Business Plan and Design Proposal:

12 Volt Universal Battery Charger

Group 3 Final Report December 17, 2003

Michael Eskowitz ECE Box # 99 Eric Hall ECE Box # 133 Chris Hamman ECE Box # 135

Table of Contents
Executive Summary Section 1: Introduction 1.1 Problem Statement 1.2 Planned Approach Section 2: Product Specifications 2.1 Market Research 2.2 Customer/ Product Requirements 2.3 Product Specifications Section 3: Product Plan 3.1 Development Schedule 3.2 Budget Section 4: Design Approach 4.1 Design Options 4.1.1 Signal Conditioner 4.1.2 Charge Monitor 4.1.3 Charge Status Display 4.2 Value Analysis 4.2.1 Power Supply 4.2.2 Charge Monitor 4.2.3 Charge Status Display 4.3 Competitive Value Analysis 4.3.1 Solar Chargers 4.3.2 AC Chargers 4.2.3 Pedal Chargers 4.4 Module Definitions 1 2 2 3 4 4 8 9 11 11 13 14 14 15 15 16 17 17 18 20 21 22 24 26 27

4.5 Manufacturability 4.6 Cost Analysis 4.7 Hazard Analysis 4.8 Legal Considerations Section 5: Product Results 5.1 Product Functionality 5.2 Product Form 5.3 Expected ROI Section 6: Recommendations Appendix A: Circuit Diagram Appendix B: Assistance and Contact Info Appendix C: LM 555 Equation Derivations

34 35 37 38 39 39 39 40 42 44 45 46

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Table of Figures

Figure 1: Map of Mali Figure 2: Solar Panel Charger Figure 3: AC-Charger Figure 4: System Block Diagram Figure 5: Solar Charger Figure 6: AC Charger Figure 7: AC Battery Charger Figure 8: Signal Conditioner Figure 9: Charger Circuit Figure 10: Charge Status Display Figure 11: Switching Oscillator Figure 12: Kinkajou Charger Casing Figure 13: Battery Charge Display Figure 14: Side View of Charger Case Figure 15: Return on Investment

4 6 7 14 22 24 25 28 30 32 33 40 40 40 40

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Table of Tables

Table 1: High-Level Gantt Schedule Table 2: Itemized Task Gantt Schedule Table 3: Power supply value analysis Table 4: Charge monitor value analysis Table 5: Charge status display value analysis Table 6: Competitive Value Analysis Table 7: Component Pricing

11 12 18 19 21 27 36

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Executive Summary
A recent report published by the United Nations1 has indicated that there are currently 860 million illiterate adults world-wide and 100 million children who have no access to education. They cite literacy programs as a crucial means of breaking the poverty cycle. Design that Matters (DtM), a nonprofit corporation, has developed a low-cost projection system called the Kinkajou that will deliver teaching materials to instructors who are desperate for teaching resources. In light of this, our company has been contracted to design a portable, multi-input battery charging device that will charge 12 Volt lead-acid car batteries, which are used to power the Kinkajou device. After a consultation session with the principals, Tim Prestero and Neil Carter, we were instructed to investigate the viability of introducing the product to a target market. The country of Mali will be the focus of our feasibility study. In the following paper, we will present an overview of our prototype development process, justify our design decisions, make a set of recommendations for future actions, and propose a business plan that could later be developed for our product.

United Nations, The State of Global Literacy (Online: www.unusa.org)

Section 1: Introduction
1.1 Problem Statement
You are to design a universal 12 Volt battery charger that can take various forms of electrical energy and charge a typical 12 Volt lead-acid (automotive) battery. The charger must be able to handle the following inputs: a solar panel, a pedal generator, and standard AC power (both American and European standards). The charger must not overcharge the battery, and must indicate the state of charge. In addition, the circuit should not drain the battery. The charger must be affordable in the community it is used in, and should be suitable for applications such as the Kinkajou Projector. (http://kinkajou.designthatmatters.org) Prototype cost should not exceed $50.

1.2 Planned Approach

The process of developing a quality product that meets the demands of a potential market involves a great deal of forethought and design work. Our first course of action was to perform market research to anticipate the needs of our target market and to formulate a set of product specifications and requirements. After we had gained good insight as to what the product specifications were we were able to formulate a course of action in which to carry out the design project. We brainstormed numerous design options and, based on a value analysis of these options, finalize a design approach.

Due to the extensive nature of this project and the short time allotted for completion, we found it necessary to subdivide the various tasks and assign each group member with a specific set of responsibilities. The assignments were given depending upon the willingness and ability of each team member. Additionally, we decided that certain tasks such as writing reports, giving presentations and doing research were the responsibility of everyone in the group. By taking a modular approach we were able to design, build, test, and troubleshoot several subsystems independently and combine them after each was working as a stand alone device.

Section 2: Product Specifications

2.1 Market Research
A. Methods In developing our market report, we utilized a variety of resources to quantify our market, research products, and determine design considerations. In addition to the information session led by the founders of Design that Matters, some of our research materials included The Stanford Business Journal, Reports from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United States Patent website as well as several product websites.

B. Market Research
From extensive research we were able to identify and anticipate the needs two markets both the stated market of Mali and other parts of the Developing World. A dual market exists in that the charger could also be sold separately from the Kinkajou. Mali is among one of the poorest nations in the world as 65% of its land is desert or semidesert. The yearly per-capita GDP is about U.S. Figure 1: Map of Mali

$2982 and much of the country lacks economic developmentas a result, constructing a device that is inexpensive to produce and sell is essential. Since

transportation and shipping are expensive endeavors due to the lack of paved
International Service for National Agricultural Research, Mali: A Typical Sahelin Country (Online: www.insar.org)
2

roads, it is also essential that the device be as light-weight as possible since it will likely need to be carried over long distances. Our market primarily consists of those who reside in village communities, which typically lack electricity. Therefore the charging device would need to accommodate multiple sources of input. Only about 50% of people in Mali can afford the luxury of batteries to power electric devices and the cost to recharge a battery is up to 700 CFA (Communaute Financiere Africaine or the African Financial Community) which equates to roughly U.S. $1.24 per battery. This is a substantial cost to people in such an impoverished area. Therefore producing such a device would result in long term savings to communities. The Kinkajou Device has world-wide appeal to promote literacy in regions that lack adequate teaching resources. Organizations such as the World Literacy

