Project Update

Since last meeting on September 30th, 2015, as part of the small scale solar team, my team and I have been trying to find solutions of powering the small scale model. We had meetings with the other small scale teams to try to find ways around the problem last year's group had. Working with other groups, the plan is to have 10 model sized bogies running and around 4 stations. Each bogie is estimated to run at least 2 to 3 amps, so in total of a maximum amps of 30 amps might be needed for the track. For each station we were planning to implementing a dual axis solar tracker but until the track is fully finalized, the plan is to only power one station and one segment of the track.  

 From the research done before, we know that the single axis small solar tracker would not work. The solar panel itself is too small and will not harvest enough energy to power one modeled size bogie. The whole small scale team thought it would be fine to have a solar farm providing at least 22 amps and the rest through batteries. The idea of solar farm was brought up because since this is small scale model, installing solar panels onto model stations will not be able to collect enough energy. This can only be implemented on the intermediate or the full scale stations. A dual axis may also be implemented on the bogie too, but my team has not discussed this problem with the other part of the solar team yet.