Progress Log

Below is the Progress Log for our Senior Design project.

Week 14 (3/28-4/3)

This week we continue to edit our proposal report and updated our website. It was time to put our final touch and corrections to ensure a smooth flow before the final presentation. We had a meeting with our advisor to review our proposal report. There was feedback about our Design Engineering Specification and Design Engineering Requirements. We also discussed adding a component that would measure the temperature of the charging station. Updating the website and proposal report is the main concentration for our team. We then continue to work on the proposal presentation.

Week 13 (4/4-4/10)

This week our team had our group meeting with Professor Notash and, we receive some feedback on our website and our design. We focused on selecting our battery for the design and, we focus on writing the proposal draft. The selection of our battery depends on how much power is being generated and used. The battery that we selected must be able to store the solar energy and provide the system power to function. The battery for our system that we selected is the Might Max.
For more information: Mighty Max

Week 12 (3/28-4/3)

This week our team had our group meeting with Professor Notash and, we receive some feedback on our website and our design. Our main concentration is to update our website and research motors that will hold our panels and select a battery for the modified version of S.T.A.R.S. The motor need to fulfill our requirement to be chosen for the system. Our group did some research on motors previously we had an idea of what to look for in our latest new version. The servo motor that our team selected is the servo motor MG995. Since the panels that we decided on were going to be larger than our previous design. To read up more, here is the link: Component101

Based on additional research, this motor can rotate our 1.8lb solar panel and the solar tracker. The video below shows the voltage and current drawn from the motor and the servo torque test.

Week 11 (3/21-3/27)

This week, our team decided that there are changes needed to the systems. Based on the calculation, our system will not generate enough power for our charging station. We discussed with Professor Notash about changing the number of branches and the size of the solar panel. Our group purposed to shorten the number of branches, which previously was 5, to 3. We decide that a larger solar panel is more reasonable if we wanted to generate energy quickly. Our team did some recalculations that will require motors that will move a 1.8lb solar along with a solar tracker. Based on research, our group decided to go with a 10W 12V Polycrystalline Solar panel.
More information on these Solar Panels are linked here: Eco-Worthy

The new design will have a total of 7 solar panels. The amount of Wattage that will generate in one hour is 350W and, that is enough power for the system and storage energy in the battery for the user to charge their devices.

Here is an image of our modification to the design.

Week 10 (3/14-3/20)

This week, our focus is on developing the container that will house the solar station. This container should hold the solar energy and convert it to usable electricity stored in a battery. Our group discuss plexiglass and possibly wood to build the base. Plexiglass is a great material to use outdoors and is commonly used to build solar panels. We also discuss using a metal frame and place plexiglass around it but the container.

The research that our group has gathered has on plexiglass:

Durable against weather and has higher survivability than glass.
Can last long is the sun for 50 years.
Is not affected by the cold.

The continuation of the report was also written this week and will proceed to do so. The attempt to writing the program for the motors and solar trackers starts this week.

Week 9 (3/7-3/13)

This week, our focus is on updating our website progress log, budget, power budget, and parts list. We also worked on developing a 3D CAD model of the design along with a cardboard model. Website development has been an issue since the site has been down a couple of times. This inconvenience caused some of our work to be unable to be saved and deleted. We also made some changes to the timeline. The updated version is on our budget and timeline tab.

We also spent some time working on our design modification. Our proposed modification is to remove all the motors on the panels and add motors that adjust the base of the tree. We did some calculations to figure out the weight of the tree without the project's base to see how heavy it is and what kind of motor is needed.

The human shape is 57 inches so about 4.75 feet.

Here is the measure of the solar tree:

10.83 ft for 1.5 -Pipes SCH 40 chart, dimensions, weight, and pipe wall thickness - weight - 29.467lbs
3 ft for 2 -Pipes SCH 40 chart, dimensions, weight, and pipe wall thickness - weight - 10.95lbs
small solar panel weight total - 0.396831lb for 3
medium solar panel weight total - 0.715lb for 4
large solar panels weight total - 0.5975lb for 4

After adding it all up, we know that we need a motor that could handle around 43 lb. We round up to 50lb to ensure it would move if additional material is added in the future, like wires or motors.

