DEM Project: Kenyan Solar Solution

Created by: Brian Brosnan, Jason Ochs, Tomas Quinteros Amat,

Rachel Wiggins

Mission Statement

To provide the poverty-stricken rural population of

Kenya with an affordable means of charging personal

electronics to a full charge through renewable

resources and without the need for significant travel.

Background:

Target: Rural Nakuru, Central Kenya

Secondary Market: larger scale, urban areas

82% of Kenyans use cell phones

Climate: arid, drought-stricken

Monsoon winds/storms in some parts of country

Rural Poverty: $0.68/Day

Design: adjustable, affordable, solar powered

Goal: fixed yet durable and adaptable product for individual use

Decision Matrix

Prototype 1

***Following final concept selection****

Design for the case, not the mount

Tests: Water Resistance

Debris

Stress

Drop Sensitivity

Weight

Smash

Prototype 1 Test Results:

Water Resistance Test: waterproof except for one corner

Debris Test: mud, dirt, and food residue rinse right off

Stress Test: strongest vertically and diagonally with compression

Drop Test: no damage until drop from 6ft

Weight Test: acrylic can survive compression of 110+ pounds

Smash Test: acrylic cannot withstand impact and shatters

Water Resistance Test

When the case was under running water, water entered through one corner in drops

When submerged, bubbles were seen in the same corner

Debris Test

DebrisAmount of

DebrisVisual

ObservationsHard to Clean?

Scale (1-5)

Dirt Cover Acryliccleans off completely

very easy, run under

water5

Mud Cover Acryliccleans off completely

very easy, run under

water5

Coffee Grounds

Cover AcrylicCleans off completely

very easy, run under

water5

Stress Test

Position of

Product

# Turns of Crank

Visual ObservationsScale(1-5)

Horizontal1 ¼ wood starts to break apart on

edge, cracking sound3

Vertical 3Glass separating, little bending, hard to turn,

warping, cracking sound4

Diagonal2 ¾

Warped Acrylic, warped corners, acrylic and wood frame separates on side

2

Drop Test

Height (ft) Visual Observations Scale (1-5)

1 No damage seen 5

2 No damage seen 5

3 No damage seen 5

4Small Chip breaks off

from the bottom4

5 No damage seen 5

6Acrylic breaks apart

from 3 out of the 4 sides2

After 6 foot drop

Weight Test

Weight (lbs) Visual Observations Scale (1-5)

25 No changes/ damages 5

50 No changes/ damages 5

75 Starts to depress, dips, no damages 4

100 Dips/ depresses, no damage 3

105.3 Dips/ depresses, no damages 3

110.1 Dips/ depresses, no damages 3105.3 lbs

Smash Test

After one hit with a hammer

Improvements for Prototype 2

Adjustment for new solar panel

Angled Mount

Polycarbonate Covering (25x+ stronger)

Waterproofing

Stronger bond for clear cover

Prototype 2

Wooden blocks for optimal angles

Affixed to roof

5V 240mAh Panel

Circuitry: panel, rectifier, USB port, and voltage regulator

Screwed-on polycarbonate

Prototype 2 Testing

Pending parts arrival and assembly

Prototype 3

Plastic material

Versatility to connect to other power sources

Rubber waterproofing

How Design Will Benefit the Customer

Frugal - Stays w/in the $10 budget

Estimated Cost Breakdown: $9.92

Rectifier Diodes: 4x $0.50

Voltage Regulator: $0.58

USB Port: $0.72

Solar Panel (5V, 240 mA, 1.2W, 110x 69 mm) : $2.52

Polycarbonate sheet: $4.10

Building supplies: FREE

Simple installation, simple maintenance

Easy to shift for optimal power

Weather tested for tropical climate

Small Size, Worked into daily lives of consumer

Based on Samsung b310 Piton, a phone available in Kenya, would charge in ~4 hours of direct sunlight

QUESTIONS

References"Kenya." Weather & Climate (+ Climate Chart). Safari Bookings, n.d. Web. 09 Sept. 2015."Population Density Map of Kenya." By BestCountryReports.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Sept. 2015.Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency, n.d. Web. 09 Sept. 2015."Climate & Agriculture." Our Africa. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2015."East Africa Living Encyclopedia." East Africa Living Encyclopedia. Web. 14 Sept. 2015.Hanson, Stephanie. "Understanding Kenya’s Politics." Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, 25 Jan. 2008. Web. 15 Sept. 2015."Kenya: Unequal Access to the School System | Education for All | DW.COM | 03.05.2012." DW.COM. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2015."Healthcare in Kenya." Healthcare in Kenya. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2015."Food Security Report (Prepared by Kenya Agricultural Research Institute | Food Security Portal." Food Security Report (Prepared by Kenya Agricultural Research Institute | Food Security Portal. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2015."Water In Crisis - Spotlight Kenya." The Water Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.Central Bank of Kenya - www.centralbank.go.ke Denmark in Kenya - About Kenya - Economy - https://kenya.um.dk/en/about-kenya-new/economy-new/ Index Mundi - Kenya - http://www.indexmundi.com/minerals/?country=ke The World Bank - http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/kenya/overview Trading Economics - Kenyan Shilling - www.tradingeconomics.com/kenya/currency Poverty in Kenya: The Impact of Unemployment, Child Labor, & HIV - http://www.poverties.org/poverty-in-kenya.htmlsolarelectricityhandbook.com/solar-angle-calculato.htmlSchwartz, Drew. “Polycarbonate (Lexan) vs. Acrylic (Lucite).” 25 Sept. 2015 - http://www.coloradoplastics.com/blog-0/bid/42625/Polycarbonate-Lexan-vs-Acrylic-Lucite

b

Reference continued:

Researched Products:

http://www.amazon.com/ReStore-Portable-Charging-Rubberized-Exterior/dp/B00E5NK3B4http://www.amazon.com/smartmo-Portable-Capacity-Electric-Intelligent/dp/B00TDEG13E/ref=sr_1_89?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1442382227&sr=1-89http://www.amazon.com/Sunnytech%C2%AE-109ma-Solar-Module-Charger/dp/B00MAYVHHO/ref=sr_1_8?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1442382171&sr=1-8 http://www.microsoft.com/en/mobile/phone/105/specifications/http://www.aliexpress.com/item/5V-240mA-1-2W-Solar-Panel-Module-DIY-for-Cell-Charger-Toy-69410/32324831127.html http://www.newark.com/exar/sp7805v-l/ldo-voltage-regulator-1a-5v/dp/24R1322 http://www.newark.com/fairchild-semiconductor/1n4001/diode-standard-1a-50v-do-41/dp/18C8911 http://www.newark.com/te-connectivity/1734366-1/usb-2-0-type-a-plug-th/dp/18M6973 http://www.homedepot.com/p/LEXAN-10-in-x-8-in-Polycarbonate-Sheet-31-GE-XL-1/202090134http://www.instructables.com/id/Survival-USB-Charger-Use-any-power-source-to-charg/?ALLSTEPShttp://www.instructables.com/id/Self-Correcting-Polarity-Protection/http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/semiconductors/chpt-3/rectifier-circuits/https://www.jumia.co.ke/samsung-b310-piton-blue-79156.html