High-Efficiency Solar-Powered 3-D Printers for Sustainable Development
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Methods
2.1. System Design
- (i)
- PV-only mode operation: In this mode, the PV modules supply enough power to meet the 3-D printer energy requirements. It is during this mode that the battery charging occurs, but only during instances when the PV modules power exceeds the printer load.
- (ii)
- Mixed-mode operation; Both the PV modules and the battery power the printer. Usually this occurs when the illumination on the PV modules drops to level such that they can no longer provide the required power to drive the load. The battery converter responds by reversing its mode from charge to discharge mode and, by so doing, providing the power needed to compensate for the drop in PV module power.
- (iii)
- Battery-only mode: The battery autonomously runs the printer. This happens if printing is done during the night or low light conditions. Total period of autonomy is dependent on the battery size and initial charge, and can be predicted for any system design.
2.2. System Integration
2.3. Experimental Methods
- PV modules charging the battery and driving the 3-D printer.
- System working under low insolation.
- Battery powering the 3-D printer (no PV).
- PV modules charging the battery only (no printing).
- Battery fully charged and the PV modules power the 3D-printer.
3. Results and Discussion
Switch No. 1 | Switch No. 2 | Tests Performed |
---|---|---|
ON | OFF | 4 |
ON | ON | 1, 2, and 5 |
OFF | ON | 3 |
4. Conclusions
Acknowledgments
Author Contributions
Conflicts of Interest
Appendix
Component | Quantities | Source | Cost (US$) |
---|---|---|---|
DROK® 12 A/100 W 5–40 V to 1.2–36 V DC Buck Volt Converter | 2 | amazon.com | 21.98 |
Polymer Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery Pack: 14.8 V 20 Ah (296 Wh) — UN38.3 Passed | 1 | batteryspace.com | 260.00 |
ALEKO® 30W Monocrystalline Solar Panel | 3 | amazon.com | 197.97 |
High Sierra AT2 36" (91 cm) drop bottom wheeled duffel | 1 | amazon.com | 139.99 |
Bolt with nuts | |||
5 Pcs SPST On/Off Momentary Off Rocker Switch AC 250 V/6 A 125 V/10 A | 2 | amazon.com | 4.44 |
Total | 625.70 |
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Gwamuri, J.; Franco, D.; Khan, K.Y.; Gauchia, L.; Pearce, J.M. High-Efficiency Solar-Powered 3-D Printers for Sustainable Development. Machines 2016, 4, 3. https://doi.org/10.3390/machines4010003
Gwamuri J, Franco D, Khan KY, Gauchia L, Pearce JM. High-Efficiency Solar-Powered 3-D Printers for Sustainable Development. Machines. 2016; 4(1):3. https://doi.org/10.3390/machines4010003
Chicago/Turabian StyleGwamuri, Jephias, Dhiogo Franco, Khalid Y. Khan, Lucia Gauchia, and Joshua M. Pearce. 2016. "High-Efficiency Solar-Powered 3-D Printers for Sustainable Development" Machines 4, no. 1: 3. https://doi.org/10.3390/machines4010003
APA StyleGwamuri, J., Franco, D., Khan, K. Y., Gauchia, L., & Pearce, J. M. (2016). High-Efficiency Solar-Powered 3-D Printers for Sustainable Development. Machines, 4(1), 3. https://doi.org/10.3390/machines4010003