The cardboard model shown here is the design measured out in full scale. (Not including the legs) The models show the tree is a spiral shape along the base, which is the housing of the solar charging station and the battery.

Week 8 (2/28-3/6)

Based on the feedback from our advisor meeting with Professor Notash, we focused on the base of the solar station and the design of the solar tree station. We discovered an issue with the solar tree design that requires more consideration. The solar tree does not receive light for half the panels when the sunrises and sets.

We came up with a new idea to remedy the problem with our design. Instead of having multiple motors for each panel, we proposed having two motors that adjust the base of the tree, similar to how a satellite dish pivots at its base.

Power station for the system:
This structure is supposed to withstand the weather outside. The base holds the solar tree in place as the motor is actively in use. The system should also contain the solar station in its base and have room to hold a small appliance that needs to be powered. The solar station base needs to remain dry and have a vent for air to flow in and out. It needs to house the Arduino and keep the system within the solar base dry. We decide the battery station will be in the upper half of the case to avoid liquid substances like rain. We also decided to incorporate a heat sink and a fan to regulate the heat as well. Legs were added to the bottom of the design so that the station would not be placed directly on the ground to avoid liquid and solid substances from entering the base.

Similar to the SolarSynthesis Solar Powered GFCI Electrical Outlet, we want our system to be compact. More information about the SolarSynthesis charging station linked here:

SolarSythesis

The advantage of our charging station is that the panels are adjustable to optimize creating solar energy. A flat mount solar panel is not ideal since it does not allow air to flow to cool the solar panel. By laying it flat, the solar panel will only contact the sun at a sharp angle.

Week 7 (2/21-2/27)

This week Professor Notash went over our website and gave us feedback on our website. When the provided feedback, we updated our website to match.

After the website was fully updated, we discussed adding more solar panels in order to generate more power. We decided to have 5 tiers with a total of 11 panels, instead of 3 tiers with a total of 7 panels like originally planned. But, we needed a way to do this, and create more power than initially intended in order to power all of our components.

We decided to add an op-amp to our design. Specifically, a UA741 op-amp since we used it in several classes we had taken at Valencia. We needed a little more research in order to decide if this component was going to meet our needs in regards to producing enough power.

References:

Here is a 3D diagram of our proposed project.

The purpose of an operational amplifier is to take the input voltage and amplify the output voltage. The output voltage of the operational amplifier is gain times the signal. By including an amplifier, we hope to increase the energy generated to power the system. Since our system lacks the energy to power the station, we had to look for alternatives. Keeping in mind the budget, purchasing larger panels will put a strain on our project's budget. The solar panels aren't generating enough power we look for cheaper alternatives. This thought process led to including an operational amplifier in our system.

Week 6 (2/14-2/20)

Solar panels:

This week we started to think about our solar station. Our understanding of the subject of solar energy is that when ultraviolet rays, also known as sunlight, come in contact with the solar panels, the panels will absorb the photons and create an electric field. Solar cells are made up of large-area p-n junctions. To read more, here is a more in-depth article on solar cell and how it generates electricity: Photovoltaic Cell

The research that our group conducted was to determined which solar panels to use. The solar panels had to generate enough energy to power the motors and the light sensors. We wanted the base of the tree to have larger panels than the panels up top. Large panels will generate more energy to power the system and not block the panels below from receiving sunlight.

Our solar power system needed to convert solar energy to energy that will power the system. We need to figure out the power budge so that the system could run for 12 hours or when the sunrise and sets. This station needs to be about to act as a power bank to charge a small appliance.

