Solar Energy is harnessed and used for many different machines in today's world. It is becoming more relevant as time goes on for being a renewable source of green energy and for its cost effectiveness. This project is about harnessing the power of the sun and transferring that solar energy in mechanical energy to power a small racer.
These kinds of projects have been done around the world in a competition called the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. In the competition, cars that run off of solar power race across the Australian Outback. The competition helps college students gain valuable hands-on engineering experience as well as spreading awareness for clean energy.
Our class was able to gain knowledge on how solar works. the difference in gear ratios, and gain more engineering experience when completing this project. We were also able to have a race, but on a much smaller scale. If we continue learning about and harnessing solar power on a much larger scale, we may be able to start mass producing cars that run off of a much more cleaner, renewable energy.
Solar energy is expanding rapidly and it isn't just limited to the residential or transportation market. New on the scene is a solar panel cellphone charger. In this field, there is still much to discover on how solar energy harnessing equipment can be mass produced for commercial use. This new application for the green energy can help people with cell phones who travel to places where there are no electrical outlets ready for use. For example, a tourist at the grand canyon with a low battery and a need for some good pictures may need a charger on hand. If there is no electrical outlet or car charger available, they can use a solar panel charger in order to get their needed battery life.
There are different styles of a solar panel cellphone charger. The windmill design has three panels that fan out to catch as much sun as possible. The folding model is lightweight and compact. This style opens up to reveal 2-4 panels that can charge your device. The pocket charger does what its name insinuates and fits into your pocket. It is great for providing emergency backup energy in case of emergency in around 45 minutes.
Cell phones are extremely important in everyday life and even can save your life in emergency situations. People have come to depend upon this technology over the last few years. All devices like this require fully charged batteries to function at an optimal level. Solar chargers are great for those times you are not close to a power source. It may just save someone's life. Another big benefit of these chargers is that the sun's energy is free. The charger itself can cost a lot of money, but charging your phone multiple times with it instead of using electric can help save money.
To learn more about solar panel cell phone chargers, visit http://www.go-green-solar-energy.com/solar-cell-phone-charger.html.
If you are thinking about purchasing one of these chargers, visit http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-portable-solar-battery-pack/ to see a comparison of over 70 different kinds of models.