Foundation, UNESCO, and the World Literacy Crusade would likely be interested in purchasing the device for use in their campaigns to fight illiteracy. There is a world-wide demand in the developing world for a low-cost means of charging 12 Volt batteries. Power is essential for most modern devices. A charger with a myriad of inputs could be used for the following:

Residential and Commercial Applications Utility Applications Water Pumping Lighting

Communication Systems Refrigeration Health Services Disaster Recovery

Adapting charging technology to meet the demands of communities that lack electricity will likely prove to be a very profitable market. Additionally the

charger could be used in the developed world to accommodate alternative sources of energy in order to lessen dependence on fossil fuels. 5

C. Competing Products
In an effort to evaluate our competitors we performed extensive product research to determine typical production costs, feature sets, and sales price. Since a charger that handles multiple power sources does not exist, we examined each type of charger individually.

Solar Chargers There are several commercially available solar battery chargers. Camping and automotive retail stores provided

information on various models that are currently for sale. Prices ranged from U.S. $ 29-$50 for low-end battery savers
Figure 2: Solar Panel Charger

that provide a low-current, slow charge.

There are also a

variety of solar devices that will fully charge a battery with

prices ranging from U.S. $64 - $900 depending on the extra features. Output wattage of these chargers seemed to be the biggest price differentiator. After

comparing several different chargers, we were able to identify distinguishing characteristics among competing products.

Distinguishing Features of Solar Chargers: Rollable-mat solar collectors Daisy-chain capability for multiple chargers Built-in diode for reverse current protection Bypass for charger to Run 12 Volt Device without battery

Pedal Chargers From our market research, we determined there is not a wide variety of commercially available pedal chargers. Most of our inquires led us to believe that 6

nearly all pedal chargers are homemade devices that are pieced together from various parts, typically bicycles and car alternators. There does not appear to be a standard consensus on how pedal chargers are built; a pedal generator will have various outputs depending on the RPM being produced, the gear-ratio of the chain drive, and the actual device being used in the generator to convert mechanical to electrical energy. Due to the lack of competing products available in the market place, our company will need to determine a set of requirements for the pedal charging feature.

AC- Outlet Chargers Our product will need to be able to interface with both European (110 Volt) and US (220 Volt) power standards. To address this, we researched various products internationally. Prices for AC-Outlet Chargers ranged from
Figure 3: AC-Charger

U.S. $25- $200 depending on the feature set and the output

current, which will determine the rate at which a battery is charged. After comparing several competing products we were able to synthesize a list of desirable features.

Distinguishing Features for AC-Outlet Chargers: Reverse Polarity Indicator Short-Circuit/Surge Protection Easy-To Read Color Terminals Charge Rate, Charge Status, Charge Done Indicators

2.2 Customer/ Product Requirements

From our market research we were able to determine the following set of customer requirements and product specifications:

Affordability - Our market research shows that to most people, price is the first thing considered when buying a product. Since the Kinkajou projector is designed to be used primarily for literacy classes in the developing world, its components need to be as inexpensive as possible.

Durability - It is reasonable to expect that the device will be bumped and dropped from time to time, so it is essential that the charger is strong structurally. Furthermore, our market research shows that Africa is known for having large power spikes and brownouts, so surge protection is a necessity as well. It is also essential that the product last as long as possible and need few repairs over time.

Compact Size/ Light Weight - Many of the users of this product will live in small communities far from cities where they might purchase such a device. Thus the product will need to be carried some distance. For this reason, it needs to be as compact and lightweight as possible so that the average person can carry it a reasonable distance.

Efficiency - As seen in our customer requirements, the product will need to be as efficient as possible in its use of power. The device may be powered by a person using either a hand crank or a bicycle generator and thus it is infeasible to expect a long duration of supplied power. It is thus critical that all power be used efficiently. 8

Versatility - Our research shows that the population that the product will be marketed toward has variety of available power sources. Some may have access to AC power, but many areas will not and thus need to make use of alternate power sources. It is for this reason that the product needs to be able to charge a battery with power from three different sources, an AC outlet (both 110 and 220 Volt outlets), solar panels, or a pedal generator.

Simplicity - The product will be used by people who are most likely not technically educated. Therefore, to appeal the largest market possible, it must be simple to operate and switch between the three possible power sources.

2.3 Product Specifications

Once we had developed a good understanding of the needs of our customers, we were able to merge the findings of our customer requirements and market research into a general set of product specifications:

110/220 AC power supply input Solar panel power supply input Bicycle or hand crank generator power supply input Non-alpha-numeric output display Cost per unit of less than U.S. $50 Portable and durable High Mean Time Before Repair (MTBR) High efficiency Charges a 12V lead acid car battery Does not overcharge the car battery

We were required to adhere to these underlying product specifications throughout the course of our design process. By using these product specs as an initial, nontechnical guideline, we were able to hasten the design process and make effective decisions. As stated by our contractor, Design That Matters, affordability is a critical aspect of this device. The target market for this product will be developing nations that will not be able to absorb a high per unit cost. Specifically, Design That Matters has set a price target of less than U.S. $50 total for the battery charger and Kinkajou drive circuitry. In the course of our market research, we determined that the probable input voltage range from the three power sources will range from 6V-22V DC. Due to the variability of system input, it is necessary to construct a signal conditioning system to supply a constant input to the charging mechanism. To make this system possible, low voltage signals will need to be amplified to a constant value just as high voltage signals will need to be regulated. By ensuring that the charging device receives a constant input, we can guarantee the operation of the charger. The charge controller is another module that has several design considerations. In addition to supplying an efficient and timely charge to the 12 Volt Battery, it will be essential that the charge controller provide an output of its charge status as well as stop itself from continuing to charge once the battery has reached full capacity. Due to the fact that the target market for this device will be in developing countries with a low literacy rate, an alpha-numeric display is impractical. In order to make the device as readily understandable as possible, a series of LEDs will be used to display battery charge status. Additionally, because the Kinkajou system itself will be primarily used in darkened classrooms, the LEDs will allow the battery charger to be utilized in such environments as well.

