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Tal,

Without knowing your exact exhibit, and what you're trying to get across,
it's hard to figure out alternatives, BUT it seems to me that you either
have to increase the energy density of your light source (aka you need
higher output lights), decrease the weight of your car, decrease the voltage
requirements of your motor or you could "fake it."  Essentially you could
use one set of solar cells along with transistor circuit that regulates the
power the car gets from another source.  This other source could be provided
by onboard batteries that you recharge at night, or it could be provided
through the track itself (if you set it up like a slot car or a train
track).  We were looking at doing a similar thing, where the whole thing
would be powered by large solar panels placed outside that would charge up
batteries.  Then the small internal solar panels would regulate the amount
of electricity the units would take from the batteries.  We never did finish
that unit though.  I saw one exhibit (I think in Arizona) that featured a
car with a solar cell on it that ran in an exhibit.  Try calling Arizona
Science Center to see how they made that work.

-William

William Katzman			[log in to unmask]
Director of Exhibits			(828) 322-8169 x307
Catawba Science Center		(828) 322-1585 (fax)
"Try not to become a man of success, but rather to become a man of value"
-A. Einstein


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-----Original Message-----
From: Tal Berman [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Wednesday, June 07, 2006 9:26 AM
Subject: Re: Energy Exhibit Ideas?

ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
****************************************************************************
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OLE_LINK1OLE_LINK2We at the Israel National Museum of Science are in the
stage of planning an Energy exhibition, an exhibition with a series of
"Alternative Energy Sources" exhibits - wave energy, energy tower, wind
power, hydroelectric power, geothermal energy and nuclear energy as well as
some fossil energy exhibits. 

In of the exhibits in the solar energy part of the exhibition is a small
solar car. The selling commercial solar panels do not have enough power
output to make the car run. Can you advise me as to ways of solving this
problem?

 

Thank you

Tal

 

___________________________________________

 

Tal Berman; Ph.D.

Head of the Exhibits Wing

Israel National Museum of Science; Daniel and Matilde Recanati Center

25  Shmaryahu Levin St.; Haifa, 31448; ISRAEL.

Tel: +972-4-8628111 ext. 252; Fax: +972-4-8679103; Cell': +972-54-6115577

Email: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>; Site: http://mustsee.org.il

 

Always remember, a bad day at sea is better than a good day in the office

 


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