Design of a Mobile Phone Charging

Station Utilizing PV Renewable

Energy System
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Solar energy is a technology that has been increasing in popularity as it is further

developed. In this project, we will be utilizing solar energy to provide the supply for an outdoor
charging station for devices. Electricity can be produced from renewable resources; the sun’s
energy can be used to heat fluids for turbines in solar thermal systems or can be converted
directly to electricity using the principles of photovoltaic. A solar powered mobile phone
charging is proposed in this paper.

The proposed system design can be installed in any public places like market, bus stops,
and other shopping places or the places where people gather to charge their mobile phones. The
system is designed in such a way that any mobile phone can be charged. The hardware of the
proposed mobile phone charging station is implemented and tested.

A fully-charged battery can get drained within couple of hours, due to data packet service
and back -end processes which are always active in the phones. The user approaches the nearby
shops to charge the mobile phones under emergency situation. Though the power banks are
widely available in the market for emergency charging, it is not affordable by everyone.

However, in case of calamities the charging station can be used as an emergency

charging station in the event of prolonged power outages. Since the device is a standalone system
it can charge mobile phone as long as there is sunlight. Even during night time, the device can
still charge phone as long as the battery still has power.

PRIOR ART SEARCH

The difference of this proposed design to other existing studies are that the researchers
offer multiple ports to the device to provide more accessibility to other users at a given time. The
design also includes a charge controller which acts as a voltage regulator so that the charging
station will stop discharging energy when a mobile phone is full charged. To allow the charging
station to be placed outside, the researchers have designed the charging station to be waterproof
and dustproof.

MULTIPLE CHARGE WEATHER

TITLE
PORTS CONTROLLER COMPATIBILITY
Design of a Mobile
Phone Charging
Station Utilizing PV
YES YES
Renewable Energy YES

System

Solar Powered Case

for Charging YES
Electronic Devices
Solar Powered
Charging Station via
Recyclable Plastic YES

Bottles
Solar Powered USB
YES YES
Charging Station

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objective of this project is to solve the problem of providing an outdoor power
source for charging devices in an environmentally friendly way to help reduce the demand of
power from other methods. The general objective of this study is to design and implement a
mobile charging station utilizing photovoltaic renewable energy system. The proposed system
design can be installed in any public places.

Specific objectives of this study are the following:

 Create a cost-effective, economically friendly outdoor charging station for most electrical
devices
  Improve the efficiency of photovoltaic solar panels.
 Determine the acceptability of the device based on the following:
a) Physical features;
b) Cost;
c) Durability

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The result of the study will be of great benefit to the following:

1. Students

The proposed system design will benefit the students. The system will provide the student
a better and convenient way of charging their device without energy consumption. Most
especially they can able to save energy and lessen electric bill at home

2. Tourists

This project would benefit the tourists who are in sunny tourist spots like beaches and
islands. Tourists would need this because they are most likely to take pictures and videos that
could drain their phone and other gadgets' batteries. It would be useful for them to have
emergency charging stations like our project in order for them to have a more enjoyable tour.

3. Workers

Workers would benefit with this project whenever they are in need of charging stations
when they are outside because workers would not always have power banks or charging cords
with them. This project would come in handy especially in emergency situations.

4. Smokers

Charging stations located in smoking areas would also benefit because they could charge
their gadget while smoking

5. Bystanders

Bystanders especially in waiting sheds would charge their gadgets while waiting for their
ride or friend and co-worker.
6. Commuters

Commuters while waiting at bus terminal or ports could charge their phones while
waiting for their respective busses and boats. This is useful because some commuters wait for
hours.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATIONS

This study focuses on helping commuters in the Philippines have an emergency and/or
alternative charging station. The study will only focus on the charging station/s utilizing
photovoltaic renewable energy systems and it’s efficiently located location.

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT

PLAN
Planning when and
where the project
will develop
REQUIREMENTS
DESIGN
Canvassing & Buying
materials to be use Designing the
on the charging mobile phone
station charging station
renewable system
Capital Budgeting

AGILE
DEVELOPMENT
DEVELOPMENT
TRACK &
Improving the
MONITOR design of the Mobile
Monitoring na phone charging
efficiency of the station
Charging station
renewable energy Testing the PV
system Renewable Energy
RELEASE System
Reviewing the parts
of the charging
station
CHAPTER 2
Releasing of Project
 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This section includes all ideas and theories gathered from studies, blogs, and articles that
were conducive in recognizing all established information. The researchers chose the related
literature analogous to the topic as aid of their inquiry to make it more comprehensible to the
readers.

