Stepper motor controlled automated light sensing photo voltaic window blinds

Project Title

Stepper motor controlled automated light sensing photo voltaic window blinds

Project Area of Specialization Shared EconomyProject Summary

Window blinds block the harsh sun from entering a room. Solar panels harness the sun rays to generate energy. This project will develop a new product in which two functions are cleverly combined into solar-window blinds that reduce energy bills efficiently. In order to enhance more light on the panel some very thin foil automated Al reflector will be attached on both sides of the window blind.

The angle and positioning of the blinds is controlled by Arduino controlled LDR based stepper motor with an additional option of controlling the positions of blinds by using an IR remote. There’s a setting for the blinds to automatically optimize their angle according to the sun elevation.

The process will start from LDR which detect the position of light and give input to Arduino. Arduino will programed to control the movement of Stepper Motor which is mechanically attach to solar blinds. With the help of this movement more sun light will fall on solar blinds.

These solar blinds produce DC voltage. We will use Batteries to store  DC voltage by using Charge Controller which give continuous voltage to batteries. After that we will convert DC to AC using an inverter to serve AC loads and DC loads will be directly connected with batteries.

Project Objectives

• Electricity generation from window blinds using automatic modified design.
• Provides an opportunity to the consumers living in a multi-story apartment to generate electricity for their homes even  without having a proper place to install a PV system.
• Automated control of blinds in order to harness more and more power from the sunlight with an additional remote control.
• The purpose of this project is to properly align the blinds setup to automate in such a way that it controls the intensity of light to inlet in the room according to time and elevation of sun.
• The harvested electrical energy is stored in batteries to serve DC loads in a safe manner using current controller and then its conversion into AC to serve AC loads.
• Overall emphasis of this project is to design a user friendly window blinds controlling project for people living in multistory buildings with lack of space and struggle.

Project Implementation Method

Designing Analysis

First thing is first that we need to purchase all the components required in our project but before that we’ll do designing analysis which includes the current and voltage rating calculations and the dimensional calculations for window blinds would also be need to take care of.

Solar Blind

The second we’ll go for is the mechanical assembly of solar strips in such a way that their movement can be controllable by stepper motor and the electrical connections of strips in series or parallel to get desired output.

Simulations

Then we’ll move forward to simulation step on proteous where we’ll simulate the control circuit of stepper motor and the other two circuits for IR sensor and CDS sensor.

PCB Designing

After simulations of above three circuits we’ll make a PCB layout as a unit circuit.

Microcontroller Programming

At the final stages we’ll program the microcontroller to control the microcontroller in two ways by the input from IR sensor and CDS sensor.

Energy Storing

Last thing to take care is the output we’ll get from solar module. Battery bank is used to store it through charge controller and its conversion into AC.

Testing & Optimization

After everything testing and optimization is the most challenging thing for a project.

Benefits of the Project

• Gives the benifit to stop sunlight from coming into the room at the same time harness this energy into electrical energy.
• Environmental friendly source of energy without any noise or biproduct as a loss in the system.
• Nicely impelemented modified automated designed window blinds with remote controlling capabilty.
• A special option for people living in multistory buildings to use solar energy without having a reserved space for solar panel implementations.
• An efficient and safe storing capability of electrical energy for night time or emergency usage.
• Gives the direct opportunity to use DC loads on power storing batteries with decremented losses of conversion into AC and then into DC.
• Gives an great opportunity to support energy crisis of a country like Pakistan to some extent.
• As locally available product in the market it would be a game changing consideration for local customers to fight load-shedding.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

1 Sensor Data Processing System

This project is fully implemented using the Arduino Uno microcontroller and provide easy integration for many components. The Arduino Duemilanove microcontroller is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software, used to process incoming sensor data.

SPECIFICATIONS
Microcontroller	Atmega168
Operating Voltage	5V
Input Voltage(recomanded)	7-12V
Input Voltage (limit)	6-20V
Digital  I/O pins	14 pins(6 pin provide PWM output)
Analog input pins	6
DC current per I/O pins	40mA
DC current for 3.3V pins	50mA
Flash memory	16KB(2KB used by boot loader)
SRAM	1KB

2 Power supply

Minimization of power consumption is necessary since the Smart Window system did not require high operational power supply. Therefore, various sleep modes 'll not be utilized. The rechargeable batteries used in powering of the Smart window system included 12V as listed.

Voltage requirement	12 Volts
Full Charging time	3 hour
mA Hour rating	230mAh
Chargeable Quantity	~ 1000 times
Memory Effect	No memory effect

3 Motorized and Manual Adjustments

The majority of the mechanical design in this project is concerned with attaching the stepper motor to the shaft that controls tilt and the brush motor to the strings that control the telescoping motion.   The stepper motor  being attached directly to the rotating shaft that opens and closes the blinds.  Two ideas for connection were considered: a belt and a rigid connection.  Connection by a belt would be the easiest to build, but there are concerns about slipping, especially with a device as precise as a stepper motor that moves in small increments.  Therefore, it is decided that a rigid connection would have to be manufactured.

A 5V stepper motor planned to be used to control the physical movements of the ABW system. Specifications for the used stepper motor are described as follow:

• Manufactured by Mitsumi
• Operates on 12VDC
• 2 phase bi-polar / quadrate motor
• 7.5 degree step angle
• Motor includes a printed copy of a simple driver circuit schematic
• Knurled shaft dimensions: .3" L x .06" Diameter
• Motor dimensions (not including shaft): .8" Dia. x .68" H
• 4 lead connection (2 leads connected together) terminated with a 4 pin female plug
• 2 3/4" long leads.

  4 The Microcontroller

  The information processing of the Auto Blind Window system is handled by a small, open-source Arduino Duemilanove microcontroller. This Arduino board serves as the main controller for the smart window system. The microcontroller is programmable in C/C++ and has the capability to import/export data to Matlab. The microcontroller is enclosed in a transparent plastic enclosure.

                 SPECIFICATIONS

        Microcontroller

        Operating Voltage

        Input Voltage(recomanded)

        Input Voltage (limit)

      Digital  I/O pins

      Analog input pins

      DC current per I/O pins

      DC current for 3.3V pins

      Flash memory

      SRAM

Voltage requirement

Full Charging time

mA Hour rating

Chargeable Quantity

Memory Effect

Final Deliverable of the Project Hardware SystemType of Industry Energy Technologies Shared EconomySustainable Development Goals Affordable and Clean Energy, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate ActionRequired Resources

Voltage requirement	12 Volts
Full Charging time	3 hour
mA Hour rating	230mAh
Chargeable Quantity	~ 1000 times
Memory Effect	No memory effect