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Section 3: Product Plan

3.1 Development Schedule
Due to the extensive nature of this project we found it necessary to subdivide the various tasks and assign each group member with a specific set of responsibilities. The assignments were given depending upon the willingness and ability of each team member (refer to the R column of Table 2). Additionally, we decided that certain tasks such as writing reports, giving presentations and doing research were the responsibility of everyone in the group. We have also divided the project into phases with dates corresponding to the completion deadline. Please refer to our Gantt charts below (Tables 1 & 2) for specific task assignments and project phases.

Table 1: High-Level Gantt Schedule

By developing both high-level and itemized task schedules we were able to ensure that our group was on task and well prepared for future deadlines. The Gantt chart method was used to plot individual responsibilities and their corresponding due dates. We made sure to allow a margin for contingency; recognizing that no matter how much forethought was given, everything would not go as planned.

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Table 2: Itemized Task Gantt Schedule

Key:

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3.2 Budget
One of the most important initial stipulations of the original problem statement was that .the charger must be affordable in the community it is used in, and should be suitable for applications such as the Kinkajou Projector. Prototype cost should not exceed $50. In addition to having a $50 dollar initial prototyping budget, it was also necessary to ensure that the total production cost when produced in bulk not exceed roughly $25. This budget constraint played a major role in making design decisions as economical as possible and also made it obligatory to take calculated risks when trying potential design methodologies. Throughout the process of devising our product, we often had to fully consider cost-benefit analysis as well as examine the trade offs between better specification fulfillment vs. reduction of overall expense.

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Section 4: Design Approach

4.1 Design Options Given the set of product specifications previously described, we found that the most effective way to design the device was as a set of several interconnecting subsystems. The block diagram shown below highlights the three main subsystems identified during the design process: a signal conditioner, a battery charge monitor and a charge status display. The signal conditioner in our product is used to format any applied voltage from the three types of potential inputs (wall outlet AC, solar panel or pedal generated voltage) and to apply a voltage on the battery in order to charge it. The charge monitor is needed to regulate the current flow into the battery so that the battery does not become overcharged or otherwise damaged during the process of charging. Additionally, the charge status display is necessary to indicate the level of charge on the battery and, in particular, to alert when the battery has been fully charged.

Figure 4: System Block Diagram

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4.1.1

Signal Conditioner The power supply subsystem of our design is responsible for converting an

AC source into DC and accepting two additional DC sources. In brainstorming this subsystem we determined two ways of handling the AC/DC conversion process. Converting the 110/220 AC voltage into a DC voltage could either be done internally through the use of a transformer, bridge rectifier and zener diode or the conversion could be done externally through the use of an AC adapter rated for the appropriate voltage range.

4.1.2

Charge Monitor While brainstorming the charge monitor we identified several design

strategies for this subsystem. Because the charge monitor must tell the charge status display what to indicate, we considered using an A/D converter in a sample-and-hold configuration to quantify the batterys voltage. The digital output could then be passed through several combinational logic circuits in order to generate both the appropriate input for the charge status display and the control signals for the power supply. Another digital approach would be to utilize a PIC microcontroller with an internal A/D converter. The PIC could then read the battery voltage and internally generate the output for the charge status display and control signals for the power supply. This particular design strategy would eliminate the need for additional combinational logic circuitry. Having considered digital solutions we next considered an analog strategy for implementing the charge monitor. One possible analog design consists of generating a reference voltage (possibly the voltage at which the charger stops charging) and comparing it to the batterys voltage using a comparator. The output signal from the comparator would then be sent back to the power supply in order to control the charge placed on the battery by means of a negative 15

feedback loop. Another analog design would be to use the LED array in the charge status display to measure a specific voltage on the battery and then feed that voltage back to the power supply in a negative feedback loop. This design approach has the advantage of merging the charge monitor and charge status display into a single functional subsystem. The design approach that we eventually settled on utilizes a UC3906 linear lead-acid battery charge management IC to implement a three stage charging algorithm. The IC accomplishes this by controlling both voltage and current

output based upon feedback from the battery. Additionally, this IC will monitor battery temperature and adjust the output signal accordingly. This component greatly simplifies our task of charging the battery in the most efficient way possible.

4.1.3 Charge Status Display Several design options exist for the charge status display. An analog display with an arrow that either ranges between 0 and 100% charge or indicates the battery voltage (a voltmeter) could be used. A single LED or group of LEDs could also be used for this task. The single LED design would have the LED lit when the battery reached full charge, while the LED array design would feature a progressive update of the charge status. Another option would be to use a 7segment LED display to output a numeric charge percentage. Additionally, in terms of non-visual display systems, a buzzer could be used to generate an audible signal that the battery has finished charging. The buzzer also need not be standalone as it could be used in conjunction with one of the other design strategies.

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4.2

Value Analysis
In order to determine the most feasible implementation we performed

value analysis on the design concepts presented in Section 4.1. We used value analysis matrices to aid in deciding which options will make our product the most marketable.

4.2.1 Power Supply Product Requirements Handles 110/220V AC as input Supports solar panels and pedal generator as input Produces a DC voltage suitable for charging a 12V lead acid car battery Options Available and Advantages/Disadvantages External AC/DC conversion using an AC adaptor: Easy to implement, more expensive. Internal AC/DC conversion: Harder to implement, less expensive. Value Analysis
Cost: Price of subsystem. Inexpensive Reasonably Priced Expensive Simplicity: Ease of construction. Easy Moderate Hard 3 2 1 3 2 1

Availability: Widely available components Good Average Poor 3 2 1

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Weight Assignments A completed value analysis for the power supply is shown in Table 3 below.