FOREIGN

RGS Powerhouse Company (2015), stated in, “What is Photovoltaics?”, A photovoltaic

system uses solar panels to capture sunlight’s photons. These solar panels each have many solar
cells made up of layers of different materials. An anti-reflective coating on top helps the cell
capture as much light as possible. Beneath that is a semiconductor (usually silicone) sandwiched
between a negative conductor on top and a positive conductor on bottom. Once the photons are
captured by the solar cell, they begin releasing the outer electrons of atoms within the
semiconductor. The negative and positive conductors create a pathway for the electrons and an
electric current is created. This electric current is sent to wires that capture the DC electricity.
These wires lead to a solar inverter, which then transforms it into the AC electricity used in
homes. The more solar cells you install, the more electricity is produced. PV systems produce the
most energy during the summer, when it is most needed to power air conditioning. There are no
moving parts and little to no maintenance needed. PV technology has been in use much longer,
proving its usefulness. PV energy is much more versatile, since it converts sunlight directly into
electricity without generators.

According to European Commissioner for Energy, Piebalgs A. (2009), “Photovoltaic

solar energy Development and current research”, Photovoltaics is the field of technology and
research related to the devices which directly convert sunlight into electricity. The solar cell is
the elementary building block of the photovoltaic technology. Solar cells are made of
semiconductor materials, such as silicon. One of the properties of semiconductors that makes
them most useful is that their conductivity may easily be modified by introducing impurities into
their crystal lattice. When photons of light fall on the cell, they transfer their energy to the charge
carriers. The electric field across the junction separates photo-generated positive charge carriers
(holes) from their negative counterpart (electrons). In this way an electrical current is extracted
once the circuit is closed on an external load.

According to Wilczynski’s (2015) “Solar Powered Phone Chargers”, solar power is a

relatively new concept, and just recently have we started to discover the potential that it has.
Utilizing this type of energy for electricity is only one small example of its uses. Converting
solar power to charge a phone is another, and this is where things start to really get interesting.
Imagine not having to charge your phone using an electric outlet but rather being able to harness
the sun's power to boost your phone's charge. You would save money by not using electricity,
you would be efficiently using energy, and you would only have to rely on finding the sun rather
than finding an outlet. This concept is possible and has already begun to manifest itself in the
world of phone chargers today.

In Elmahdi’s (2012) “Application of Charging Mobile Phone by Solar Energy”, though

the system has a high initial cost, it has a higher yield on the long-run. The energy from this
system is environmentally friendly devoid of noise pollution and toxic gas emission. This system
saves these mobile charging Most of the materials used in the construction of this system are
readily available in the market. Pretty much all you need is the right connectors, the right
amperage and voltage of the device, and a battery to store the energy that the solar panels collect.
In the conversion process, photons knock electrons loose from atoms, and this is the subatomic
energy packet that forms the basis for light. Next, photons from the sunlight carry enough energy
to jar electrons from their orbit in the element silicon, which is the material used in most solar
cells. Finally, this solar power recharges a battery by reversing the flow of the electrons,
replenishing the battery's electrical potential.

LOCAL

Maroma (2014) stated in “Solar Powered Cell Phone Charging Station” that Electricity
can be produced from renewable resources, the sun’s energy can be used to heat fluids for
turbines in solar thermal systems or can be converted directly to electricity using the principles
of photovoltaic. The exponential rise in oil prices, the growing awareness of energy-related
pollution, and the adverse effects of climate change have all contributed to a re-evaluation of
energy use. This re-evaluation has resulted in the improvement in the efficiency with which
energy is used in industry and power generation, as well as in lighting, household appliances and
transportation. The efficient use of energy is a major factor that contributes to the improvement
of in energy consumption that has occurred in the last decades in almost all industrialized
countries. The amount of additional energy required to improve the desired energy services
depends on the efficiency with which the energy is produced, delivered, and used. Energy
efficiency improvement would help reduce financially investment in new energy supply system.
Cell phone is one of the most common means of communication today and through
advancements in technology, also one of the most affordable electronic gadgets that one can
avail. Many systems and devices have been integrated into the cell phone making it a
multipurpose gadget that can process pictures, emails and the like. But as with many electronic
gadgets, cell phones rely on electric current to carry out its many functions and they require to be
charged every so often. More so with android phones which consume battery power much faster
than regular cell phones. In order to address the issue of presenting an alternative method of
powering electronic devices, the researcher opted to develop a Solar Powered Cell Phone
Charging Station. Furthermore, to improve the efficiency of the PV mobile phone charging
station, the height of the charging station should be lowered and a sun tracker can be installed to
the solar panel to automatically direct the panel for maximum energy harnessing.
 CHAPTER 3