Week 5 (2/7 - 2/13)

PVC Pipe Schedule:

PVC pipes are strong and rigid, lightweight, cost-effective, schedule 40 1.5 inch diameter PVC pipe can take 954 pounds, a schedule 80 1.5 inch diameter PVC pipe can take 1225. This material will be able to hold up the solar tracker and motor along with the solar panels. We decided to go with schedule 40, 1.5-inch diameter PVC pipe for the branches and a schedule 40, 2-inch diameter PVC pipe for the stem of the tree.
Designing the frame of our solar tree and calculating the weight of the whole tree, not including panels and motor, the calculation shows below:

10.83 ft for 1.5-inch diameter PVC pipe will weigh - 29.467lbs
3 ft of 2-inch diameter PVC pipe will weigh - 10.95lbs
Total of 40.41667 lbs

We looked into the PVC material and decided to see our option present in the store. PVC, in-store, have multiple sized and diameter. There were many shapes and Fitting adapters that would be helpful for the project. These materials were light-weighted and sold in by the foot. If the product were too long, we could shorten the length using a circular saw.

Motors:

Our group did some research on motors to see if they fit our requirements.
The requirements for these motors:

Able to hold the panel
Adjust the panels

Two motors are needed so that the panels could be tilted left-right and up-down. We decided to use standard servo motors that should allow the shaft to adjust the position to rotate between 0 and 180 degrees. The servo motor that we research was the servo motor SG-90. Since the panels that we decided on were going to be small. There was no point in purchasing a heavy-duty motor for a small solar panel. The servo motor can pull a 5-kg load and requires 5volts to power. To read up more, here is the link: Servo Motors

For the motors, we research that the Arduino is compatible with our motor and sensor. The project requires we use multiple motors and sensors. The light sensor module we selected is already built with a resistor and is used to detect light. It requires some programming to have them function as needed. The light sensor detects light and sends the information to the Arduino.

The Arduino will compare all the light sensors signals (4 per panel) and adjust the motors.

Week 4 (1/31-2/6)

This week we had a meeting with Professor Notash to talk about our project proposal ideas. We presented our ideas to receive feedback to move onto the next step. Each group had to deliver a presentation of their two tentative proposed ideas with supplying a justification for each topic and the technical qualification. We discussed some samples of similar project ideas and show how our project is different from other inventions.

Our group suggested some modifications to the solar tree project to make it more reasonable. It is supposed to be a prototype of a large scale. We made the size more compact and added a solar panel to the top of the tree to increase power to our system. The original height planned for our tree would have intensely strained our budget.

We also suggested some modifications to the litter box. The system would be a lot more difficult if we decided to sift the box instead of raking it. By using the sifting method, it will trap some of the litter between the containers.

Once the presentation was over, we received some feedback and some suggestions for our project. Once we receive feedback from our proposed ideas, we started to brainstorm possible enhancements and work on them. Three days after the meeting with our mentor, we received news to focus on Solar Tree Station. We started to put more effort into the initial phase of the project. There was a list of items need to focus on before the next meeting. We had a group meeting to talk about each item on the list to see if we understand what is being asked.

Week 3 (1/24 - 1/30)

This week we had a meeting with Professor Notash to talk about our project proposal ideas. We presented our ideas to receive feedback to move onto the next step. Each group had to deliver a presentation of their four proposed ideas with block diagrams, process flow charts, and our project budget. Once we receive feedback from our proposed ideas, we started to brainstorm possible enhancements and work on them. Three days after the meeting with our mentor, we received news to focus on Solar Tree Station and the Automated Litter box and improvement if necessary.

After receiving the email, our group decided to schedule a group meeting to talk about tasks to assign each other. After some individual research, we held a group meeting to bounce ideas for the Solar Tree Station and the Automated Litter box. By doing so, reassures us that it is a possible project even with some changes.

For our Solar Tree Station, we research solar tracking and storing power from the panels to the battery. We also talked about making solar panels in case the budget was getting out of hand. Our group also discuss the weather in Florida for this project.

Research for the Solar Tree

Reference sites:

· Solar trees: Your guide to this fast-growing solar trend

· How Does a Solar Panel Produce Energy?

· How Solar Energy is converted into Electricity Using Solar Panels?

· How to Wire a Solar Panel to a Battery to an Inverter

· Building solar panels: how to make your own solar system

· What size solar panel do I need to charge a 12V Battery?

· The climate of Florida

· DIY Professional 18650 Battery Pack

For the Automated Litter Box, we look for our motor and ways to move the litter to tilt and dump the load. We decided to change the scoop system to rake instead to conserve space for the cat. Our group also research the motion sensor to avoid issues. We want the system to run while the cat isn't in the unit. We also discussed including a spray system to neutralize the smell.