Table 3: Power supply value analysis

4.2.2

Charge Monitor

Product Requirements Does not overcharge the battery Outputs to the display Controls the power supply Options Available and Advantages/Disadvantages Digital with combinational logic: Harder to implement, easily expandable/robust, high power consumption. PIC microcontroller: Software expandable (handles logic internally), replacement parts unavailable in developing countries. Analog with comparator: Harder to implement, readily available replacement parts. Integrated with charge status display:

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Efficient design, low power consumption. UC3906: Efficient design, replacement parts unavailable in developing countries. Value Analysis
Cost: Price of subsystem. Inexpensive Reasonably Priced Expensive 3 2 1

Efficiency: Power consumption of the subsystem Good Average Poor Simplicity: Ease of construction. Easy Moderate Hard 3 2 1 3 2 1

Weight Assignments A completed value analysis for the charge monitor is shown in Table 4 below.

Table 4: Charge monitor value analysis

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4.2.3 Charge Status Display

Product Requirements Easy to understand Inexpensive Low power consumption Options Available and Advantages/Disadvantages Analog display: Harder to interpret, more expensive. Buzzer: Easy to implement, does not indicate charge status. Seven segment display: Harder to implement, more expensive, requires literacy. Single LED: Inexpensive, low power consumption, easy to implement, does not indicate charge progress. LED array: Inexpensive, low power consumption, harder to implement than single LED, indicates charge progress. Value Analysis
Cost: Price of subsystem.

Inexpensive Reasonably Priced Expensive

3 2 1

Simplicity: Ease of construction.

Easy Moderate Hard

3 2 1

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Understandability: The clarity of the display.

Good Average Poor

3 2 1

Weight Assignments For the display subsystem, we considered understandability to be the most important criteria and, as a result, it was assigned a weight of 3. Of the remaining two criteria, cost was assigned a weighting of 2 and simplicity a weighting of 1.

Table 5: Charge status display value analysis

4.3 Competitive Value Analysis

After searching widely, we were able to find many competitors in the market of recharging batteries. Typical applications for battery charging included Marine, camping/outdoor, and automotive uses. It was determined after thorough research that our product would be unique to the marketplace due to the fact that currently no charging device available is designed to accept multiple power sources. Despite this, we will evaluate similar products for each type of input source; AC, Solar, and Pedal Generated. Table 4 shows the competitive value analysis of our product vs. the four competitors described below.

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4.3.1 Solar Chargers When solar panels are used to charge storage batteries, their limited output under low sunlight conditions leads to seriously shortened battery life and performance. Trying to protect against this creates higher costs, as the typical solution seems to be increasing the size / number of both the panels and batteries. In addition, typical solar controllers, although able to protect batteries from under/over charge, fail to optimize the charge rate capabilities of the solar panels. They also do not remove sulphate build-up on the batterys storage plates, causing longer recharge time, boil out and significantly shortened life. There are a variety of solar devices that will fully charge a battery with prices ranging from U.S. $64 - $900 depending on the extra features. Output wattage and solar panel size of these chargers seemed to be the biggest price differentiator. After looking at several models, we what seemed to be two of the better commercially available solar chargers out there.

PRO-KIT 15-WATT SOLAR BATTERY CHARGER ICP Global Technologies

The Pro-Kit Charger was similar to many other solar products available. At U.S. $189 the device is far more expensive than our product, but the photovoltaic cell is what drives the cost of the charger up and because our charger relies on an external
Figure 5: Solar Charger 3

solar cell, it is reasonable to assume that our product would be a competitor3.

BatteryMart, Solar Battery Chargers (Online: http://www.batterymart.com/battery.mv?c=solarchargers)

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Specifications:
Wattage: 15 watts Approx. Watt-Hrs / Day *: 60 75 Peak Output: 1 amp@15 volts Approx. Amp Hrs / Day *: 4 - 5

Dimensions: 38" x 13" x 1" / 965 mm x 330 mm x 25 mm Weight: 9.2 lbs / 4.2 kg Temperature Range: -40F to 176F / -40C to 80C Warranty: 5 years @ 80% of output

Ratings:
Operating Conditions: Display: Extra Features: Range: Ease of use: Charge Time: Modular Design: Components: Versatility: Weight: Price: 5, Diverse Temperature Range and Weatherproof Design 2, Very Limited User Display 1, Has a few added features like overcharge protection 4, Can operate on many input voltages- dependent upon sunlight 4, Intuitive to Use 2, Depends on available sunlight, 15 W Max Output Unknown- Dont know internal design Unknown- Dont know internal components 1, Operates on 1 Input 3, Light-weight 0, $189

BATTERYMINDER 12 VOLT 5 WATT SOLAR CHARGER- VDC ELECTRONICS

The BatteryMINDer, produced by VDC Electronics is another typical product that beats most other competitors price significantly for its output specs. The device distinguishes itself in particular because it optimizes the solar panels charge rate, ensuring batteries are charged in the shortest possible time, keeping them at full-charge indefinitely, without ever overcharging.4
Specifications:
Wattage: 5 watts Approx. Watt-Hrs / Day *: 20 - 25 Dimensions: 19 5/8" x 13 5/8" x 5/8" Temperature Range: 0F to 130F Peak Output: 333 mAmps@15 volts Approx. Amp Hrs / Day *: 1.4 - 1.75 Weight: 7 lbs Warranty: 5 years

BatteryMart, Solar Battery Chargers (Online: http://www.batterymart.com/battery.mv?c=solarchargers)

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Ratings:
Operating Conditions: Display: Extra Features: Range: Ease of use: Charge Time: Modular Design: Components: Versatility: Weight: Price: 4, Diverse Temperature Range and Weatherproof Design 0, No User Display 2, Battery Minder Component Optimizes Charge 4, Can operate on many input voltages- dependent upon sunlight 2, Moderate Difficulty 1, Depends on available sunlight, 5 W Max Output Unknown- Dont know internal design Unknown- Dont know internal components 1, Operates on 1 Input 3, Light-weight 0, $99.95

4.3.2 AC Chargers There were an extensive number of portable, commercially available battery chargers, with prices ranging from about U.S. $30 - $500. The price was largely a variable of extra features, number of batteries that could be charged at one time and the output amperage, which determines the rate at which a battery is charged. The Competitors also had different ways of implementing what seemed to be different charging algorithms to achieve optimal charge. There are two options examined in this section, a typical, fully-finished consumer model and an exposed AC charger circuit made for industrial/customized applications. Because most consumer models were essentially the same, we chose the two models that best represent the needs and specs of our market.

