Prepaid Electrical Distribution Box with Solar and Battery Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Households, especially those on fixed incomes, and individuals in areas without reliable electrical grids face challenges in accessing affordable and consistent electricity, leading to inconvenience and potential disconnection from essential services due to rising electricity costs and grid unreliability.
Innovation Solution
An electrical distribution box that provides metered electricity through prepaid receptacles, powered by either the electrical grid or independent sources like solar cells, with overcurrent protection and battery storage, allowing users to access electricity for a predetermined time after payment, using a timer switch and microprocessor for payment processing and power control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electricity is distributed through traditional grid connections, then households receive continuous power supply, but rising electricity costs make it unaffordable for fixed-income families
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by storing electrical energy in batteries before it is needed. The solar panels generate and store electricity during the day, so power is available during nighttime or cloudy periods without additional cost to the user, resolving the contradiction between continuous supply and affordability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of power source from grid-dependent to solar-powered with battery storage. This fundamental parameter change allows the system to provide continuous power supply while eliminating ongoing electricity costs for users, as the solar panels and batteries form a self-sufficient power system.
2Quantity of substance
If households rely on the electrical grid for power, then they have access to electricity, but grid failures and unreliability cause interruptions in power supply
Solution Approach 1:
The battery storage system acts as an intermediary between the solar panels and the load. It stores excess solar energy and provides power during grid failures or nighttime, ensuring continuous operation independent of grid reliability. This intermediary buffer resolves the contradiction between maintaining electricity access and ensuring power supply stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by generating and storing solar energy during periods when it is abundant (daytime), so that power is available during periods when the grid may fail or when solar generation is low. This advance preparation ensures reliable power supply regardless of grid conditions.
3Ease of operation
If metered electricity is sold in small increments like watts/minutes, then users can afford smaller amounts of power, but this requires a different distribution model than traditional kilowatt/hour billing
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically managing power distribution based on prepaid credits. The microprocessor monitors power consumption, tracks remaining credits, and automatically disconnects power when credits are exhausted, eliminating the need for manual meter reading and complex billing infrastructure. This self-service approach enables small increment billing while keeping the distribution model relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces traditional mechanical metering and billing systems with electronic control. The microprocessor and electronic credit system substitute for complex mechanical metering infrastructure, enabling precise tracking of small power increments and automated disconnection. This substitution simplifies the distribution model by using electronic rather than mechanical control mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables affordable and reliable access to electricity for small devices, ensuring continuous charging capabilities even during grid failures, while preventing overload and ensuring secure, prepaid usage.
Implementation Method 1
powered by either the electrical grid or independent sources like solar cells
Implementation Method 2
battery storage, allowing users to access electricity for a predetermined time after payment
Implementation Method 3
a hot spot heated to a temperature sufficient to melt a wax seal
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical distribution center includes a plurality of electrical receptacles or ports which are activated when currency is deposited into a currency receiving mechanism that is coupled to a timer switch. Electricity is provided to the receptacles for a pre-paid period of time. Thereafter, the timer switch opens to prohibit further flow of electricity to the receptacles until additional currency is deposited or credited to the electrical distribution center. The electrical distribution center may be connected to an electrical grid or include an electricity generating source such as a solar panel and associated control circuitry.