Low-Cost Charge Controller for Pedal Generators in Rural India, Study Guides, Projects, Research of Electrical and Electronics Engineering

Download Low-Cost Charge Controller for Pedal Generators in Rural India and more Study Guides, Projects, Research Electrical and Electronics Engineering in PDF only on Docsity! PCB for Low cost charge controller Engineers Without Borders ECE 397 Project Proposal Atiya Ismail Spring 2005 I. Introduction As future members of the work force, we believe that engineers should not only work in industries that allow for future technological change, but also function in roles that advance the betterment of society. Engineers Without Borders (EWB) is such a group - one that promotes the idea of socially conscientious engineers. One of the projects implemented by EWB is the Pedal Powered Generator (PPG), a mechanism providing rural villages in India with a power supply. Of Indian ancestry, we are both very aware of the difficulties encountered by the villagers, and the idea of being able to design and implement something which would enhance their standard of living was enticing. Our project, we hope, will integrate what we consider to be the foremost goals of engineering. The objective of this project is to design a printed circuit board of the low cost charge controller developed last semester for the PPG such that the varying voltage input is transformed into a steady current supply to charge the battery. The end goal is to provide a steady, reliable supply of power for the villages in EWB’s ongoing Maharashtra project, as well as a design that can easily be reproduced and implemented throughout rural India. Benefits:  Provides a steady source of power for villages in India o Lighting  Increase in available light; enhanced efficiency and reliability  Impact on education  Impact on health care o Water Supply  Ability to run automated borewells  Impact on population in drought areas  Impact on agriculture via irrigation o Other  Supply used to run existing equipment (utilities, electronics)  Increases longevity of existing equipment  Maintains current and voltage levels within ratings Product Features:  May be used with different power sources including solar panels, windmills  Simple operation  Can withstand non-continuous operation  Low cost enables greater availability