Help on solar powered fan Project for N00b - what do I need to make this work

[Marq]

Hi,

new here and hope to get some help.

I have this idea to affix a solar panel to power a fan when strolling and was wondering how I might achieve this.

A friend of mine gave me a 22F capacitor (ultra / super?!??) and suggested I get a 3V solar panel.

I hope to try and jury-rig a usb powered fan onto this, but would like to ask if i need anything else such as diodes etc. Does anyone also know the negative / positive sides of a usb cable - would want to use such cables to make it easy to attach / detach panel / capcitor / fan.

Regards

Marq

 

[Reloadron]

Read this for information regarding USB 1.1 and 2.0 pinouts.

Next as to a solar panel and fan the simple and basic way would be to determine how much voltage your fan requires and how much current. Then find a solar panel that would provide the required voltage and current. Option two would involve using a battery (so you can wander in the dark rain) and still have your fan run. Solar panel charges battery and battery also runs fan.

Before all else you need to define your fan requirements (Voltage & Current).

Ron

 

[Marq]

Ron,

thanks for the note on the USB ports - I think I know how to deal with that now.

First items: set of two male and female USB connectors

Solar Panel --> Female Connector --> Male Connector --> Capacitor --> Female Connector --> USB Fan.

I am looking at a USB Fan I currently have and will assume it to require 5V - I stripped the fan appart and for 20 HKD it is a surprisingly well built device. I am unsure how to find the voltage and current as there was nothing on the fan to indicate V or current...that's exactly what a N00B would be like duh...

Anywayz that aside, I plan to use a powerfilm flexible solar panel for this:

**broken link removed**

Specifically the 4.8V or 6V 100ma.

I would like to ask, if the fan did use 5V, would the 4.8V be able to push it? Would a capacitor of say 6V help stabilize flow?

Would the 6V solar panel short the fan because it had a greater voltage?

Would this still be nuts if I found that the fan used 250ma instead of the 100ma - i.e. would the fan move??

When you mention charge battery, do I need to consider trickle charge devices?

Thanks a million.

Mark

 

[Reloadron]

Mark

I am sorry, I just today got an email notification of your post back in this thread. Still working this project?

Ron

 

[Marq]

Ron,

got all the materials. Will try over te weekend to see if it works. Haven't yet found the voltage needed for the USB fan but assume it to be 5v.

Question - shd the voltage of the solar power be equall or higher then the capacitors?

I know I should make the solar panels and capacitors in series as voltage is 3.6 and 2.5 for each time separately

 

[Reloadron]

If your fan was designed to work off a USB port it should be a 5 Volt fan. I didn't catch what your plan is for a battery? You should not need a capacitor in there. Now if you have a 6 volt battery it will run a 5 volt fan likely OK but a little fast. Trick becomes in knowing how much current your fan draws. Next, to charge a 6 volt battery with a solar panel you will need more than a 6 volt source. You want to place a diode in your solar panel to battery charge path so when the panel is in dark it doesn't place a drain on the battery. Can you post a circuit or real good description of what exactly you have in mind?

Ron