A MINI PROJECT ENTITLED

SOLAR MOBILE CHARGER

Submitted to
DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
SAPTHAGIRI COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, BENGALURU-57

In Partial fulfillment for the award of Degree

Bachelor of Engineering
IN
BIOTECHNOLOGY

Submitted By
Student’s Name: USN No:
Mr. Harshith B N 1SG22BT010
Mr. Hitesh K U 1SG22BT013
Mr. M Ajay Kumar 1SG22BT021
Mr. Nagarjuna N V 1SG22BT024

Under the Guidance of

Prof. Ramya D L
Assistant Professor,
Department of Biotechnology

DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
SAPTHAGIRI COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, BENGALURU-57
A UNIT OF SRI SRINIVASA EDUCATIONAL & CHARITABLE TRUS
(Affiliated to Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belagavi & Approved by AICTE, New Delhi)
(Accredited by NAAC with “A” Grade) (Accredited by NBA for ECE, CSE, ISE, ME & EEE)
(An ISO 9001 – 2015 & ISO 14001 – 2015 Certified Institution)
#14/5, Chikkasandra, Hesaraghatta Main Road, Bengaluru– 560 057
KARNATAKA, INDIA
AY: 2022-2023
 SAPTHAGIRI COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, BENGALURU-57
A UNIT OF SRI SRINIVASA EDUCATIONAL & CHARITABLE TRUST
(Affiliated to Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belagavi & Approved by AICTE, New Delhi)
(Accredited by NAAC with “A” Grade) (Accredited by NBA for ECE, CSE, ISE, ME & EEE)
(An ISO 9001 – 2015 & ISO 14001 – 2015 Certified Institution)
#14/5, Chikkasandra, Hesaraghatta Main Road, Bengaluru– 560 057
Web: www.sapthagiri.edu.in, Email: principal@sapthagiri.edu.in, Phone:080-28 372800/1/2 Fax: 080-28 372797
DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Mr. Harshith B N, Mr. Hitesh K U, Mr. M Ajay Kumar, and Mr. Nagarjuna
N V, bearing USN ISG22BT010, ISG22BT013, ISG22BT021, 1SG22BT024 respectively who
are bonafide students of Sapthagiri College of Engineering, Bengaluru -57 has successfully
completed their Mini Project entitled “SOLAR MOBILE CHARGER” under the guidance of
Prof. Ramya D L towards the partial fulfillment for the award of Bachelor of Engineering in
Biotechnology as laid down by Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Belagavi during
the year 2022-2023.

Signature of Guide Signature of Mini Project

Coordinator

Signature of HOD Signature of HOD

Department of Biotechnology Department of Physics
 DECLARATION
We, Mr. Harshith B N, Mr. Hitesh K U, Mr. M Ajay Kumar, and Mr. Nagarjuna N V, hereby

declare that the work entitled “SOLAR MOBILE CHARGER” was carried out by us at the

Department of Biotechnology, Sapthagiri College of Engineering, Bengaluru in partial

fulfillment for the award of Bachelor of Engineering in Biotechnology under the guidance

of Prof. Ramya D L during the year 2022-2023. To the best of our knowledge, the work

reported in this thesis has not been submitted by us elsewhere for the award of a degree

and is not a repetition of work carried out by others.

Name and Signature of the Students:

1. Mr. Harshith B N -

2. Mr. Hitesh K U -

3. Mr. M Ajay Kumar -

4. Mr. Nagarjuna N V -

Date:30-08-2023

Place: Bengaluru
ABSTRACT

Solar Mobile Chargers use solar panels to charge cell phone batteries. They can be used when
no electricity supply is available. Some can also be used as a conventional charger by plugging
into an electrical outlet. Some chargers have an internal rechargeable battery which is charged
in sunlight and then used to charge a phone while others charge the phone directly . It can be
used in various applications and has a lot of features. Relatively small in size and can be used
anywhere (portability). Requires no electrical start-up power. Higher efficiency than
photovoltaic systems of the same size. Due to the increased demand for renewable energy
sources, the manufacturing of solar cells and photovoltaic arrays has advanced considerably in
recent years. Solar photovoltaics is a sustainable energy source. By the end of 2011, a total of
71.1 GW had been installed, sufficient to generate 85twh/year. And by the end of 2012, the 100
GW installed capacity milestone was achieved. Solar photovoltaics is now, after hydro and
wind power, the third most important renewable energy source in terms of globally installed
capacity. More than 100 countries use solar PV. Installations may be ground-mounted (and
sometimes integrated with farming and gazing) or built into the roof of a building (either
building-integrated photovoltaics or simply rooftop).

