Development of Comfortable Umbrella with Fan by Using Solar Energy

Abstract

Heat waves often occur during sunny days in tropical regions during summer season, with temperatures sometimes reaching over 42 degrees Celsius. Because overheat waves can cause heatstroke for human beings who work outside, umbrellas are usually used to cut off sunshine to protect them. In the paper, an umbrella prototype is designed, which can drive a fan to provide cooling effect for persons who work outside in tropical regions. The designed umbrella uses solar cell attached on the above surface of the umbrella to convert solar energy into electricity, which is used to drive a fan or charge a battery. Moreover, the battery can also drive the fan when sunshine intensity is weak, or provide a charging port with 5 voltages for portable devices, such as mobile phones. The key component to realize these functions is an electronic control module, which includes charging circuit and discharging circuit. The former increases output voltage from the solar cell to the desired voltage to charge the battery; the latter can control electricity from the battery to drive the DC motor fan, LED indicator, and charging port.