Hand crank radio

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Revision as of 13:41, 7 September 2012

Figure 1. Kikkerland Dynamo Solar and Crank Emergency Radio, Green
Figure 1. Kikkerland Dynamo Solar and Crank Emergency Radio, Green

Contents

Executive Summary

Stakeholders and Product Needs

There are four main stakeholders concerned with this product: consumers, distributors / retailers, manufacturers and transporters (shipment). Each of the stakeholders have different needs as listed below.

Consumers

The Kikkerland Solar Radio Crank is directed toward household consumers who are concerned about their carbon footprint or natural disasters (which may cause extended power outages). Based on our user studies, these are some areas that consumers feel the radio can be improved on.

  • Cheaper product price
  • Clarity & loudness of radio
  • Size
  • Durability & reliability
  • Efficiency of solar cell & crank (i.e. number of rotations to minutes of radio time)
  • Ease of use
  • Weatherproof
  • Ease of tuning
  • Better signal reception
  • Fast shipping and efficient transport

Distributors / Retailers

For retailers and distributors, the following characteristics of the radio may come in handy.

  • Efficient packaging for cheap & easy transport
  • Safe packaging to protect the product functions
  • Appealing packaging to display at the store
  • Minimal waste packaging
  • Product must be in demand
  • Ease of storage (e.g. stackability)
  • High demand

Manufacturers

The Kikkerland Solar Radio Crank should meet the demands of the customer while being produced at minimum expense, and hence earning the company a better profit margin. Below are some aspects that the manufactures want in their production of the radio.

  • Less parts
  • Common materials
  • Easy assembly to reduce labor costs
  • Automated assembly
  • Standardized parts
  • Reduce shipping costs
  • Cheaper production costs
  • High demand

Shipping / Transport

For ease of transports, these characteristics are important.

  • Lightweight
  • Ease of storage (e.g. stackability)
  • Durability
  • High demand (e.g. large shipment quantities)

Usage

How It is Used

This radio requires neither a battery nor a power cord to function. For power, this radio possesses a small solar panel on its upper face as well as a hand crank on its side as shown in the figures below.

Figure 2. Front View.
Figure 2. Front View.
Figure 3. Side View.
Figure 3. Side View.
Figure 4. Back View.
Figure 4. Back View.
Figure 5. Top View.
Figure 5. Top View.
Figure 6. As shown, the red light turns on when the battery is charging.
Figure 6. As shown, the red light turns on when the battery is charging.

The solar panel allows the user to leave the radio exposed to direct sunlight and listen to their favorite station while the radio gathers solar energy. The hand crank is especially useful indoors, during nighttime, or in emergency situations where light is not directly accessible. The radio contains a dynamo generator that can store the energy created by manual-cranking and gathered from the solar panel in the 300 mAh/2.3 Ni-MH battery. Here are the steps to operate the dynamo solar radio:

  1. Rotate arm or expose radio to sun to generate energy
  • 1 min cranking = 30 min radio play time
  • 5 hours sunlight = 30 min radio play time
  1. Turn the On/Off/Volume dial
  2. Change frequencies by switching the AM/FM/WB switch
  3. Turn tuning dial to change stations
  4. Plug in headphones for headphone option

Radio Frequency Available:

  • Fm Frequency Range: 87-108 MHz
  • Am Frequency Range: 530-1600 kHz
  • Radio Frequency Range: 149-186 MHz


User Studies

The portable hand-cranked radio seemed very easy to use. However, there were a few areas of design that must be changed. For instance, the resistance of the crank motion seems to be proportional to the speed of the cranking. The faster the cranking is, the more power is generated but the bigger the resistance becomes. There is a need to be able to find a balance point between resistance in the wheels and power generated from the crank and the solar panel.

While researching this product, there were a few common themes in the review of the product. They are as follow:

  1. Direct sunlight is needed for the panels to absorb sunlight efficiently
  2. Antenna for the radio goes straight up, it does not bend
  3. If you are using the product outside in a sunny day, you never have to crank for power as the solar panel itself will provide the radio with enough power
  4. On average, 1 minute of cranking gives approximately 15-25 minutes of playing time. Or, 100 turns of the crank is equal to approximate 10 minutes of audio
  5. The radio is small and light, it fits in the palm of your hand

From these comments, it can be concluded that the energy conversion either from mechanical to electrical, or from solar to electrical, is quite efficient. With a few tweaks, it may be possible to integrate this system with other daily life appliances to convert the rolling mechanical energy into electrical energy. A cheap and portable system to recapture the energy lost from a mechanical process in our daily life may present an interesting research and business opportunity. To achieve these goals for the design process, additional understanding and research on the product must be done.

