DOI: https://doi.org/10.15368/theses.2012.213
Available at: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/892
Date of Award
12-2012
Degree Name
MS in Electrical Engineering
Department/Program
Electrical Engineering
Advisor
Taufik
Abstract
The DC House project at Cal Poly State University faces a challenge of supplying DC voltage to household appliances. Each appliance in the DC House constitutes a DC load that has a unique voltage and power rating, hence the need to develop a smart DC wall plug that will automatically adjust to the operating voltage required by any DC load. This thesis entails a proof of concept design of the smart DC wall plug which can automatically detect an appliance’s voltage rating. The design employs a dc-dc converter in conjunction with a microcontroller to sense load current to properly adjust the required load voltage. Hardware implementation to demonstrate the functionality of the smart wall plug was developed. Results performed on several dc loads show that the smart wall plug is able to adjust to the required load voltage within an acceptable range. An algorithm to improve the accuracy was attempted and presented along with the results. Further recommendations to improve the current design will also be discussed.
Included in
Controls and Control Theory Commons, Electrical and Electronics Commons, Power and Energy Commons, VLSI and Circuits, Embedded and Hardware Systems Commons