Introduction: DIY Solar-Powered Temperature-Cooling Phone Charger
The heat is unavoidable when participating in outdoor activities (such as marching band, camping, hiking, construction, gardening, sports, etc.) in Texas and other places with a hot climate. Not only does this project utilize the immense amount of solar energy that can be harnessed, it also prevents the device being charged from overheating.
In the modern era of technology, iPhones are a crucial necessity for daily life. However, overheating of devices shortens battery life, slows down processors, warps internal components, distorts displays, and fades plastics. Solar power is a clean and renewable form of energy that is expected to power 30% of the electricity in homes in the next 5 years. Solar powered chargers already exist for camping and hiking purposes, but there is not a device that specifically targets both charging a device and regulating its temperature to avoid overheating. This project prevents a solution to people using their phones outside in the intense heat by both keeping it charged and not overheated.
Supplies
Materials
- 5V Solar panel (portable camping one)
- 12V thermoelectric cooler (peltier)
- 12V fan
- Heatsink
- 4 screws
- Voltage booster (5V to 12V)
- Phone selfie holder
- 2 cords (1 to connect solar panel to voltage booster, 1 to connect solar panel to phone)
- Loctite or other strong glue
Tools
- Solder iron
- Solder wire
- Pliers or helping hands
- Wire cutters
- Wire strippers
- Voltmeter
- Screwdriver
- Dremel
Testing
- Thermometer
- Timer
- Phone to test on
- Phone or camera for documentation
- Amperes Lite App – monitored real-time charging current
Step 1: Attach the Peltier
Glue the peltier to the selfie phone holder, with the cooling side facing the phone.
The 12V peltier I used was 40 x 40mm, and it proved to be too big for the phone selfie holder. As a result, I carefully used a dremel to scrape down the sides and expand the inside area. Then, I used Loctite to secure the peltier, making sure that the wires were still easily accessible through the back. The peltier would engage directly with the phone (that is secured to the selfie holder), so the back side would have the rest of the components. This direct contact facilitates an efficient transfer of energy.
The cooling face of the peltier is typically the one with the serial numbers. However, to double check, either search up on the exact model online or test it out on a breadboard using a power source and some wires.
Step 2: Attach the Heatsink
The heatsink provides more surface area for the heat to be distributed away from the device.
Step 3: Attach the Fan
Step 4: Adjust the Voltage Regulator
Step 5: Solder & Attach
Depending what voltage regulator you have, you may need to solder the board to a USBC adaptor if it does not already have one (images 1-2). This is what connects the voltage regulator to the solar panel. No matter what voltage regulator you have, you will still need to solder the fan and peltier to the board.
Carefully strip the ~1cm of the wire using wire strippers. Connect the wires of the fan and peltier together and with the appropriate terminals (red with positive, black with negative) by twisting the wire and inserting through the hole. This step may be difficult if the hole opening is small on the board. Simply twist the exposed part of two red wires together and gently guide it in, trimming with wire cutters if necessary. Repeat with the two black wires.
Secure the figuration with helping hands or using pliers to hold everything in place. Heat up the soldering iron and create a seal with the solder over the exposed wire, remaining careful not to burn the plastic insulation. Solder both sides to ensure there is a seal.
Next, use the Loctite to secure the voltage regulator to any open space on the phone holder.
Step 6: Set Up
