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Project Proposal: Solar Cell Power Tester

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jf-psu edited this page Oct 10, 2018 · 1 revision

Goal

Create a device that measures the maximum power provided by a solar cell under different light intensities. Details on the required measurements can be found on the Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) Wikipedia page.

The device would be useful for testing the Gallium Arsenide solar cells planned for use on the OreSat cube satellite that PSU is developing.

Design

A microprocessor will measure voltage across and current through a solar cell while varying the light level and power demand. Light intensity, voltage, and current measurements will be sent to a computer for display and analysis.

  • Variable load will be a MOSFET switching rapidly using PWM with a low pass filter to present a uniform impedance
  • Voltage will be measured directly across the solar cell terminals
  • Current will be measured through the voltage drop across a low value sense resistor in series with the load
  • Light to the solar cell will be provided by an incandescent bulb with MOSFET PWM switching to control brightness.
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