Develop a solar Toy
There are many online tutorials and videos on how to make toys that run on solar energy. Here we review the most common uses of solar energy in toys and how you could make your solar toy.
As solar toys use is predominantly outdoors. Although virtually any toys that use batteries can be adapted to a toy that works with solar energy.
There are two types of solar toys; that move through the energy of the sun, as vehicles of all types, and the energy of the sun provides electricity to perform their functions, like dolls or utensils of any kind.
Solar Vehicle
The former are mainly wheeled vehicles or boats, planes are more complicated, although there is indeed a real level only by solar energy powered airplane that can fly; Solar Impulse, powered by 17,248 solar cells made by US company SunPower and technological advice of the French consultancy firm, Altran, which plans in 2015 to perform a fly around the world!
Returning to the small scale, most engines using toys are DC, to use batteries, which is great for us to apply solar energy, as photovoltaic cells convert solar energy into DC electricity.
In general many e-commerce portals are small components at a good price, as these dc motors. We set ourselves to what voltage work. It is typically a range, for example from 3 to 6 V (volts). To couple our solar panel generator will need to choose a panel having the same characteristics. Just as the voltage is important to know what power do you need the motor to move.
With a small solar panel
Take, for example in a small solar panel: The maximum output voltage of 17.50 V is for example an engine operating in a range of 12-18V serve us. Then we would look potency. Sometimes the engine operation, as to its maximum power, it is indirectly indicated by the maximum current that can receive. In this case the panel provides 800 mA, the motor power should, therefore, be able to admit this intensity.
This would get to have a small solar panel suitable to feed a small DC motor size. We already have our little solar kit motor. From here, chassis, wheels and transmission are freer. The simplest is to use an old toy that serves us as a basis for the new power, and he mounts the solar panel and motor.
Similarly we can proceed to make a boat that moves with solar or to power a toy pinwheel or any motive that comes to mind. We can adapt almost any toy to toy battery-powered by the sun. Just keep in mind to add a switch to stop the sun’s energy when needed, but if we had the toy sun would be up.
If we all, in the end it is shown that, as in other cases, it ourselves can be more expensive than buying it done, but at least we can have the satisfaction of having designed and made us our vehicle, albeit toy.
At any rate, though playful or learning mode, it is certainly interesting to make a solar kit toy small scale, learn more about solar energy!
