Introducing the WorldTorch Project, a non profit project with the goal to define and develop technologies which will add LED lighting (and other forms of alternative lighting) to people whose current sources of light are less efficient and often dangerous. An example would be the conversion of kerosene lighting (which is expensive and dangerous) to a solar powered / LED system (clean, safe, efficient, inexpensive, renewable). We ask for your feedback and involvement in the design, testing, or any other aspect of the project. We need you to help us bring light to the rest of the world!
http://www.worldtorch.com
WorldTorch Project Background:
A year or more ago, I got started thinking about minimalist lighting systems. Threads along the lines of ‘my sister is going into the Peace Corps, what should she bring?’ got me thinking of maximum efficiency small-scale solar systems. Just enough light to make life better with minimum cost or other burdens.
Research took several directions as you might guess. Of most interest here is work on high efficiency driving LEDs at lower levels, levels typically ignored by most CPFers. This work lead, amongst other places to the ‘discovery’ that small changes in level weren’t significant, I found a factor of 4 (‘two f stops’) a reasonable standard. For example, the PacLite uses twice this (16 times, four f-stops). About this time Scott came along with ‘how do you make a light to drain batteries?’ While the circuit wasn’t ideal for the use he intended (draining 123 cells) due to their already flat voltage curve and ‘unfortunate’ 3.0 Volt nominal voltage I modified my existing design to 3 levels. I then made the prototype, laid out and had boards made, built up and tested the boards for the pilot run. The idea I thought was to use the pilot run to refine the concept and test for and plan production. As pilot runs typically do. I thought we were going to ‘give’ them out, or sell them at cost not profit and get feedback. That got lost somewhere, as these things sometimes do. I don’t know who the ‘customers’ are, nor is it really fair to ask them to help with the project at this point.
There are other volunteers involved who enthusiastically embraced the root idea: Useful light in the third world... Something better than the petroleum based lighting available and something they can afford. One of those individuals is Rob Ludlow, he is responsible for making the web page happen and helping to promote the concept.
We’ve got test units on their way to field tests in India. We’re excited that this idea is starting to take form. We’re trying to tidy stuff up in all areas of this project, I’m sure you know the process. We do have a couple of things ‘up’ on the website (www.worldtorch.com ) and we’d like you good folks to come by and visit and make comments / give us some feedback:
There’s information on the circuit I used for the ‘Milkycandle’.
There is information on how to use the LM317 as a simple regulator.
Perhaps most of interest, a cheap kit ($4) of the parts necessary to make the ‘MC’ regulator (you’ll need to provide the switch). This DIY kit includes on line instructions (nearly done) so you can see what you’re up against (or get the parts elsewhere and make it). In the Gallery section there’s photo of the top and bottom view of the completed board (under half an inch by one, smaller than a 123 cell), also a 12 LED array the circuit later drove quite well on 12 Volts.
It’s our hope; by ‘selling’ the kits (at what we hope is our real costs), is to get the parts and idea out. So folks can come back with improvements and comments so we collectively can make life better for folks we’ll never meet. In the end, the folks that will use this, and benefit from it, will probably not be able to pay for it, no matter how modest we can keep the cost. Someone else, somewhere else, will have to pay that price for them no doubt.
So, that’s the long of it. The short of it is we’d like it very much if you’d come visit the website, maybe buy a kit or two and build them up and try it out. Join our forum so we can share ideas (or even discuss them here?). The important idea is to please contribute your ideas to this project; it’s for ‘a good cause’.
Thanks in advance,
Doug Owen
http://www.worldtorch.com
WorldTorch Project Background:
A year or more ago, I got started thinking about minimalist lighting systems. Threads along the lines of ‘my sister is going into the Peace Corps, what should she bring?’ got me thinking of maximum efficiency small-scale solar systems. Just enough light to make life better with minimum cost or other burdens.
Research took several directions as you might guess. Of most interest here is work on high efficiency driving LEDs at lower levels, levels typically ignored by most CPFers. This work lead, amongst other places to the ‘discovery’ that small changes in level weren’t significant, I found a factor of 4 (‘two f stops’) a reasonable standard. For example, the PacLite uses twice this (16 times, four f-stops). About this time Scott came along with ‘how do you make a light to drain batteries?’ While the circuit wasn’t ideal for the use he intended (draining 123 cells) due to their already flat voltage curve and ‘unfortunate’ 3.0 Volt nominal voltage I modified my existing design to 3 levels. I then made the prototype, laid out and had boards made, built up and tested the boards for the pilot run. The idea I thought was to use the pilot run to refine the concept and test for and plan production. As pilot runs typically do. I thought we were going to ‘give’ them out, or sell them at cost not profit and get feedback. That got lost somewhere, as these things sometimes do. I don’t know who the ‘customers’ are, nor is it really fair to ask them to help with the project at this point.
There are other volunteers involved who enthusiastically embraced the root idea: Useful light in the third world... Something better than the petroleum based lighting available and something they can afford. One of those individuals is Rob Ludlow, he is responsible for making the web page happen and helping to promote the concept.
We’ve got test units on their way to field tests in India. We’re excited that this idea is starting to take form. We’re trying to tidy stuff up in all areas of this project, I’m sure you know the process. We do have a couple of things ‘up’ on the website (www.worldtorch.com ) and we’d like you good folks to come by and visit and make comments / give us some feedback:
There’s information on the circuit I used for the ‘Milkycandle’.
There is information on how to use the LM317 as a simple regulator.
Perhaps most of interest, a cheap kit ($4) of the parts necessary to make the ‘MC’ regulator (you’ll need to provide the switch). This DIY kit includes on line instructions (nearly done) so you can see what you’re up against (or get the parts elsewhere and make it). In the Gallery section there’s photo of the top and bottom view of the completed board (under half an inch by one, smaller than a 123 cell), also a 12 LED array the circuit later drove quite well on 12 Volts.
It’s our hope; by ‘selling’ the kits (at what we hope is our real costs), is to get the parts and idea out. So folks can come back with improvements and comments so we collectively can make life better for folks we’ll never meet. In the end, the folks that will use this, and benefit from it, will probably not be able to pay for it, no matter how modest we can keep the cost. Someone else, somewhere else, will have to pay that price for them no doubt.
So, that’s the long of it. The short of it is we’d like it very much if you’d come visit the website, maybe buy a kit or two and build them up and try it out. Join our forum so we can share ideas (or even discuss them here?). The important idea is to please contribute your ideas to this project; it’s for ‘a good cause’.
Thanks in advance,
Doug Owen
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