How to Make a Solar Powered Motor
- 1). Obtain a DC motor. Using a motor that is powered by DC battery power is the easiest way to power your engine with solar energy. Choose a motor that is large enough to perform the job that you need it to do. You can then scale all other components around, supplying adequate power to an engine of that size.
- 2). Determine how much battery power will be required to operate your DC motor. Buy enough Deep Cycle batteries to supply the power your need. It is recommended that you purchase additional batteries to store any excess energy produced by your solar panels. Store your batteries on either an enclosed battery rack or in a safe, dry area inside your home.
- 3). Purchase the Photovoltaic Solar Panel that is required to charge all of your batteries. Solar panels absorb the sun's rays and convert the energy to DC electric power. You can never produce too much electricity, because once your batteries are all completely charged, any surplus electricity you create will be fed back to the electric company and will result in a payment being sent to you.
- 4). Connect your solar panel to your battery. Connect the negative cable first. This is a straightforward process of running a battery cable from the negative terminal on the solar panel to the negative terminal on your batter. To connect the positive cable, you will run a cable from the positive terminal on the solar panel to a diode, then run a cable from the diode to a resistor, and finally another cable from the resistor to the positive terminal on the battery. The resistor prevents electricity from flowing into the batteries too fast, while the diode prevents surplus electricity from flowing back into the solar panel.
- 5). Connect your motor to the battery. Since you are using a DC motor, it should be equipped with battery cables to connect to the positive and negative terminals on the battery. Connect the black cable to the negative battery terminal and hook the red cable up to the positive post. Your circuit is now complete. Your solar panels will charge the batteries, which will provide power to your motor.
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