Author Topic: Energy Challenge (Read 3585 times)

HDL_CinC_Dragon · « **on:** May 03, 2008, 01:43:57 PM »

I think we should have a little competition here at SoR for members to try and make there own forms of harnessing and storing renewable energy. Such as making a "filling station" for their robot to jack into without that filling station ever having to interact with the grid at all. Be it solar panels hooked up to boost caps, or harnessing Hydrogen from the moisture in the air for an H2 powered engine. I think this would be a very fun and extremely interesting project. And then the winner (or maybe even top 3 winners if we have enough participants?) gets to write a big tutorial on how to make their own!

The idea just kind of popped into my head as I was playing around with relays and such on my breadboard. Anyone have any thoughts on the idea?

benji · « **Reply #1 on:** May 03, 2008, 04:21:52 PM »

have to say GREAT IDEA
but this kind of stuff,, somthing that stores energy and then provide it to a system is not very much robotics
you need an elecric engineer for that
i did take a class about photovoltaics and the thing aint easy to do to store much energy

what u talk about is a big well studied system, hope someone's got time for that

Private Reid · « **Reply #2 on:** May 03, 2008, 08:22:22 PM »

nice...

I might look into how to create something of the sort...

HDL_CinC_Dragon · « **Reply #3 on:** May 03, 2008, 11:17:31 PM »

Quote from: benji on May 03, 2008, 04:21:52 PM

but this kind of stuff,, somthing that stores energy and then provide it to a system is not very much robotics

Course it is, that way the robots dont need to rely on humans anymore to get a recharge and the robot uprising can finally enter its last phase

But seriously, I think it pertains pretty well to robotics. Its the part where the robot is self reliant to get its own "food"

benji · « **Reply #4 on:** May 04, 2008, 04:09:04 AM »

yea you have a point, i just meant that in the phase of making it the studies you should do is all about how to store energy
how to make it safe, ....etc
no algorithms,, no programing ,,,,,etc

but anyways this food station can be inteligent by itself, somthing like having a system that watches the area around and tell robots in that area
that this station is near and its fully charged so they can use it,,,

the thing is very hard as you should well-study how to store energy,,this kind of stuff is a phd thesis on its own

HDL_CinC_Dragon · « **Reply #5 on:** May 04, 2008, 01:32:24 PM »

Yeah thats a good point... but who says having some letters on some paper has anything to do with your abilities?

I see where your coming from though. But also like you said, the station itself could be its own kind of robot in the fact that it advertises to any robots in the area that know how to listen for it that its ready for use when its needed. Who knows, maybe it doesnt even have to be a sponsored event for us, maybe we can just shoot the idea out there and see whos gears get turning on it

benji · « **Reply #6 on:** May 04, 2008, 03:41:40 PM »

well to me..im not very expiereinced in working with high voltages or high energies
it would be nice to learn such stuff as its always nice to gain experience
,,if you guys wanna do a study together then im in, its such a perfect idea
maybe i can improve it on the intelligence part
or why dont we take it as the (a sor project for all)
check the topic in the misc forum

paulstreats · « **Reply #7 on:** May 04, 2008, 05:28:43 PM »

It doesnt have to be high voltage at all. Unless your robot runs on high voltage and then youve got no choice but to work with it

airman00 · « **Reply #8 on:** May 04, 2008, 07:46:22 PM »

dude someone arrange this contest over here at SoR!!!!

anyone have some extra time to arrange it and arrange for sponsorships from companies???

We would all appreciate it a ton

benji · « **Reply #9 on:** May 05, 2008, 09:23:29 AM »

I see here in SoR many people wanna work their brain off but no one has the time to lead the work or direct it,,

Private Reid · « **Reply #10 on:** May 06, 2008, 03:02:13 AM »

LOL

So true...

Asellith · « **Reply #11 on:** May 08, 2008, 10:08:22 AM »

Ok so I had this really funny thought about this project/contest. I was thinking what good is a filling station if you have to give everything out for free. So the "cost" of filling at the station would be the robots current maps and sensor data. Then the filling station could compile accurate maps of the areas around it by averaging all the inputed data and then sharing that with the robots that fill there could be a neat way to simulate an entirely robotic community.

Hmm we should do this at Gas stations with everyones GPS units so we can better map the roads.

airman00 · « **Reply #12 on:** May 08, 2008, 12:02:47 PM »

Quote from: Asellith on May 08, 2008, 10:08:22 AM

Ok so I had this really funny thought about this project/contest. I was thinking what good is a filling station if you have to give everything out for free. So the "cost" of filling at the station would be the robots current maps and sensor data. Then the filling station could compile accurate maps of the areas around it by averaging all the inputed data and then sharing that with the robots that fill there could be a neat way to simulate an entirely robotic community.

Hmm we should do this at Gas stations with everyones GPS units so we can better map the roads.
[/quote

lol

you've never heard of hackers before, have you? jk

HDL_CinC_Dragon · « **Reply #13 on:** May 08, 2008, 05:27:23 PM »

@Asellith
hahaha thats a great idea IMO

ed1380 · « **Reply #14 on:** May 08, 2008, 06:36:09 PM »

can i make a flux capacitor?

HDL_CinC_Dragon · « **Reply #15 on:** May 08, 2008, 06:45:59 PM »

aww I was gunna make that... but fine. I guess I can let you have that one. Im going to make a perpetual motion generator.

benji · « **Reply #16 on:** May 09, 2008, 03:35:46 AM »

maybe we can use on of those

http://www.globalsources.com/gsol/I/Supercapacitor/p/sm/1003177966.htm

maaan thats a 4.7 FARAD capacitance,,can you believe it !!!!!!

AndrewM · « **Reply #17 on:** May 09, 2008, 07:49:42 AM »

Quote from: benji on May 09, 2008, 03:35:46 AM

maybe we can use on of those

http://www.globalsources.com/gsol/I/Supercapacitor/p/sm/1003177966.htm

maaan thats a 4.7 FARAD capacitance,,can you believe it !!!!!!

Why wouldn't you just use a few large batteries around the 14.4 V range (higher voltage than "most" robot batteries) that you can charge the robots off, and the batteries in turn can be charged off solar or ground plates (not sure on the technical term) or whatever.

HDL_CinC_Dragon · « **Reply #18 on:** May 09, 2008, 01:27:26 PM »

Quote from: AndrewM on May 09, 2008, 07:49:42 AM

Quote from: benji on May 09, 2008, 03:35:46 AM
maybe we can use on of those

http://www.globalsources.com/gsol/I/Supercapacitor/p/sm/1003177966.htm

maaan thats a 4.7 FARAD capacitance,,can you believe it !!!!!!

Why wouldn't you just use a few large batteries around the 14.4 V range (higher voltage than "most" robot batteries) that you can charge the robots off, and the batteries in turn can be charged off solar or ground plates (not sure on the technical term) or whatever.

I think it might actually be cheaper to buy high capacitance capacitors... I was just on Digikey looking at a bunch of caps at like 10F. but they were only rated for like 2.7 volts. They have filter options for caps up to 5000F but it looks like they were out of those. They would prolly be like a grand anyway

But yeah. I have to order something from digikey soon anyway so im probably going to get a capacitor with as high capacitance as I can get for under like 10 bucks

well see how it goes

paulstreats · « **Reply #19 on:** May 09, 2008, 02:34:58 PM »

remember to check its leakage ratings or you might be wasting youre time

benji · « **Reply #20 on:** May 09, 2008, 03:28:51 PM »

yea the problem with those is that it doesnt tolerate more than 2.5 volts , so not much charge to store

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Author Topic: Energy Challenge (Read 3585 times)

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