Design, Construction and Testing of a Solar Charged Multi-USB Power Bank Using Lithium-ion Batteries

Abstract

This work proposes the design of a solar-powered charger for low-power devices. The level of the charging current is controllable and any residue power is saved to a rechargeable 12-volt lithium-ion battery. The power source is the solar panel, which is connected to a power booster for faster charging of any USB device connected to it. Quick charging is 20% of the battery output current (almost 10,000 mA/h) so that the current is limited to 2000 mA. Normal charging is 10% of the cellular battery output current (almost 1,000 mA/h), so that the charging current is limited to 500 mA. The design uses only a few components, making the cost system minimal and highly portable. It was simulated on MultiSim Ver. 11 before being implemented practically to validate it. The results from the simulation and the experiment show the design’s sufficient feasibility for practical implementation.

  Keywords: Renewable energy, Solar power, Solar panel, Lithium-ion battery, USB charger

Cite this Article

Onah CI, Mbamara US, Ebegbulem MM. Design, Construction and Testing of a Solar Charged Multi-USB Power Bank Using Lithium-Ion Batteries. Journal of Instrumentation Technology and Innovations. 2016; 6(1): 61–76p.