College - Author 1
College of Engineering
Department - Author 1
Electrical Engineering Department
Degree Name - Author 1
BS in Electrical Engineering
College - Author 2
College of Engineering
Department - Author 2
Electrical Engineering Department
Degree - Author 2
BS in Electrical Engineering
College - Author 3
College of Engineering
Department - Author 3
Electrical Engineering Department
Degree - Author 3
BS in Electrical Engineering
College - Author 4
College of Engineering
Department - Author 4
Electrical Engineering Department
Degree - Author 4
BS in Electrical Engineering
Date
6-2025
Primary Advisor
Taufik, College of Engineering, Electrical Engineering Department
Abstract/Summary
This project presents the design and construction of a battery charging system powered by a wind energy emulator. An adjustable-speed DC motor drive coupled to a DC generator was used to imitate a wind turbine rotating at different speeds, supplying a variable DC voltage to a custom PCB with an LTC4020, a four-switch buck-boost converter and battery charger. The converter steps up or down the input voltage, ranging from 12 to 24 volts, to safely charge a lithium-ion battery using a constant current constant voltage charging cycle (CC/CV). The system highlights the practicality and increasing use of renewable and wind-powered energy for household energy storage, aligning with the growing popularity of sustainable and off-grid power solutions. Hardware development centered on a custom-designed PCB made to operate under the converter’s system requirements, with key parameters such as inductor sizing, current sensing, and feedback control calculated from the LTC4020 datasheet design equations, further validated through LTSpice simulation. System protections, such as for overcurrent, were implemented to ensure reliability under different wind speed conditions. Final testing demonstrated consistent delivery of the desired constant current charging to the battery, confirming the converter’s effectiveness for renewable battery charging applications. This work serves as a foundation for further expansion toward real-world wind turbine integration and scaled energy storage systems for residential use.
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/eesp/690