CLIPLIGHT 12 VOLT 10 AMP PORTABLE CHARGER MOBIL LINE

The Mobil Line Deep Cycle Battery charger is typical of most portable chargers in that it can recover deeply discharged batteries as well as prevent overcharging. The charger also has overload and reverse polarity protection as well as an intuitive,
Figure 6: AC Charger 5

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simple to understand LED display5. At U. S. $49.95, the device is competitively priced for the variety of features that it offers in comparison to other models.
Specifications:

Output: 12 Volt Nominal; 10 Amp DC Float Voltage: 14.0 +/- 0.1 Volt Dimensions: 3-1/2" x 2-1/4" x 4-1/2"

Set Voltage: 14.7 +/- 0.1 Volt Input: 105 VAC - 120 VAC ; 60 Hz Weight: 3 lbs.; 1.36kg

Ratings:
Operating Conditions: Display: Extra Features: Range: Ease of use: Charge Time: Modular Design: Components: Versatility: Weight: Price: Unknown 2, LED Array 2, Several Extra features like polarity indicator and surge protection 0, Only Rated for American Power Standard 4, Very Easy to Use 3, 10 Amp Output, uses charging algorithm for optimal time Unknown- Dont know internal design Unknown- Dont know internal components 1, Operates on 1 Input American AC Standard 4, Light-weight 1, $49.95

L12-0.5/115AC LEAD ACID CHARGER IBEX INC.

Ibex Inc. offers a wide variety of industrial application battery chargers that can handle both American and European AC power sources as well as being manufactured to operate in
Figure 7: AC Battery Charger 6

harsh and extreme in environments. Their line of devices are rugged and made to last for many years without failure or need

for repair. The Ibex chargers range in cost from U.S. $45- $806.

4 6

Battery Mart, 12 Volt AC Chargers (Online: http://www.batterymart.com/battery.mv?c=12voltchargers) Ibex AC Battery Chargers (Online: http://www.ibexmfg.com)

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Specifications:
Output: 14.8 V 10 Amps Dimensions: 5 x 4 x 3 Temperature Range: 0F to 130F Input: 103 252 V AC Weight: 4 lbs

Ratings:
Operating Conditions: Display: Extra Features: Range: Ease of use: Charge Time: Modular Design: Components: Versatility: Weight: Price: 4, Designed to Handle Extreme and Harsh Environments 0, No User Display 1, Has some internal extra features 2, Accommodates American and European Power Standards 0, Not housed, controls dont come with circuit 2, Uses 3-Stage Temperature Dependent Charging Algorithm 1, Circuit is modular 2, Uses common parts like transformers, diodes and capacitors 2, Operates on 2 Inputs US and European Standards 4, Light-weight 1, $45

4.2.3 Pedal Chargers From our market research, we determined there is not a wide variety of a commercially available pedal charger. Most of our inquires led us to believe that nearly all pedal chargers are homemade devices pieced together from various parts, typically bicycles and car alternators. There does not appear to be a

standard consensus on how pedal chargers are built; a pedal generator will have various outputs depending on the RPM being produced, the gear-ratio of the chain drive, and the actual device being used as the generator to convert mechanical to electrical energy. Due to the lack of competing products available in the market place, our company will need to determine our own set of requirements for the pedal charging feature.

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Table 6: Competitive Value Analysis

4.4 Module Definitions Signal Conditioner The Signal conditioning phase is designed ensure that any input signal above or below the desired operating voltage is regulated before being passed to the UC 3906. This is accomplished by a boost converter and voltage regulator in series, which boost or step-down the input signal as necessary. After evaluating several boost converters, we found the LM2577, a TO-2635 package based solution that meets our design requirements. The LM2577 is able to reliably boost low DC voltages in the range of 3.5 40 volts to a constant output voltage that can be synthesized by a simple LC configuration. The voltage regulator used for this subsystem is an LM350. This IC will be used to provide a constant current and smooth voltage signal to the UC3906. As long as the boost converter raises the any low input signal to above 15 volts, the

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LM350 will be able to ensure that the UC3906 receives a constant supply of 15 volts.

Figure 8: Signal Conditioner

The appropriate components in the boost converter section of the signal conditioner were chosen using the following equations for Vinmin = 3.5V and Vout = 17V .
6.4(V IN min 0.6V )(2 DMAX 1) 1 DMAX

LMIN =

DMAX =

VOUT + VF VIN min VOUT + VF 0.6V

RC

750 I LOAD VOUT VIN min

2

28

I LOAD max

2.1A Vin min VOUT

C OUT

.19 L RC I LOAD max VIN min VOUT

CC

58.5 VOUT C OUT RC VIN min

2

V R1 = OUT 1 R2 1.23V

The resistors used in the voltage regulator were synthesized using the equation
R VOUT = 1.251 + 2 + I ADJ * R2 . R1

Linear Charger IC The heart of our design is the UC3906, a linear lead-acid battery charge management IC which implements a three stage charging algorithm in order to maximize battery lifespan. (See Figure 9) The IC accomplishes this by controlling both voltage and current output based upon feedback from the battery. Additionally, this IC will monitor battery temperature and adjust the output signal accordingly. This component greatly simplifies our task of charging the battery in the most efficient way possible. The UC 3906 accepts an input voltage of 10-40 Volts DC. In our design, the voltage regulator will provide a regulated voltage in the range of 10-20 Volts DC to the UC3906. Depending on the input voltage and the charge of the battery, the 29

IC will provide a voltage and current as specified by the charging algorithm. In order to accomplish this the configuration shown in Figure 9 was implemented.

