DIY Solar Panels World

How To Make A Homemade Solar Powered Air Filter

A solar powered air filter depends on solar energy to drive the air through a series of filter mediums. Here we’ll describe how to make one from scratch and run it using solar power.

Here is a list of materials you need for this project:

1. A one-foot long PVC pipe with 6-inch diameter

2. Activated carbon and other filter medium

3. A 12-volt duct fan

4. A 12-volt solar panel

There are many designs for an air filter. You can make a simple 2-stage air filter that consist of only activated carbon and synthetic wool. Or you can build a 4-stage filter that has a pre-filter, a HEPA filter, activated carbon and a negative ion generator.

What you build eventually will depend on what you need. So it’s good to take a little time to ask yourself why you need an air filter in the first place…

Let’s talk about making a 3-stage air filter. We’ll need to find a pre-filter, a HEPA filter and some activated charcoal to get the air reasonably clean.

A pre-filter takes away large airborne particles from the air. This includes dust, pet hair and mold.

The second stage consists of a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter medium that can filter away 99.97% of all airborne contaminants that are 0.3 microns. This means it can remove dust mites, pollen, fungus and many types of bacteria.

The final stage makes use of activated carbon to remove odor. Carbon can help to clear off foul smell, chemical substances and tobacco smoke from the air.

To make this filter, you need to have a cover with holes at one end of the pipe. First, you have to put one or two layers of cloth to cover up the holes so activated carbon won’t fall through them. Then place an inch of activated carbon into the pipe.

After this is done, cut the HEPA filter so it fits the inside of the pipe snugly. Then push the material into the pipe.

You also have to cut the pre-filter material to size and push them into the pipe, making sure there are no gaps between the material and the inside of the PVC wall. After that, fit the duct fan at the end of the pipe and fasten it.

Many duct fans create some noise. Although it does not usually cause disturbance, some people want their air filter to be absolutely quiet. If this is your requirement, you can put the duct fan between the pre-filter and the HEPA filter medium.

The filter medium will help to dampen most of the vibrations and restore the quiet environment you want.

Finally, connect the 12-volt solar panel to the input of the duct fan’s DC motor. Whenever the sun shines, your solar powered air filter will make use of the sun’s energy to clean the air for you.

How to Measure the Voltage, Current, and Power of a Solar Panel

Whether you build your own solar panels or not, you must know its rating. In other words, you need to find out the voltage, current and power output of the PV panel you want to use.

Inside a solar panel, there are several solar cells that are connected in both series and in parallel configurations. Therefore you cannot determine the voltage of a solar panel simply by counting the number of solar cells.

If you are handling a commercial solar panel, all you need to do is read the ratings from the datasheet. It shows you different numbers that are important…

For example, the open and closed-circuit voltage, the open and closed-circuit current and the power output under standard illumination intensity are some numbers you have to know.

However knowing these details may not be sufficient as the ratings are measured under ideal conditions. Your solar panel is subject to a different condition at the place where you install them. Therefore you still have to make a simple measurement using a multimeter.

Before you stick the multimeter probes on the solar panel output, recall the formula you learned in high school:

Power (Watt) = Voltage (Volts) x Current (Amperes)

It is not that easy to measure the power output using a simple current or voltage meter. But we can make a calculation after we know the voltage and the current output. (Multiplying these 2 numbers give us the answer we want.)

Each solar cell gives a voltage output of about (slightly more than) 0.5 volts direct current. This is true no matter how large your solar cell is. The only difference is the output current.

Thus if you have a 12 by 2 series configuration, you’ll end up with a solar panel that gives out more than 12 volts. This is ideal for charging a 12 volt battery.

(Note: To charge a 12-volt battery, you need much more than just 12 volts.)

Interestingly, if you break a solar cell into two halves, each of them will give an output of 0.5 volts. The only difference is the output current is now halved. This is why you can use broken solar cells to make a solar panel and it’ll still work.

Other Notes:

Your home solar energy system is made up of several pieces of solar panels that are wired together in an array. If you want their voltage to add up, you have to connect them in series. If you want their current to add up, you must connect them in parallel. No matter how you connect them, the total power output remains constant.