WarmUp Boot

Team Members

Jackson Kleeman, Class of 2019, Systems Engineer

Daniel Reiff, Class of 2019, Systems Engineer

Allen Slama, Class of 2019, Systems Engineer

Overview

No matter how thick the socks and no matter how many foot warmers you stuff into your ski boot, there are some days when the conditions are just too brittle for comfort. We aim to solve this by developing a ski boot heater that harnesses solar energy through a flexible solar panel attached to the surface of the ski, charges up a battery pack, and then powers a heating pad fitted inside the boot. And to ensure customization and to combat overheating, there will be a temperature gauge the user may interact with to adjust the temperature to his/her liking.

Objectives

• To create an efficient closed loop circuit between the solar panel and heat pad that does not lose power
• To have the heat pad work even when the solar panel is not exposed to sunlight
• To prevent the boot from overheating
• The panel boot warming system should be waterproof and unaffected by the elements
• To create a user control mechanism for the temperature of the boot that is easy to use, safe, and accurate
• To attach a solar panel onto a ski without compromising the ski’s performance

Challenges

• Learning how to use Arduino in creating a user interface for temperature control
• Encasing all exposed electrical components to not only make the product look more polished, but more importantly, to ensure the system is waterproof
• Learning how to 3-D print for encasing and potentially solar panel mounting and solar panel positioning for efficiency
• Creating an effective circuit
• Ensuring there is enough voltage in our battery pack to power the heating pad, without compromising comfort of functionality of the ski boot
• Figuring out how to attach the solar panel onto the ski in a way that is both strong yet matches the ski’s flexibility

Gantt Chart

Budget

1. Filament for 3d printer (provided)
2. Arduino (provided)
3. 2 5V heating pads- $9.90 (4.95 each)https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11289
4. 2 N Channel MOFSET- $1.90 (0.95 each) https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10213
5. Diode 10 pack-$1.50 https://www.adafruit.com/products/755
6. 10K ohm resistor 20 pack-$0.95 https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11508
7. Digital Temperature Sensor Breakout -$4.95 https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13314
8. Breadboard - Mini Modular- $3.95 https://www.sparkfun.com/products/12043
9. 330 ohm resistor 30 pack- $0.95 https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11507
10. 2 10 packs of male/male jumper wires $6.12 ( $3.06 each) http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/MIKROE-513/1471-1232-ND/4495596?WT.mc_id=IQ_7595_G_pla4495596&wt.srch=1&wt.medium=cpc&WT.srch=1&gclid=CjwKEAiA8dDEBRDf19yI97eO0UsSJAAY_yCSOmvzw4zeLBUZnSqCsXBz6Mxfu6eCiSwL7x72d9s1NxoC7Azw_wcB
11. Thin film flexible solar panel- $13.95 https://www.seeedstudio.com/2V-1W-Thin-film-Flexible-Solar-Panel-p-1856.html
12. Long Male/Female Jumper cables $4.50 http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/181940005899?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true
13. Skis/boots https://stlouis.craigslist.org/spo/5966731361.html