Hand Crank Generator

(first year)

Designed and built a portable hand-crank battery charging system as part of an engineering team project. The device uses a manually powered generator to charge a battery while measuring voltage, current, power transfer, and battery status in real time. A microcontroller and LCD display were integrated to monitor system performance and indicate when charging was complete. The project involved circuit design, programming in Python/CircuitPython, hardware integration, testing, and prototype development within a custom housing. Through this project, I gained experience in embedded systems, data acquisition, power electronics, and engineering design.

Skills Learned

  • Designing and building a hand-crank battery charging system that converts mechanical energy into stored electrical energy.

  • Programming a microcontroller in CircuitPython to collect measurements, process data, and control system outputs.

  • Testing and validating charging system performance through data collection and functional verification.

  • Creating electrical schematics and integrating electronic components into a cohesive system architecture.

  • Collaborating within an engineering team to design, prototype, test, and present a complete engineering solution.

Components

  • Microcontroller board – coordinates measurements and controls the display.

  • INA219 measurement board – reads the solar panel and load voltage and current.

  • Charge controller – safely charges the 3.7 V, 1200 mA battery.

  • Character LCD – displays system status and measured values.

  • Breadboard wiring – connects and prototypes all components together.

  • DC motor – functions as a generator, converting mechanical energy from the hand crank into electrical energy for battery charging.

  • Gear train – increases the rotational speed of the generator relative to the hand crank, improving electrical power generation efficiency.

  • Bearings – reduce friction in rotating components, allowing smoother operation and more efficient transfer of mechanical energy.

  • Battery – stores the electrical energy produced by the generator and serves as the charging target.

  • Custom housing – supports and protects the electrical and mechanical components while providing a compact, user-friendly design.

Video of hand crank generator working - battery had already been fully charged causing it to display the output voltage from the batter