Project number
22027
Organization
Tucson Electric Power
Academic year
2021-2022
Tucson Electric Power aims to provide 70% of its power through renewable energy sources and reduce carbon emission levels by 80% by 2035. As the electric vehicle market increases, one part of meeting these goals is expanding the availability of affordable solar-powered electric vehicle charging stations.
This standalone system converts solar energy into electricity using a Maximum Power Point Tracking feature, a technique that optimizes the variable solar power input energy. This optimal energy is then extracted and routed to the charging circuit subsystem that contains a 240kV step up isolation transformer and a buck converter that steps down the voltage to power an Arduino MEGA 2560 microcontroller. The Arduino monitors and communicates digital control to the closed-loop cooling subsystem to keep the internal temperature within operable limits.
The solar charging circuit, microcontroller and cooling system are enclosed in a National Electric Manufacturers Association 3R-rated external housing system, making the off-grid solar power converter able to withstand extreme weather conditions. This system will allow users to charge electric vehicles directly from solar panels without grid interconnectivity.
This standalone system converts solar energy into electricity using a Maximum Power Point Tracking feature, a technique that optimizes the variable solar power input energy. This optimal energy is then extracted and routed to the charging circuit subsystem that contains a 240kV step up isolation transformer and a buck converter that steps down the voltage to power an Arduino MEGA 2560 microcontroller. The Arduino monitors and communicates digital control to the closed-loop cooling subsystem to keep the internal temperature within operable limits.
The solar charging circuit, microcontroller and cooling system are enclosed in a National Electric Manufacturers Association 3R-rated external housing system, making the off-grid solar power converter able to withstand extreme weather conditions. This system will allow users to charge electric vehicles directly from solar panels without grid interconnectivity.