Instructions
Table Of Contents
- Introduction
- Parts
- Using Alligator Clips
- Solar Board Reference
- Project 1 – Sun Finder
- Project 2 – Garden Light
- Project 3 – Self Charging Cooling Fan
- The BBC micro:bit
- Getting Code to Run on the micro:bit
- Project 4 – Adding an Energy Meter
- Project 5 – Energy Logger
- Connecting Up
- Code for the Energy Logger (MakeCode)
- How it works
- Connecting to Your PC
- Pairing Your micro:bit With MakeCode
- Showing the Device Console Graph
- Capturing Data From a Charge and Discharge Cycle
- Downloading Data
- Getting Data into a Spreadsheet Program
- Analysing the Data
- Graphing the Data
- Results
- Understanding the Data
- Understanding Duty Cycle
- How the Solar Store Works
- Project 6 – Intelligent Cooling Fan
- Troubleshooting
- About the Author
- Learning
- Monk Makes Kits
PROJECT 3 – SELF CHARGING COOLING FAN
In this project you will use your harvested and stored energy to power a bigger
device: a motor that spins a fan. This device will charge up the Solar Store when
the sun is out, and uses a simple home-made switch to allow you to decide when to
transfer the stored energy to the motor to spin the cooling fan.
Connecting Up
By using two separate alligator clips, you can make your own simple switch.
Touch together the ends of the two white alligator clips to enable the Solar Store,
and if there is enough energy stored then the fan will spin. Disconnect the two white
alligator clips to turn the fan off.
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