The first afternoon they sorted cells. The boxes of cells arrive with some broken so we make use of every bit we can. We explained the need to be careful of wasting cells–not to break them or to find the best use of the broken ones. The smallest can be used in Cell phone chargers, but half cells would be wasted on that size panel, so on their own they designed a new size panel, making use of the half cells, which can serve as a small business for a nomad and will charge 3 cell phones at a time. After sorting the cells, they start soldering them together in the configuration needed for a specific size panel. They are already making the new size chargers with a new wood backing and frame. We are refining our process to get the least expensive combination of effective materials. Although we have a long way to go to get cosmetic perfection–the concept is solid with our third time students and they are running the show at this point. Each older student showing those that don’t understand how to do it.
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