Project

# Title Team Members TA Documents Sponsor
25 CUSTOM MPPTS FOR ILLINI SOLAR CAR
 Akhil Pothineni
Alex Chmiel
Alex Lymberopoulos
 Matthew Qi design_document1.pdf
design_document2.pdf
final_paper1.pdf
photo1.jpeg
photo2.jpg
photo3.jpg
presentation1.pdf
proposal2.pdf
proposal1.pdf
video
 Illini Solar Car
# CUSTOM MPPTS FOR ILLINI SOLAR CAR

Team Members:
- Alex Chmiel (achmiel4)
- Alex Lymberopoulos (alexdl2)
- Akhil Pothineni (akhilp3)

# Problem

Illini Solar Car is manufacturing their 3rd generation vehicle to race at the American Solar Challenge this coming summer. The team has recently installed their array and is looking for easy-to-use, configurable, and efficient solar MPPTs. The off-the-shelf models are very expensive and will take time to integrate into the vehicle’s architecture. Also with off-the-shelf components if a part fails, we will not have access to the schematics to replace the component.

# Solution

The idea is to create custom, efficient, and low cost MPPTs built for the team’s electrical system. For some background, the vehicle has the array wired in three separate sections. The goal behind the 3 sections is better resilience to shading and redundancy built into the system. We would make an easy to move enclosure with three MPPTs inside that can be mounted in the vehicle. If one of the MPPTs fails we would still have 2/3 of the solar array producing power.

By making the MPPTs in house lots of problems could be solved. We could drastically reduce the cost, make it plug-and-play with our vehicle’s electrical systems, and be able to debug issues quickly.

# Solution Components

## Subsystem 1: Logic Board

This board will be running a perturb and observe algorithm to vary switching signals sent to an off-board power board.
- LPC1549: Microcontroller used in all solar car projects. Has built in CAN controllers. Data will be sent over CAN.
- Voltage Sensors: To view the voltage and vary the algorithm. Most likely use SPI communication protocol.
- Current Sensors: To view the current and vary the algorithm. Most likely use SPI communication protocol.
- Temperature Sensors: Monitor Temperature of the MPPTs to verify safe operating points.
- Fans Control: Turn on the fan when temperatures get too hot.
## Subsystem 2: Power Board

The power board will be controlled by the logic board to take in the input power and vary the output power to charge the battery. Should handle power up to ~900W. MPPTs should be able to output in the range of 77V-120V. Max charge current is ~2.75A.
- Boost Converter Circuit: Will boost input voltage to charge battery safely. Takes input from logic board.

# Criterion For Success

- Logic Board is able to read temperature and vary fans

- Logic Board is able to send information via CAN

- Power Board successfully boost input voltage

- If faults are induced the logic board is able to stop charging of the batteries.

- Create one logic board that can control one power board to follow a perturb and observe algorithm.

S.I.P. (Smart Irrigation Project)

Jackson Lenz, James McMahon

S.I.P. (Smart Irrigation Project)

Featured Project

Jackson Lenz

James McMahon

Our project is to be a reliable, robust, and intelligent irrigation controller for use in areas where reliable weather prediction, water supply, and power supply are not found.

Upon completion of the project, our device will be able to determine the moisture level of the soil, the water level in a water tank, and the temperature, humidity, insolation, and barometric pressure of the environment. It will perform some processing on the observed environmental factors to determine if rain can be expected soon, Comparing this knowledge to the dampness of the soil and the amount of water in reserves will either trigger a command to begin irrigation or maintain a command to not irrigate the fields. This device will allow farmers to make much more efficient use of precious water and also avoid dehydrating crops to death.

In developing nations, power is also of concern because it is not as readily available as power here in the United States. For that reason, our device will incorporate several amp-hours of energy storage in the form of rechargeable, maintenance-free, lead acid batteries. These batteries will charge while power is available from the grid and discharge when power is no longer available. This will allow for uninterrupted control of irrigation. When power is available from the grid, our device will be powered by the grid. At other times, the batteries will supply the required power.

The project is titled S.I.P. because it will reduce water wasted and will be very power efficient (by extremely conservative estimates, able to run for 70 hours without input from the grid), thus sipping on both power and water.

We welcome all questions and comments regarding our project in its current form.

Thank you all very much for you time and consideration!