SPINS: Solar Powered Inverter System

This project was done as the final year Capstone Project.

Demo: Final Design Project Demo

Design problem: Design and develop a 150W pure sine wave inverter capable of converting 12V DC to 120V AC with high efficiency, targeting a minimum efficiency of 70%. As well as a full system (hardware and software) to integrate the inverter into households. This project also sought to provide reliable power solutions in areas with unstable electricity supplies, enhancing the usability of renewable energy sources like solar power. 

Solution: Two design approaches were considered for the project: the EGS002 ASIC module and the Arduino microcontroller. The EGS002 approach was initially favored for its ability to generate high-quality sine wave outputs with minimal external components and built-in protection features, while the Arduino design was used to create a modified sine wave inverter. The electrical power system of this inverter was simulated using MATLAB SIMULINK, a grid-tie, and an MPPT Algorithm was used to sync the inverter output to the power grid and control power output of the solar panels respectively. A grid feedback loop was also added to revert excess power from the inverter back to the grid.

Role: My responsibilities included selecting cost-effective parts, designing the electrical circuits, making the PCBs, performing preliminary calculations to compare with measured results, testing, validation, and executing the MATLAB SIMULINK simulation of the complete system.