Research on the Automated Litter Box

Reference sites:

· DIY Smart Litter Box Sensor

· IoT Cat Litter Box (with ESP32, Arduino IDE, and ThingSpeak)

· Build a Cat Litter Box Fan With Arduino

Week 2 (1/17 - 1/23)

The group came together to developed a couple of ideas for the upcoming meeting. Our focus was mainly on solar power projects since we are both passionate about green energy. The first idea that we came up with was a Solar tree charging station. The made focus is to build a solar tree that will act as a charging station with built-in motors that would adjust the panels to move towards the sun. An add-on would have a save box for commercial use to avoid theft so that users can charge their items without fear.

Another idea we came up with was a Solar automated chicken coop. We planned to build a chicken coop that will hold the chickens in place with little human interaction.

The similarities between our two projects were that they were outside. We decided on another project proposal for a Greenhouse. The greenhouse was supposed to water the crops display when crops were ready and have a built-in watering system. The system is supposed to be power by solar panels to operate the user's preset conditions for the crops using a touchscreen panel.

Lastly, for our final proposal idea, we decided on an automated litter box clean for our feline friend.

Websites reference for our proposal idea's tab:

Research on Solar Tree:

Reference site:

· High-Efficiency Single and Dual Axis Solar Tracking System

· Sun Tracker Solar System Project

· Simple Dual Axis Solar Tracker

· Dual Axis Solar Tracking System with Weather Sensor

Research for the Automated Litter Box

Reference site:

· How to Safely Clean a Cat’s Litter Box

· 7 Best Self-Cleaning Litter Boxes, According to Home Care Experts

· Litter-Robot

· How to Interface a PIR Motion Sensor With Raspberry Pi GPIO

Research for the Greenhouse:

Reference site:

· Changing the PH of your soil

· Soil PH levels for plants

· Arduino pH Sensor for Soil

· Testing Your Soil pH Without a Kit

· 10 best soil PH testers for your garden and backyard

Research on Chicken Coop

Reference sites:

· How Much Light Do Chickens Need To Keep Laying?

· 5 Best Automatic Chicken Coop Doors: The Complete Buyer’s Guide

Week 1 (1/10 - 1/16)

The first group meeting with Professor Notash and Dr. Ejaz:

It was over on a zoom call with five other groups. Dr. Ejaz and Professor Notash provided each group with information about the senior proposal. Our group decided to link documents on google drive to share our work to avoid redundancy. We have also developed a schedule to work on the project and to have weekly group meetings. The group also decided to come up with ideas for our top 4 proposal projects.

Progress Log

Week 14 (3/28-4/3)

Week 13 (4/4-4/10)

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Week 12 (3/28-4/3)

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Based on additional research, this motor can rotate our 1.8lb solar panel and the solar tracker. The video below shows the voltage and current drawn from the motor and the servo torque test.

Week 11 (3/21-3/27)

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The new design will have a total of 7 solar panels. The amount of Wattage that will generate in one hour is 350W and, that is enough power for the system and storage energy in the battery for the user to charge their devices.

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Here is an image of our modification to the design.

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Week 10 (3/14-3/20)

The research that our group has gathered has on plexiglass:

Durable against weather and has higher survivability than glass.

Can last long is the sun for 50 years.

Is not affected by the cold.

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More information about the plexiglass linked here: ACPLASTICS

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The continuation of the report was also written this week and will proceed to do so. The attempt to writing the program for the motors and solar trackers starts this week.

Week 9 (3/7-3/13)

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The human shape is 57 inches so about 4.75 feet.

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Here is the measure of the solar tree:

10.83 ft for 1.5 -Pipes SCH 40 chart, dimensions, weight, and pipe wall thickness - weight - 29.467lbs

3 ft for 2 -Pipes SCH 40 chart, dimensions, weight, and pipe wall thickness - weight - 10.95lbs

small solar panel weight total - 0.396831lb for 3

medium solar panel weight total - 0.715lb for 4