Figure 9. Charger Circuit The resistor values used in the circuit were derived from the set of equations below.

RC =
RA =

2.3 = 46k ID
RSUM + R X = 212k 2 .3 1 VT

RB = RSUM R A = 18k
30

RD =

2.3 * RSUM = 881k VOC VF V F 2 .3 = 230k ID

RSUM =
I OC = RX =

I MAX = 0.3A 10 RC * RD = 43.7 k RC + RD

RS =
RT =

0.25 = 0.1 I MAX

VIN VT 2.5 = 0.34 VT

Additionally, the equations above contained specific voltage and current level that are specified below.
I D = 50 A I T = 1.5mA
I MAX = 2.5A

VOC = 14.4V V IN = 16V

V F = 13.8V VT = 10.2V

These equations come from the UC3906 datasheet found on Texas Instruments website. It should also be noted that standard components may be used for all of the parts in this diagram except for RS and the transistor. RS must be a 1W resistor and the pnp transistor must be rated for the maximum current that will be fed to the battery (2.5A).

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Charge Status Display We have elected to feature a continuously updated user display. In order to accomplish this an LM3914 was used to drive an array of ten LEDs. Our design is shown in Figure 10.

Figure 10. Charge Status Display In this configuration pin 4 is used to specify the low end of the display range (10.5V) and pin 6 is used to specify the high end of the range (13.8V). The input signal (pin 5) is then scaled linearly across the range specified. The resistor attached to pin 7 is used to determine the luminosity of the LEDs by pulling a specific amount of current.

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Switching Oscillator As we have elected to feature a continuously updated user display it is necessary to repeatedly switch between charging the battery and monitoring the batterys charge. In order to accomplish this effectively the switch must An

disconnect the charger IC from the battery when refreshing the display.

LM555 configured as an astable oscillator will be utilized to repeatedly switch between the two systems. Using an LM555 will allow us to specify the refresh rate of the display (the LM555s frequency) as well as the amount of time available to update the display (the duty cycle). The specific configuration we utilized is shown below in Figure 11. This configuration implements a duty cycle of approximately 1%. That is, the battery is being charged 99% of the time.

Figure 11. Switching oscillator The inclusion of a diode across RB allows for a duty cycle below 50%. During the charging cycle the current path will bypass RB yielding the following performance equations.

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t H = C * R A * ln (2 ) = 10 F * 100k * ln (2 ) = 0.69 sec t L = C * R B * ln (2 ) = 10 F * 10M * ln (2 ) = 69.3 sec Period = t H + t L = 76.24 sec

Frequency =

1 = 13mHz Period

It should be noted, however, that these equations are based on the functioning of an ideal diode and, as such, the actual results in implementation will vary according to the characteristics of the device.

4.5 Manufacturability
Our product implements both discrete components and common integrated circuits. All parts are readily available and produced by multiple companies. We took this into consideration when choosing our parts in the event a company went out of business, we would still be able to follow our design. One exception is the UC 3906. This IC is designed specifically designed to charge lead acid batteries, and will likely be uncommon in typical electronic shops in Mali or other developing areas. The battery charger will require a case that is lightweight, attractive, and durable. The most important aspect of the casing however, is good dissipation of heat. Our design implements 4 voltage regulators, all of which produce

significant heat when in use. Clearly efficient transfer heat to the outside will be essential. Durability is also an important aspect of the case design. This product will undergo frequent use and be transported; therefore it will need to be structurally sound enough to protect the components from everyday bumping and jarring. In addition we have made our case design is watertight by caulking all seems and cracks.

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Our design is modularized on several levels.

For example our signal

conditioning subsystem is broken up into two smaller modules, voltage boost and voltage regulation. This method of using several levels of system subassemblies makes manufacturing and troubleshooting more simple and efficient. While our product does have excellent functionality, some improvements could be made in the manufacturing stage. Firstly, all of the circuitry would certainly be mounted on a PCB. Another change that should be made in the manufacturing stage from our prototype design is the use of more standard parts to reduce part variety. This pertains specifically to resistors and capacitors. In several instances we connected several components in series or parallel to attain a specific value which we did not have in a single component. Clearly some

changes need to be made before mass production, but our modular design lends itself well to manufacturing.

4.6 Cost Analysis

Standard Cost For the first year, we have projected research and development costs to be approximately $10,800, as shown in section 5.3. This value is substantially lower than expected, primarily because we have done a large part of the design and testing at no charge to Design that Matters. Future development of our design will likely be conducted by students similar to us who will not be paid either. However before the product becomes open on the market, we expect that Design that Matters will hire professional consultants to check our work and perform safety testing, to ensure the final product is ready for the consumer. For the second year of production, research and development costs will be approximately $5,000. This amount is certainly lower than costs for the first year, but still

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necessary because modifications and improvements will undoubtedly occur in the early stages of product development and implementation. We expect design that matters will outsource the manufacturing of the charger. Since at the start of this endeavor, Design that Matters only plans to produce 800 of these devices. Therefore it does not make sense for them to

purchase the factory and machinery necessary to mass produce a product line when the market for the device is still untapped and unknown. The only notable price change between our prototype and the final manufactured product will be the AC adaptor. For prototyping and testing, we opted to purchase an inexpensive AC adaptor which could take an input of 120VAC and output 17VRMS. This worked fine for testing here in the U.S., but one of our customer requirements was that the charger needed to accept both American and European AC power standards. Therefore, in our manufactured cost analysis we take into account a more expensive adaptor to convert 220VAC to the proper DC voltage.
COST PER UNIT QUANTITY 1 100 $5.36 3.332 $0.60 0.3375 $6.95 4.95 $0.50 0.3525 $0.76 0.46 $0.73 0.4526 $5.42 3.4314 $2.10 1.4 $2.91 1.598 $1.65 0.99 $1.25 0.775 $0.30 0.186 $1.00 0.62 $3.00 2.24 $0.60 0.3375 $1.25 0.775 $0.30 0.186 $1.50 $1.37 36.18 23.79