Bill of Materials

Components

Part Number Name QTY Weight (g) Function Material Manufacturing Process Image
1 Outside Screw 4 Less than a gram Hold the two cases together Stainless Steel Cold heading, Thread rolling
Figure 2. Front View.
Figure 2. Front View.
2 On / Off / Volume Indicator 1 Less than a gram Adjust speaker volume Plastic Injection molding, Printing for labels
3 Solar Panel Pad 2 Less than a gram Stabilize the solar panel Foam / Paper / Polymer Polymerization forming
4 Speaker Screw 3 Less than a gram Attaching the speaker to the front case Stainless Steel Cold heading, Thread rolling
5 Front Case 1 25.5 Holding the speaker Plastic Injection molding
6 Speaker Screen Mesh 1 8.5 Protecting the speaker from physical disturbance Steel Stamping
7 Headphone Screws 2 Less than a gram Holding headphone adapter Stainless Steel Cold heading, Thread rolling
8 Generator screws 4 (3 different kinds) Less than a gram Holding generator to the case and the gear systemi Stainless Steel Cold heading, Thread rolling
9 Antenna Screw 1 Less than a gram Holding the antenna to the case Stainless Steel Cold heading, Thread rolling
10 Hand crank collar 1 Less than a gram Stabilizing the rotational movement of the crank Steel Stamping
11 Radio Station Tuner Indicator 1 Less than a gram Indicating the frequency of the radio Plastic Injection molding, Printing for labels
12 Frequency Range Switch Knob 1 Less than a gram Indicating if the frequency range of the radio (FM / AM / WB) Plastic Injection molding
13 Back Case 1 31.2 Holding the assembly together. Where the crank is attached Plastic Injection molding
14 Antenna's Solenoid 1 Less than a gram Generating the magnetic field required for radio signal Copper Coiling, Hardening
15 Headphone Jack Assembly 1 Less than a gram Connecting headphone to the speaker Copper, Plastic, Rubber, Steel, Lead Soldering, Lithography, Masking, Depositing, Etching
16 Crank Shaft 1 2.8 Increasing the lever arm Plastic Injection Molding
17 Crank's Collar 1 2.8 Connecting crank shaft to the gear Plastic Injection Molding
18 Crank Dowel 1 Less than a gram Connecting crank shaft and collar Steel Cold rolling
19 Crank Knob 1 2.8 Making it easier to turn the crank Plastic Injection molding
20 Battery Pack 1 14.2 Storing energy for radio operation Plastic, Copper, Rubber, Nickel Metal Hydride Advanced manufacturing technique
21 Solar Panel Assembly 1 5.7 Converting solar energy to electrical energy Monocrystalline Silicon Wafer, Plastic, Lead, Rubber, Copper Soldering, Lithography, Masking, Depositing, Etching
22 Tuning Microprocessor Assembly 1 22.7 Tuning the radio frequency (FM / AM / WB) Plastic, Lead, Copper, Rubber, Semi Conducting Materials, Polymer / Wax Soldering, Lithography, Masking, Depositing, Etching
23 Volume and Power Circuit Assembly 1 8.5 Control the volume and turn on the radio Plastic, Lead, Copper, Rubber, Semi Conducting Materials, Polymer / Wax Soldering, Lithography, Masking, Depositing, Etching
24 Gear Collar Clamps 2 Less than a gram Holding the gears together Steel Stamping
25 Gear 1 1 Less than a gram Translating crank motion Nylon (self-lubricating) Injection molding
26 Gear 2 1 Less than a gram Translating crank motion Nylon (self-lubricating) Injection molding
27 Gear 3 1 Less than a gram Translating crank motion Nylon (self-lubricating) Injection molding
28 Speaker Screen 1 Less than a gram Vibrating to produce the sound Plastic / Polymer Stamping, Vacuum forming
29 Speaker Plate 1 8.5 Housing the magnet to create the vibration Steel Stamping
30 O Ring 2 Less than a gram Mounting the magnet on top of the generator Plastic Stamping
31 Gear 4 1 Less than a gram Connecting the generator to other gears Steel Hobbing
32 Gear Shaft 1 Less than a gram Connecting the generator to gear 4, Mounting gear 4 Steel Cold rolling
33 Speaker Magnet 1 2.8 Controlling the vibration of the speaker to generate the sound Metal alloys Pressing, Heating, Annealing, Finishing, Magnetizing
34 Generator Plate 1 14.2 Holding gears and generator in place Steel Stamping
35 Generator 1 11.3 Generating electricity from rotation Copper, Steel Stamping, Layering, Coiling
36 Generator Shell 1 5.7 Holding the magnet in place Steel Stamping
37 Magnet 1 2.8 Producing magnetic field to generate electricity Metal Alloys Pressing, Heating, Annealing, Finishing, Magnetizing
38 Cable 1 Less than a gram Connecting electrical components Copper, Rubber Drawing through rubber die
39 Antenna 1 8.5 Enhance signal reception Stainless steel, Aluminum, Brass Cold drawing, Die drawing

Assembly Diagram

Mechanical Function

Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA)

Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)

Design for Environment (DFE)

Manufacturing

Use

End of Life

DFE Conclusions

Mechanical Analysis

Team Member Roles

References

Images taken from:

Figure 1: www.amazon.com/Kikkerland-Dynamo-Solar-Crank-Emergency/dp/B0017S4C26/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1346370017&sr=8-2&keywords=

Retrieved from "https://wiki.ece.cmu.edu/ddl/index.php/Hand_crank_radio"
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