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Thursday, 19 December 2013

Everything you wanted to know about Solar Energy

             Hi everybody in this topic i am going to discuss all about solar energy  and its use in generating  electricity 

  • Why Solar?

        Our sun is a source of free infnite energy which is inexhaustible and provides solar eneergy equivalent to 1000 kW/Hr for Sq.m of space.
        This energy is equivalent to  energy produced by burning of 100 L of heating oil.This data shows the extent of  free energy available for human being at his disposal.Also another popular research  reports that
 the total amount of fossil fuels used by humans since the beginning of civilization is equivalent to less                    than 30 days of sunshine. 
    Considering these key facts it becomes vital to replace the polluting energy resources to solar energy in the near future

  • How is it done?
     For the conversion of solar energy into  electricity a special device called Photovoltaic cell is used.These cells are usually made up of n-doped and p-doped silicon cells which  form a junction as shown in figure.Contacts are provided on both sides for conduction .A glass plating is provided for protection.Whenever sunlight falls on n-doped region the excess electrons generated flow through the load for instance a bulb to the p-doped region.The electrons cannot flow directly as  potential difference layer is generated in  between the n-doped and p-doped regions which blocks the flow of electrons 







  • Types of panels:-
      As efficiency of the panels is a an important parameter along with its costing ,it becomes essential to chose the proper type of panel for a specified purpose.Unfortunately despite the technological advancements ,we have benn able to achieve upto 21% of efficiency.


  1. MONOCRYSTALLINE:    These panels are usually characterised by octogonal silicon bars inside them,This makes the panel best efficient when sunlight is directly falling on the panel in perpendicular direction.But due to octagonal shapes,area occupancy inside the panel is not efficient,a lot of area is wasted.
    2.POLYCRYSTALLINE:These panels are made of silicon offcuts,moulded to form blocks of pure crystals.These panels are efficient with sunlight from all directions and also in low light.


    3.HYBRID:These panels are modified ones and are best suited in field of applications which have less space for installations of panels.
                                                                          

  • Milestones achieved:-

  1. Project in Ivanpah,California:The 377 megawatt project in california's mojave desert uses mirrors to focus on solar receivers is estimated to serve more than 1,40,000 homes in california.The project will reduce carbon-dioxide emission of 400,000 tons per year.

    2.Gujarat solar park,India:-It is the name given to solar park projects in gujarat,India.Under this project a total of 605 MW of energy will be available for use.Also innovative idea of installing solar panels on canals is done which would prove useful for both environment impact as well as utilisation of available area.

       Also domestically solar water heaters are being installed for heating purpose against the conventional electric geysers.Government is also playing a vital role by providing subsidised costs for various equipments related to solar.

  • SOLAR DIY:
  Learning solar is a great idea for the future generations.Various ideas  for school projects and college projects  as well as for home implementations are available for of cost on various websites which are great for learning the solar technology.Here are some:
  1. www.builditsolar.com
  2. www.electronicsforyou.com
  3. www.engineersgarage.com
















Tuesday, 12 February 2013

5 BASIC THINGS TECH ENTHUSIASTS PROBABLY DON'T KNOW

     Most of  the tech enthusiasts are hungry for acquiring the knowledge but they often tend to avoid to understand the basic concepts behind the working of  gadgets and components.This is a list of the most basic
of a common concepts that are avoided by almost everybody.

  1. COMPUTERS HARDWARE COMPONENTS-
    We all use computers almost everyday but most of us usually don't know what's going on inside.So for them here is a brief introduction ...Here i would be discussing the parts of motherboard  which is the main part of any computer..

  • COMPONENTS- 

  • CPU- Central Processing Unit-It is also known as the microprocessor or the processor. It is the brain of the computer, and it is responsible for fetching,decoding and executing program instructions as well as performing mathematical and logical calculations.

  • Main Memory / Random Access Memory (RAM)
         Random Access Memory or RAM most commonly refers to computer chips that temporarily store dynamic data when you are working with your computer to enhance the computer performance.

  • BIOS- Basic Input Output System-
     BIOS is a term that stands for Basic Input/Output System. BIOS is a Read Only Memory which consists of low-level software that controls the system hardware and acts as an interface between the operating system and the hardware
    

  • Cache Memory-
       It is a small block of high-speed memory (RAM) that enhances PC performance by pre-loading information from the (relatively slow) main memory and passing it to the processor on demand.