DESIGN INPUTS
 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

INPUT
Human ware: PROCESSES

 Electrical Circuits  Creating a

 AC circuits charging station
using a
 DC circuits
photovoltaic
 Power Electronics
energy
 Energy
 Developing a solar
Conversion
powered charging
 Feedback and
station
Control System

Hardware:  Generating power

from solar energy OUTPUT
 Solar Panel
“Design of a Mobile
 Installation of
 Solar Cables
solar energy for Phone Charging Station
 Solar Controllers different places
or charge Utilizing PV Renewable
controller  Designing
feedback and Energy System”
 Rechargeable control system
Batteries
 Converting light
 Renewable Energy
System energy to
electricity using
photovoltaic
Software:
 3D Builder  Utilizing the
 Circuit Wizard stored energy from
 Multisim photovoltaic.

 Producing
electricity for
mobile phones
 TECHINCAL SPECIFICATIONS

Specifications Target Justification/Target

Evaluation
The specifications of the voltage
5V is based on other working
Desired System Output charging stations or it may be
Voltage the constant voltage on how a
mobile charging stations can
work as fast charging ports.
This is based on the maximum
output current of a charger. A
charger is required to have an
Desired System Output ≥ 1.0A output current of more or equal
Current to 2A. This can be verified by
using an electric load with
constant voltage and resistance.
The reliability of this system
should be greater than 85%
which is in accordance to the
IEEE Recommended Practice
Reliability ≥ 85% for the Design of Reliable
Industrial and Commercial
Power Systems. This will be
calculated using Power System
Reliability Analysis.
And based on research charging
stations was reliability was 89–
92%. This will be calculated by
different respondents.

The internal resistance of a

 Battery capacity ≥ 1500mAH chemical battery increases
drastically at low temperature
and flowing large current under
this circumstance often damages
the cell.
Temperature Rise Time ≤ 1 hour The target temperature of the
device will be measured
Temperature Setting Time ≤ 2 hours depending on the room
temperature and by using all the
charging terminals at the same
time.
The system will be stable once it
Steady State Error ≤ 5% reaches the target temperature
and should not increase more
than 5%.

 THE DESIGN

OVERALL DESIGN
 SOLAR PANEL

ROOF W/ REGULATORY
CIRCUIT

CHARGING PORTS

COMPONENTS Outer View of the Solar Powered Mobile Charging Station

DETAILS

PV MODULE 2 pcs., 50W

CHARGE CONTROLLER 12V, 36A

BATTERY 12V, 36Ah

VOLTAGE REGULATORY 5V

VERTICAL POLE 280 cm

 UNIVERSAL CHARGING PORTS 4 pcs., 5V, 1.5A

ROOF 100x100x8 cm2

SUMMARY COMPONENTS OF DESIGN 1

GENERATING ALTERNATIVES
Alternative 1:

COMPONENTS DETAILS

PV MODULE 100W

CHARGE CONTROLLER 12V, 36A

BATTERY 12V, 36Ah

VOLTAGE REGULATORY 5V
 VERTICAL POLES 4 pcs., 280 cm

CHARGING PORTS 4 pcs., 5V, 1.5A

WAITING SHED ROOF 300x100x8 cm2

Alternative 2:

COMPONENTS DETAILS

PV MODULE 100W

CHARGE CONTROLLER 12V, 36A

BATTERY 12V, 36Ah

VOLTAGE REGULATORY 5V

VERTICAL POLES 280 cm

CHARGING PORTS 4 pcs., 5V, 1.5A

SINGLE LINE DIAGRAM

DESIGN CONSTRAINTS

 50 watts solar panel can produce

200 watts / day
Photovoltaic (Monocrystalline solar panels)  25-30 years lifespan
 More efficient than Polycrystalline
solar panels
 Limits the rate at which electric
current is added to or drawn from
electric batteries
 It prevents overcharging and may
Charge Controller protect against overvoltage, which
can reduce battery performance or
lifespan and may pose a
safety risk.
 Efficiency is around 94% to 97%
 240 watts needed to fully charge a
battery
Battery
 9-10 hours charging time
 Lifespan of a 3-5 years
 Stainless steel is stronger than
galvanized steel due to the fact
Vertical Pole (stainless steel) that it contains chromium
 The corrosion resistance is a result
of a very thin (about 5 nanometers)

Overall Schematic Diagram of the Design Project

Bill of Materials for the Overall Design Project

QTY Description Price (PHP)

1 Solar Panel 2000.00

1 DC Circuit Breaker 250.00

1 Charge Controller 4500.00

1 12V 20AH Lead Acid Battery 1800.00

1 Vertical Pole

Universal Charging Cord 285.00

5
(Romoss CB05)

5 Charging port 230.00

1 Roof

TOTAL