Project

# Title Team Members TA Documents Sponsor
4 Sun Tracking Solar Panel
 Daniel Bullock
Rohan Gore
Tyler Newlin
 Amr Ghoname design_document3.pdf
final_paper1.pdf
photo1.png
photo2.jpeg
presentation1.pdf
proposal1.pdf
# Sun Tracking Solar Panel
## Team Members
Daniel Bullock (djb6),
Tyler Newlin (tylerjn2),
Rohan Gore (rohanvg2)
## Problem
Stationary solar panels do not produce the maximum amount of energy possible at all hours of daylight. Setting up stationary solar panels requires an optimum angle to be found as well as lined up to the sun's path in the sky.
## Solution
Our solution to maximize energy production is for a sun tracking solar panel. The panel will move to face all directions to be perpendicular with the sun. It will use photoresistors to find the sun’s position and servo motors to move the panel.
## Solution Components
### Photoresistors
Multiple photoresistors will be behind the solar panel. When the photoresistors are completely shaded, the panel will be perpendicular to the sun. So the photoresistors will detect which have the most light on them and move correspondingly to minimize light on all of the photoresistors.
### Servos
One servo will rotate the whole device on an axis parallel to the ground and another will rotate it on an axis perpendicular to the ground allowing.
### Power Tracking
It will have real time output of the power generated by the solar panels. It will log the power output in order to graph the results of the power. It will also have a real time output and log of the power consumed by the whole system.
### Manual Controls
For only the first time setup of the device, it will have a button to take over manual control of the panel to roughly(not necessary to be accurate) face it where the sun will be in the morning.
### Nighttime Reset
Using the power tracking, it will look for a major drop in power, AKA when the sun goes down. It will do a 180° turn and then turn off the servos. It will then turn them back once power is high enough, AKA the sun is up.
# Criterion for Success
Our solution will track the sun anywhere in the sky and rotate the panel to face it. It should produce more energy than a panel which is stationary. Currently Zomeworks has a solar tracking panel which only rotates on one axis and requires it to be set up at a specific angle depending on its location in the world. Our panel will rotate on two, allowing it to face the sun in any location in the sky, removing the need for much setup.

Updating the Spurlock Museum's PTM Dome

Priya Dutta, Sam Mencimer, Nick Mitchell

Featured Project

# Updating the Spurlock Museum’s PTM Dome

# Team Members:

- Priya Dutta (dutta15)

- Sam Mencimer (sgm8)

- Nick Mitchell (nlm4)

# Problem

The Spurlock Museum on campus has a department dedicated to digital preservation of artifacts. Since 2001, they have been using a PTM dome to produce 3-D digital images of artifacts which allow them to be studied by researchers anywhere in the world without the risk of shipping the artifact somewhere.

The original dome is no longer functional, and updates are needed so the museum can resume their documentation of digital artifacts.

This project has been worked on by two other ECE 445 groups in the past.

# Solution

Our solution will involve building on the previous groups’ progress to hopefully come up with a functional PTM dome.

As of now, the dome has 32 LED lights which are wired and functional. It also has a GUI which is intended to control each of these 32 lights individually, whether in sequence or manually.

We will build on this to create a system which will:

- Control the camera’s shutter button via 3.5mm jack

- Sequence each of the 32 lights on the dome individually or in order

- Interface with a controller - either software or hardware - to allow the sequencing to occur

- Be controllable without causing movement to the dome, as this can cause issues with the photos

In addition, we will provide detailed instruction manuals and troubleshooting steps for all aspects of the system to ensure longevity. All components will be designed with repairability in mind, and spares can be provided for components which are custom-designed. The goal is to have this dome work for as long as it is needed, independent of technology updates for operating systems, etc.

# Solution Components

## Subsystem 1 - LED Controller board

This controller board will have a microcontroller which is capable of controlling 32 12V LEDs individually based on its programming. It will interface with an external controller, which will either be software-based or hardware-based, and a camera shutter trigger in the form of a 3.5mm jack. The timing of the camera shutter and the LEDs should align to ensure proper functionality of photo capture.

This controller board will build upon the design of past groups. Our intention is to design a new board, but with the assistance of course staff as needed to ensure that we resolve issues encountered in Fall 2024, specifically crosstalk between I/O lines and 12V power.

Some of the improvements may include:

- Different LED driver setup. Previous groups used an LED driver designed for an LED Matrix display, which may be unnecessary for simple applications of LEDs.

-Microcontroller with C programming (e.g. STM32) rather than the arduino programming that was used previously. Our group has experience with embedded C programming, and it is more flexible than arduino.

- Better routing of traces on the PCB to reduce crosstalk

This will all depend on input from the course staff and the results of our research in the design phase.

## Subsystem 2 - User Interface

Research will be conducted before design documentation is produced to make a decision regarding the best way to control the LEDs. The two options we have are to use the GUI developed by a previous group, or to develop a hardware-based control system.

The requirements for the UI are that it must be able to control all 32 lights in sequence or individually, and be usable without causing motion in the dome. These requirements can be met with either control type.

The main benefit of a hardware-based control system is that it works independently of an operating system which can become obsolete, but it may require some extra work on our end when it comes to designing it, as there are no off-the-shelf options that meet these requirements.

The software-based control system can be changed easily, so if there is a problem, we can simply change some code, and it might be easier to use for the museum staff.

## Subsystem 3 - LED Lights & Dome

This subsystem is largely complete, although we will have to evaluate the state of the wiring to ensure that it is compatible with our design for the LED controller board.

## Subsystem 4 - Longevity

We are calling this a “subsystem” because it is an important component of the project, even if it is not a specific component of the design itself.

The dome has the potential to last for a very long time, because inherently it is not very complex. Our designs will be centered around longevity - meaning that every part should be easily replaceable by the end user with a repair manual and basic hand tools.

We will do our best to provide spare components for things that are not readily available - e.g. custom circuit boards. If we are unable to provide spares, we can provide design documents to allow manufacturing of replacement parts without the assistance of the people who designed the project.

All aspects of the design will take into account what will happen 10+ years from now when, for example, Windows 11 is obsolete. For example, we will avoid using obscure or outdated connectors, or connectors which have the potential to be obsolete (e.g. any form of USB).

## Subsystem 5 - Control Enclosure

The control enclosure will ensure that components are protected from ESD and external factors. It will most likely be 3D printed and assembled using screws, rather than glue or other permanent adhesives to ensure repairability.

# Criterion for Success

## Criteria from Spurlock staff:

- Get the 32 lights functional again

- Optimize rewiring the current dome

- Ensure the new control box and software program is functional from any OS (Mac, PC, etc.)

- Design the lighting and control box to fit in our dedicated museum workspace for easy plug-in and access

- Make sure the apparatus can be triggered without moving the dome, as the photos are sensitive to movement

- Make the lights in sequence from 1-32 synced to our camera’s shutter being triggered to fire when each next light turns on.

- Have the ability to independently turn on/off any lights in that sequence if needed (Currently, the control GUI turns any light on for 10 seconds only).

- The expectation is a functioning dome that allows us to proceed with the essential work of digital artifact preservation.

## Our additional criteria:

- Provide manuals and documentation for all aspects of the dome