KEYWORDS

Renewable Energy, Rechargeable Battery.

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Though only our name appears on the cover of this dissertation, many people have contributed
towards the completion of work.

Firstly, we immensely thank Prof. Ramya D L, our guide who gave us the freedom to explore
on our own and at the same time the guidance to recover when our steps faltered. Her patience
and support helped us overcome many crisis situations and finish this dissertation. We have been
amazingly fortunate to have an advisor Dr. Suneetha Nagaradona, Assistant Professor,
Department of Physics. We could not have imagined having a better advisor and mentor for our
study. Besides our guide, we would like to extend our deepest gratitude to Dr. Veena S More,
Head of the Department of Biotechnology for the extensive support and to all the Department
faculty members for their insightful comments and encouragement.

We take this opportunity to thank our principal Dr. Ramakrishna H for providing us with all
the necessary facilities for the research. We place on record, our sincere thanks to Sri Dayanand
G, Chairman, and Sri Manoj G.D, Managing Director, Sapthagiri College of Engineering,
Bengaluru for providing us with excellent facilities in the college.

We also place on record, our sense of gratitude to Non-teaching staff, one and all, who directly
or indirectly, have let their hand in this venture.

We are grateful to our Parents whose blessings and wishes have gone a long way in the
completion of this arduous task.

Our special thanks to all our friends, without their prompt support our efforts would have been in
vain.

Mr. Harshith B N
Mr. Hitesh K U
Mr. M Ajay Kumar
Mr. Nagarjuna N V
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

SL.NO TITLE PAGE NO.

1 INTRODUCTION 1

2 OBJECTIVES 2

3 MATERIALS REQUIRED 3

4 PRINCIPLE 4

CONSTRUCTION AND
5 WORKING 4-6

APPLICATIONS OF
6 SOLAR CHARGER 7

7 REFERENCES
1. INTRODUCTION

The sun is a star made up of hydrogen and helium gas and it radiates an enormous amount of
energy every second. A photovoltaic cell is an electrical device that converts the energy of light
directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect. A solar cell which forms a primary part of the
solar mobile charger works on the principle of the photovoltaic effect. It is made of packets of
energy called “Photons”. Photovoltaics is the field of technology and research related to the
practical application of photovoltaic cells in producing electricity from light, though it is often
used specifically to refer to the generation of electricity from sunlight. Cells can be described as
photovoltaic even when the light source is not necessarily sunlight (lamplight, artificial light,
etc.) Given the current energy crisis, the need of more sustainable energy is required which is
provided by solar energy.

The operation of a photovoltaic (PV) cell requires 3 basic attributes: The absorption of light,
generating either electron-hole pairs or excitons. The separation of charge carriers of opposite
types. The separate extraction of those carriers to an external circuit. In contrast, a solar thermal
collector collects heat by absorbing sunlight, for the purpose of either direct heating or indirect
electrical power generation. "Photo electrolytic cell" (photoelectrochemical cell), on the other
hand, refers to either a type of photovoltaic cell (like that developed by A.E. Becquerel and
modern dye-sensitized solar cells or a device that splits water directly into hydrogen and oxygen
using only solar illumination.
 Pg 1

2. OBJECTIVES

 To study the basic operation of a solar mobile charger.