UC 3906 LM317 AC Adaptor LM 555 Rocker Switch Steel Clips LM 2577 LED Array LM 3910 LM 350 Large Heat Sinks Small Heat Sinks Screw Terminals Miscellaneous Hardware LM317 Large Heat Sinks Small Heat Sinks Casing TOTAL:

500 3.094 0.21 4.75 0.225 0.42 0.35 3.225 1.225 1.222 0.891 0.65 0.12 0.48 $2.15 0.21 0.65 0.12 $1.19 21.18

1000 3.0345 0.1995 4.5 0.18 0.39 0.28 3.1992 1.12 1.2032 0.858 0.5 0.09 0.37 $2.00 0.1995 0.5 0.09 $1.05 19.76

Table 7: Component Pricing 36

Retail Pricing We have estimated the cost of parts to constitute 40% of the total retail price since Design that Matters is a not for profit organization. In addition,

approximately 15% of the total retail price will be taken by the wholesaler and distributor. Finally 5% will be allotted to advertising costs since the market is already defined. This leaves 40% profit after all fixed costs are met. To calculate the retail price, we simply multiplied the cost of parts by 2.5 to get 100% of the retail price. Manufacturing in quantities of 1000 yields a retail price of $49.40, or approximately $50. The above percentages reflect standard fractions of the retail price.

4.7 Hazard Analysis

Before releasing our product on the unsuspecting people of Mali, it will be necessary to perform rigorous tests on how well the device will perform under long-term operation. The casing has not been tested for shock or heat resistance, leaving a potential hazard with the components becoming overly hot and burning the user or melting the case. Also the materials have not been tested for toxicity if ingested or placed in a bodily orifice. In the event that the case might burn or melt there could be potential hazard associated with the fumes as well. The voltage regulator and boost converter circuits pose the greatest threat to burning the user. Were the AC Adapters cord to become unraveled or exposed, it could potentially pose a great shock risk to the user. At 110 or 220 volts, coming into contact with the hot wire could be harmful and even fatal. For the most part though, it can be reasonably concluded that except for a very small number of possible instances, our product is relatively safe and contains for the most part, hazard-free parts.

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4.8 Legal Considerations

Patent/ Intellectual Property All intellectual property, tangible articles of manufacture, and design methods represented by initial prototypes and design notebooks are the sole and proprietary work of the members of this design team: Mike Eskowitz, Eric Hall and Chris Hamman. In the event that, at a later date, something in the design is determined to be patentable, the group has agreed to abide by the WPI Intellectual Property Policy. (http://www.wpi.edu/Pubs/Policies/intell.html) Since all development and design was done using WPI facilities with WPI equipment, the University would be entitled to ownership rights and would absorb all costs associated with patenting the invention. WPI would be entitled to no more than 50 percent of any royalties incurred from the patent.

Product Liability We waive all liability claims to Design that Matters due the fact that time did not permit extensive safety and reliability testing. The prototype developed by our group is not guaranteed on any grounds whatsoever. It is the responsibility of DtM to accept any failures, injury, or loss of life associated with this design prototype. It is our hope that this section will negate any implied warranties and sufficiently protect us from involuntary negligence and all liabilities.

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Section 5: Product Results

5.1 Product Functionality
At present, our device is fully functional from end to end. As tested on prototyping board, each module functions independently as well as with the other components. To date, our group is still migrating the display circuit module to the solder board and will have the circuit wired and enclosed by mid-January. By

ordering the components surface mounted and placed on a PCB, the size of the device could decrease significantly; however, the heat sinks in the boost converter and voltage regulator must be sufficiently large to dissipate the heat produced when the circuit is drawing a high current.

5.2 Product Form

In the harsh weather and climate conditions of Mali, it will be necessary for the products casing to be water resistant, dust-proof, shock and heat resistant, as well as withstand jarring and drops. For the purposes of our prototype we have enclosed our circuit in a handmade case, the next design should most likely have a case made of a strong and resilient composite plastic. Our user interface is extremely simple to use and understand. The user need only to plug in the AC Adapter or Input Clips to the proper polarity (red +, black -), attach the output clips to the battery, and flip the rocker switch into the on position. If the charger is receiving input voltage, the Green LED will light. The user display

quantizes a range of battery charge in terms of ten different possible battery output voltages. Our case and interfaces are shown in the following set of pictures:

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Figure 12 and 13: Kinkajou Charger Casing and Battery Charge Display

Figure 14: Side View of Charger Case

5.3 Expected ROI

Our market research has revealed that the market for this type of device is 16,000 units world wide. Assuming that a battery charger will accompany each kinkajou projector, we feel that our product will be able to capture 5% of this market, or 800 units. The capital investment required to achieve this production goal will include costs of research and development, as well as manufacturing. RDE will be minimal since most of the designing and testing is being conducted

40

by unpaid students. Professional consultants will need to be hired to test the final product for safety and functionality. These calculations are as follows. (3 engineers) x (15 hours/week) x (4 weeks) x ($60/hour) = $10,800 Manufacturing costs will include contracting production plants as well as the necessary equipment and machinery. We have estimated initial

manufacturing costs to total $50,000. Therefore, the initial capital needed to begin production of battery chargers is $60,800. Since we plan to sell 800 units at a retail price of $50 for the first year, our first year revenues will be $40,000. Assuming an equal number of chargers are sold each month during the first year, approximately 67 chargers will be sold each month. Therefore, the monthly revenue will be $3350. Since our calculated retail price is 40% profit, our monthly expenses will be $2010. At this rate, our break even point will be at 48 months or 4 years. R0I at 5 years is calculated to be 9.53%. Clearly this is a substantial amount of time to be in debt. This should most defiantly be revisited in future project additions. A chart displaying the Return on investment over time is shown in figure 15.

