Lego Robot#5
The fifth and sadly the last robot experiment we had, was very interesting. I am an electrical engineering student that wants to specialize in the power filed. Knowing that our last experiment using the Lego robot was about solar panels. Moreover, this lab explains how can the population produce power by using the sun and especially without harming the environment.
Equipment:
– one solar cell
– one voltage probe
– one NXT adaptor
– NXT with light sensor
– One light sourse
– Labview VI solarlab1.vi
– Ruler
– Colored film filters
– Excel sheet
Procedure:
After the instructor reviewed to the class what this labs assignment is, which is calculating the output voltage from a single solar cell, so that the students will be able to understand how to use the equipment to measure the voltage output of the solar cell and the light intensity output of the light sensor of the NXT.
After m partner and I have understood how the VI works, we erfomed several experiments to try to gain an understanding of the relationship btween the light intensity and the voltage output of the solar cell, my partner and I have also understood the relationship between the wavelength of the light and the voltage output of the solar cell.
While we were taking our measurements we had to vary the distance between the solar cell and the light source; to actually comprehend the different of the voltage output.
Data:
| Distance, cm | AVE Voltage | |
| no color |
1.1 |
0.531868 |
| no color |
6 |
0.476699 |
| no color |
11.3 |
0.317607 |
| no color |
16.3 |
0.353531 |
| no color |
28.3 |
0.148251 |
| Red |
2.1 |
0.2804 |
| Red |
8.9 |
0.250891 |
| Red |
14.3 |
0.188024 |
| Red |
22.1 |
0.118742 |
| Red |
27.9 |
0.103626 |
| Orange |
2.5 |
0.37459 |
| Orange |
8.6 |
0.26115 |
| Orange |
17 |
0.205986 |
| Orange |
21 |
0.195722 |
| Orange |
25.4 |
0.184175 |
| Orange |
30.2 |
0.085384 |
| Blue |
4.5 |
0.316324 |
| Blue |
11.5 |
0.277834 |
| Blue |
17.2 |
0.234212 |
| Blue |
23.1 |
0.178432 |
| Blue |
25.6 |
0.1569572 |
| Blue |
33.2 |
0.096584 |
| Purpul |
3.2 |
0.4765892 |
| Purpul |
11.5 |
0.3748595 |
| Purpul |
17.3 |
0.2469854 |
| Purpul |
25.3 |
0.123694 |
| Purpul |
33.6 |
0.0872546 |
| Nothing |
0 |
0.161081 |
| no light |
0 |
0.022517 |
Figure 1
As you can see in figure 1 in the first row it shows you the different filters that was used to do the experiment, knowing that their was a part of this experiment that did not use flitters not light source. In figure 1, you can actually see on the last test that my partner and I have not used the light source to we can see if there is any voltage being produced from the solar cell, but as you can see it was a very low voltage output and it maybe from the light of the classroom. This table shows us that adding filters to the solar cell can affect the output voltage, but with out using any filters you can produce a large voltage from it.
Figure 2
In figure 2 you can see the relationship of the light source with the filter. From the graph it is obvious to see that with out any filters the output voltage is higher than with filters.
Conclusion:
It was a fun lab overall, it took a lot of time for my partner and I to complete it with all the filters that was required be used five time, but by the end of the class we did. I have learned a lot in this lab experiment, in which how the solar panel works and how much output is being produced from it