 To know the advantages and limitations of it in day-to-day life.
 To know the future scope of the solar mobile charger.
 Maximizing the use of it in day-to-day life.
 To compensate for the growing energy consumption and increase efficiency.
 Pg 2

3. MATERIALS REQUIRED
The following components are required to make a Solar Charger Battery Circuit
 Integrated Circuit (LM317T)
 Diode (IN4001)
 Solar Panel (18 Volt)
 Transistor (BC548)
 SLA Battery (12V)
 Pot (1K)
 Resistor (100,120,470,0.5 ohm)
 Capacitor (0.22 micro F)
 Pg 3

4. PRINCIPLE
It works on the principle that when light falls on the solar cell, electron-hole pairs are created in
the n-type emitter and in the p-type base. The generated electrons (from the base) and holes
(from the emitter) then diffuse to the junction and are swept away by the electric field, thus
producing current. Certain modules are selected and worked out to suitable specifications. The
development of solar chargers goes from the fundamental level like soldering lamination and
making the panel etc. The developed charger is planned for 6 Volts with a capacity in bright
sunlight and steps down to 5 Volts using the regulator.

5. CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING

5.1 Construction
The solar-based battery charger works on the rule that the charge control circuit will create
a constant voltage. The charging current goes to the LM317T voltage regulator through the diode
D1. The yield voltage and current controls by adjusting the adjusted pin of the LM317T voltage
controller. The battery during the charging state utilizes the same current.

The schematic shown here is a very efficient automatic solar-power-based battery charger
circuit. Which utilizes to charge 12V SLA batteries from solar-based cells. The circuit utilizes an
LM317T voltage controller IC. The BC548 transistor fills in as a switch that will separate the
ground of the LM317T from the solar-powered cell when the battery becomes fully charged.
 Pg 4

Fig 1: Circuit Diagram of Solar Mobile Charger

5.2 Working
The working principle of a solar mobile charger involves the utilization of solar panels to
capture sunlight and convert it into electrical energy. These solar panels are composed of
multiple solar cells that absorb sunlight and generate electricity Photons in sunlight hit the
solar panel and are absorbed by semiconducting material, wick as silicon. Electrons
(negatively charged) are knocked loose from their atoms, allowing them to flow through the
material to produce electricity. Due to the special composition of solar cells, the electrons are
only allowed to move in a single direction. An array of solar cells converts solar energy into
a usable amount of direct current (DC)electricity. The generated electricity is then used to
charge solar batteries,
which serve as energy storage devices. In some cases, solar chargers may also include an
onboard battery pack that can store surplus electricity for later use. The voltage regulator
ensures that the final output voltage does not exceed 5V. Thus a constant voltage is supplied
and the mobile gets charged.

Pg 5
The stored solar energy can be directly used to charge various handheld devices like phones
and small electronic devices. For devices that require DC electricity, a charge inverter may
be necessary to convert the electricity from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC).
Consumer solar battery chargers typically have smaller-sized and lower-power output solar
panels compared to larger solar power systems. They effectively maintain battery charge and
can even replace the self-discharge of unused batteries. The charging time of a phone using a
solar phone charger depends on two main factors: Intensity of sunlight and Capacity of the
solar cell phone charger.
 Fig 2: Solar Mobile Charger Setup

Pg 6

6. APPLICATIONS OF SOLAR CHARGER

 The solar-oriented charger circuit is utilized to charge Lead Acid or Ni-Cd batteries
utilizing the solar-based vitality power.
 The circuit harvests solar-oriented vitality to charge a 6volt 4.5 Ah rechargeable battery
for different applications. The charger has a voltage and current regulator and over-
voltage cut-off facilities.
 Higher efficiency than photovoltaic (PV) systems of the same scale.
 Ability to recharge AA batteries anytime and anywhere in sunlight.
 Low maintenance, emission-free, and environmentally friendly power source.
 Fig 3: Teammates involved in completing the Mini-project successfully

Pg 7

7. REFERENCES

 www.solarbuzz.com/going-solar.
 www.solarserver.com/knowledge.
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/solar_cell
 https://www.circuits-diy.com/12-volt-solar-battery-charger-circuit/
 https://energytheory.com/what-is-the-working-of-solar-mobile-charger/