Figure 15: Return on Investment

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Section 6: Recommendations
While our circuit is fully functional, there is still much room for improvement and modification due to the incredibly short timeframe within which this design process took place. Obviously seven weeks is hardly enough time to cautiously and methodically carry out all of the necessary steps when designing a product that will be potentially used in the real world. Due to the time constraints that were placed on us, we were forced to cut some corners that would otherwise have been unacceptable. First and foremost is the issue of safety; before releasing our product on the unsuspecting people of Mali, it will be necessary to perform vigilant tests on how well the device will perform under long-term operation. The casing has not been tested for shock resistance, there is a potential hazard with the components becoming overly hot and burning a user or melting the case. Also the materials have not been tested for toxicity if ingested or placed in a bodily orifice. In the event that the case might burn or melt there could be potential hazard associated with the fumes as well. Another set of tests that will need to be performed are reliability and extended operation assessments. It is important to examine the behavior of the circuit over long periods of time: what happens when the charging circuit is used weekly for two months, or daily for two years? Also can the circuit survive being constantly on for 3 days unattended? Another issue is whether the device will fail or will need repair rapidly. By considering issues like this, the circuit could later be optimized to address the need for a low Mean-Time before Repair and more importantly Mean-Time before Failure. It is our opinion that the Boost Converter and Voltage Regulator will be the first components to fail with the Transistor in the Charging Circuit following sometime after.

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Also because of a lack of both resources and time we were unable to verify our predictions of system performance when the charger is connected to the Solar Panel Input. A means of simulating or actually testing the solar panel operation were not provided for us, so we can only speculate on the behavior our system with the solar panel. A solar panel can be roughly modeled as a constant current source; the charge controller is designed to handle input currents of 15 Amps, given the proper external transistor configuration. Most likely the UC would let the current pass until the battery reaches full capacity whereupon it would stop the current flow through the circuit. Later design verification should include a great deal of testing with a solar power source. Future courses of action should also include investigating the feasibility of incorporating more common components into the design. While many of our components like the voltage regulator (LM350), boost converter (LM 2577), resistors, and capacitors can be found in everyday consumer electronics, other Integrated Circuits like the display driver (LM3914) and charge controller (UC 3906) are not as widely available in developing nations. On-the-spot repairs are required in small rural communities, it is important that the device have as many commonly available components as possible. Another potential improvement that could be made would be to incorporate a less-expensive display module. At a total cost of $5.00 the display could be phased out for the sake of cost by using a single resistor to indicate that charging has completed. However, making this change would greatly sacrifice the functionality of the display. Another component change that could be beneficial would be to implement the regulation system using a switching voltage regulator as opposed to the linear LM350 and LM317 devices. These linear devices are inefficient with some power loss being dissipated in the form of external heat.

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Appendix A: Circuit Diagram

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Appendix B: Assistance and Contact Info

If any or all of this design concept is used in the future by DtM, we would be more than happy to offer our assistance in helping to further the next design phase. In the event that questions about our design process arise or if any future consulting is needed, feel free to contact one of the team members listed below:

Michael Eskowitz E-mail: eskowitz@wpi.edu Cell: 978.430.2681 Eric Hall E-mail: haller13@wpi.edu Cell: 207.939.4449 Chris Hamman E-mail: cnhamman@wpi.edu Cell: 508.667.7015

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Appendix A: LM555 Equation Derivations

In order to derive equations characterizing the behavior of the LM555 when configured as an astable oscillator it is best to observe the internal workings of the device.

Figure 8: Internal view of LM555 We will now present an analytical overview of the LM555s operation. 1. The most appropriate place to begin analysis in this case is the zero state: when the capacitor has zero charge placed on it. 2. With zero volts placed across the capacitor comparator 1 will assume a low state (0) and comparator 2 will assume a high state (1). 3. This will cause the flip flop to set Q = 1 and Q = 0 . 4. An output of 0 from Q will turn the transistor off. 5. Because the transistor is off the capacitor will become charged. For the purposes of calculating a time constant it should be noted that the charge path is through both R A & RB . 1 6. Once the capacitor reaches VCC comparator 2 will switch low (0). 3

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2 VCC comparator 1 will switch high (1). 3 8. This will cause the flip flop to reset to toggle, assuming the state Q = 0 and Q =1. 9. The logic high output from Q will activate the transistor. 10. This will discharge the capacitor through RB . 1 11. The capacitor voltage will discharge to VCC causing comparator 2 to 3 switch high (1). 12. This will transition the flip flop into state Q = 1 and Q = 0 . 13. The process will repeat beginning at step 4.
7. When the capacitor reaches

As we can determine from the qualitative description above, the oscillator is in the 2 high state ( Q = 1 ) when the capacitor is charging up to VCC . It is thus possible to 3 calculate the duration for which the output is high ( t H ) using the universal capacitor equation:

VCAP = VFINAL (VFINAL VINITIAL )e t

A derivation of t H is presented below.
tH :

2 1 VCC = VCC VCC VCC e t H 3 3 2 2 = 1 et H 3 3 1 = et H 2 t 1 ln = H 2 1 t H = ln 2 t H = ln (2 )

As noted in step 5, the charge path is through both RA & RB , thus the time constant is equal to: = RC = (R A + RB )C

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t H = (RA + RB )C ln (2 ) t H = 0.693(R A + RB )C

A similar set of steps can be taken in order to determine the time t L . In this case, however, the capacitor discharges across RB alone (step 10) yielding a different time constant and the result:
tL : t L = RB C ln (2) t L = 0.693RB C

Having obtained both the high and low times for the oscillator output it is possible to calculate the output period as:

TPERIOD = t L + t H
The reciprocal of which is its frequency:

f HZ =

1
TPERIOD

1 tL + tH

Another important attribute is the oscillators duty cycle. The duty cycle is a percentage measure of time spent in the high state.

0.693(R A + RB )C tH R + RB = = A t L + t H 0.693RB C + 0.693(R A + RB )C R A + 2 RB

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