  • Chipsets-
  • The NorthBridge (also called the memory controller) is in charge of controlling transfers between the processor and the RAM, which is why it is located physically near the processor. It is sometimes called the GMCH, for Graphic and Memory Controller Hub.
  • The SouthBridge (also called the input/output controller or expansion controller) handles communications between slower peripheral devices. It is also called the ICH (I/O Controller Hub). The term bridge is generally used to designate a component which connects two buses.


  • CPU Clock-
  • The clock synchronizes the operation of all parts of the PC and provides the basic timing signal for the CPU.


2.COMPUTER  LANGUAGES-

     You might have come accross various languages like C,C++,Python,HTM.....
    But might not know many of them and where is it used.Here is a list of various languages and its uses..

  •    C - C  is a general-purpose programming language initially developed by Dennis Ritchie. Its design provides constructs that map efficiently to typical machine instructions, and therefore it found lasting use in applications that had formerly been coded in assembly language


  • PHP-PHP is an open source server-side scripting language designed for Web development to produce dynamic Web pages. It is one of the first developed server-side scripting languages to be embedded into an HTML source document rather than calling an external file to process data.


               Python supports multiple programming paradigms, including object-orientedimperative and functional programming styles. It features a fully dynamic type system and automatic memory management.



         view this infographic for the difference



3.NETWORKING BASICS-

   Some basic Networking terminologies which most of them usually don't know are....


  • FTP-Short for File Transfer Protocol, FTP is a standard way of sending and receiving files between two computers. A good example of how FTP is used today is by web developers, who will connect to their web server using FTP and send updated versions of their web pages to the server.

  • SERVER-A computer connected to a network that other computers may or may not access. Unlike other computers on a network, a server is a dedicated computer set up for one or more purposes. For example, a user may setup a server to authenticate and allow or prohibit users from accessing a network, send/receive e-mail, manage print jobs, or host a website. For example, the Computer Hope web page is hosted on a server.

  • CLIENT-client is a computer that retrieves information from or uses resources provided by a server or main computer. Many corporate networks are comprised of a client computer at each of the employees' desks.

  • LOCAL HOST-Default name describing the local computer address also known as theloopback address. For example, typing: ping localhost would ping the local IP address of 127.0.0.1 (the loopback address). When setting up a web server or software on a web server, 127.0.0.1 is used to point the software to the local machine.

  • APACHE SERVER-The Apache project is a collaborative software development effort aimed at creating a robust, commercial-grade, feature full and freely-available source code implementation of a HTTP server. The Apache server is available for various operating systems, but is most commonly used on operating systems such as Unix, Linux, and BSD.

  • DNS-Short for Domain Name System or Domain Name Service, a DNS is an Internet or other networkserver that helps to point domain names or the hostname to their associated IP address that was introduced by Paul Mockapetris and Jon Postel in 1984. If a domain name is not found within the local database, the server may query other domain servers to obtain the address of a domain name.

4.ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS-

      Electronics components forms the very basic of all the equipments and gadgets used today.Whenever we open the inside of some equipments we find electronic components which we  usually don't know.Here is the wrking principle of a few basic components....











  • TRANSFORMER-transformer is a static electrical device that transfers energy by inductive coupling between its winding circuits. A varying current in the primary winding creates a varying magnetic flux in the transformer's core and thus a varying magnetic flux through the secondarywinding. This varying magnetic flux induces a varying electromotive force (EMF), or "voltage", in the secondary winding.







  • TRANSISTOR-transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify and switch electronic signals and electrical power. It is composed of semiconductor material with at least three terminals for connection to an external circuit. A voltage or current applied to one pair of the transistor's terminals changes the current flowing through another pair of terminals. Because the controlled (output) power can be higher than the controlling (input) power, a transistor can amplify a signal.





  • IC(Integrated Circuit)-An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit (also referred to as an IC, a chip, or a microchip) is a set of electronic circuitson one small plate ("chip") of semiconductor material, normally silicon. This can be made much smaller than a discrete circuit made from independent components.












5.CONNECTORS-


     The various equipments today have a variety of different connectors used for communication purpose  or as power connectors.Being a tech  enthusiast ine must be aware of the names of these connectors.Here are a few connectors most commonly used ..


     ......(Source-wikipedia)