-Triggered Solar Engines
In a time-triggered circuit, voltage level as the signal to dump the stored energy is replaced by a time interval, usually dictated by the use us of resistors and capacitors to control the time value.
Type 3: Charge Rate Triggered Solar Engines
A solar engine circuit design that monitors the charge rate of the capacitor and can tell when the cap is as full as it's going to get and then it triggers the power phase of the circuit.
(Type 4:) Nocturnal Solar Engines
This is a special class of engines that are designed to trigger the power phase when the light-level hitting the circuit drops below a certain threshold.
A call-out view of Zach DeBord's solar roller, which uses Type 1-FLED solar engines.
Resources ¶
- To learn much more about solar engines, the various types, and see the circuits and parts use, visit the excellent BEAM Wiki.
Comments 
Comments are onturn off
No comments.