• Brainstorm funnels into puddle

    finch • 05/20/2015 at 15:34 • 0 comments

    The energy harvesting device sounded like the most interesting out of the brainstorm I made at the ranch. Probably the most useful one would have been the alert for the horse trough overflowing, considering that multiple times we created a lake in their pasture. Too specific to that individual house though, and I wouldn't necessarily learn anything while making it!

    Initial ideas about what the energy harvesting device will look like:

    It would be useful for it to take the form of a clip, so that it is easy to mount across something with a temperature differential. The piezo element will have to have some specific mechanical configuration as well in order for the device to be mounted such that the vibration or movement is captured. The solar needs the least amount of mechanical consideration, but the connector will need to be something that is useful for easily connecting to solar cells.

    Items to work on:

    -Calculations of how much energy harvested from heat, piezo and solar

    -What type of battery would it be useful to charge and how big

    -Buy off the shelf power circuitry (easier, more practical), or design myself (more educational?)

  • Off-grid working on hack-a-day

    finch • 05/20/2015 at 14:46 • 0 comments

    For a couple weeks in April, I was housesitting for a family that lives in an off-grid house with an overstocked food pantry, many animals and a combo of solar panels and propane tanks. It got me thinking about a variety of tasks that could be improved with just a bit of technology.

    I'm not certain what form the project will take yet, but here are some of my ideas.

    -Energy harvesting device (combine solar, vibration, heat)

    -Intruder alert system

    -Sensor to check when Horse's trough is overflowing (leaving the pump on drains the batteries)

    -Device to alert when batteries are full (and therefore it's time to do some energy intensive tasks such as showering/laundry)

    -Temp sensor to alert when water should no longer be frozen

    -more....