Project Proposal

Solar Powered Car

PV-UGC34-09
Table of Contents

Executive Summary ..2

Project Description and Goal ..3
Technical Specifications ..4
Body Shape Research ..7
Aerodynamics Research ..8
Body Shape Design 11
Final Design 18
Analysis 19
Construction Procedures 21
Division of Labor 23
References 24
Executive Summary

The objective of this project is to design and manufacture the solar car design required
by Green Server Pvt.Ltd.The design is to be manufactured as efficient and competent as
possible while adhering to all ISO 9001 standards regulations as specified by the
consultant. Materials for the panel car need to be chosen, along with the additional
features. All decisions leading up to, but not including, fabrication of a first-round
design to be completed, and it is our goal to have the final design ready for construction
by 14th September 2014. This would enable the Prime Engineering and Consultants team
to have the full solar car completed on or before 14th December 2014.

Our original plan is to construct a mold and have an initial design ready by the fourth
week of September so that we can directly move into the next stage of the final
production of the car. However, as our contact informed us all that is necessary to get
started is to produce detailed drawings of the final design. Construction or
manufacturing of the body is supposed to be the most labor-intensive part of the
production phase, so it will be done with the help of professionals. In addition to this
alteration of our initial proposal, many last minute changes will be made. Another
version of the shell design will need to be quickly created, drawn, so that we can make
sure our final product will be operatable after the production.
Project Description and Goal

The Solar Car demonstrates the energy transformations of solar (radiant) energy to
electrical and from electrical energy to mechanical (kinetic). This design eliminates the
need for fossil, carbon based fuels and their resulting CO2 emission. The Solar Car can
provides the option of running directly on solar energy or run off the battery that is
charged by the cars solar cell.

The goal for our design project is to design and manufacture a solar car and have it
prepared for fabrication. The body will have to enclose the driver, frame, and working
parts while creating a surface for the solar panels to rest on. The main constraints that we
wanted to keep in mind were the weight of the car and the drag force on the car. Flow
analysis would be done on the body shape; and materials would be selected to create the
lightest car possible.

Another important goal is to provide an adequate surface area in order to accommodate

the ideal solar cell arrangement; and therefore create the most power for the car. The
shell also needs to house the circuit which is being fixed; as safety precaution. Other
considerations for safety and race regulations would also need to be taken into account.
With these regulations in mind and an idea of the variables we couldmanipulate, and we
will prepare the design as required by the consultant.
Proposed Main Circuit Diagram
Body Shape Research

Research will be conducted by thebody shape team by investigating the websites and
designs of other designs that have been already manufactured and in existence.We are
planning to include a very thin body, shaped into a slight airfoil, with long sloping
sections to minimize the slope in all directions.
By examining the photos and specifications of previous designs by many other
developing contractors and manufacturers it became clear of which design elements will
suit this project well. This alerted us to the necessity of easily accessible and replaceable
parts, as well as depicting several options for securing the body to the frame and to itself.
The flow analysis is conducted using AUTOCAD, and several models and tables were as
follows. It is important to note that while AUTOCAD is very powerful modeling
software, the complicated geometry, the slow computers used to create these models and
the teams inexperience with the software combine to severely limit the modeling
process. Therefore, these models are 2D analyses meant only to represent the general
phenomena of design
Aerodynamics Specifications

Since we will be manufacturing a prototype design we roughly researched on the

aerodynamics that need to make the car run more efficient. Because one of the primary
goals of the project was to reduce any forces retarding the forward motion of the vehicle,
both aerodynamic dragand drag reducing devices will be investigated first.

CA V 2
Drag =
2

is the density of air,

C is the coefficient of drag,
A is the surface area of the control volume
V is the velocity of the flow.

The magnitude of the drag force is directly proportional to the total surface area of the
control volume in contact with the flow, and the coefficient of drag of the control
volume. Therefore, the smaller the surface area, the smaller the drag force on the
vehicle. Minimizing surface area, however, is not enough in of itself. The coefficient of
drag is also largely controlled by the size and shape of the body. This can be
accomplished by minimizing the cross sectional area normal to the flow. The thin cross
section must also be complemented by smooth curves from front to back, avoiding sharp
angles or sudden transitions that would disrupt streamlined flow.
All edges, regardless of their orientation with respect to flow, will create unnecessary
drag. One reason for this is that drag is a function of area touching the flow. If the
amount of shell area is reduced, then the overall drag will also be reduced.. The rear of
the vehicle should lead streamlines from the top and bottom of the car back toward one
another as gradually as possible so that the streamlines have a smooth unification with
one another behind the car
As the wheels rotate, the air near them begins to rotate as well, and when it separates
from the wheel, the air will bombard the car in different locations, and produce forces in
unwanted directions. This can be avoided by building wheel fairing around each wheel.
After drag, the effects of pressure were researched. Drag is always equal in magnitude
and opposite in direction to the torque in the tires, therefore it might seem advantageous
to incorporate some upward lift on the overall vehicle and thereby reduce the grip and
torque in the tires
Body Frame Design

The body is to be made up of two removable pieces a top and a

bottom. The bottom piece, referred to as the underbelly, would be
permanently attached to the frame and chassis of the vehicle, while
the top piece would attach to the underbelly. The ability to remove the
top section is necessary for access to the inner parts of the car and for
charging the panels at an optimum angle.

The top piece, which will be called the upper body, can be further
subdivided into three main sections. These sections include the area
in front, the area behind, and the area in between which directly in the
middle of the car. Based on the dimensions defined by the Green
Server Pvt, Ltd the design is to be of length not more than 60cm and
width, and height not more than 30cm.

To take advantage of as much surface area as possible for solar cell

placement, the full length and width of the car are to be used. The
average height of the body however, would be minimized. This will
reduce the average cross sectional area normal to the airflow,
decreasing flow separation and improving the aerodynamics of the
vehicle. To further decrease flow separation the front point of the body
would gradually increase to the maximum height, and then gradually
return to the original height at the rear of the vehicle. The gentle slope
behind the canopy to the back of the car is of special importance. If
the shell curves down too steeply behind the canopy then vortices can
form, increasing the drag of the car. This gradual sloping of the shell
would be designed to resemble a thin teardrop or an airfoil, when
viewed from the side. In other words, the underbelly will be curved
convex to the ground, coupled with a similar curve for the top of the
shell that would be concave to the ground.
The design should also be rid of all sharp angled edges, both for the
aerodynamic advantages of streamlined flow, as well as to reduce
surface area normal to any flow.

Besides fitting around the frame, the body must also fit around the
cars batteries, solar panels, motors. These parts will be housed in the
rear of the vehicle and will require the rear section of the car to be of a
certain height. This requirement will have to be balanced with
aerodynamic principles mentioned earlier.

Also of concern was the aiming of the solar cells to extract the most
energy from the sun. Assuming the final shell design is close to the
aerodynamic shape described above; the solar cells would be nearly
parallel to the ground. This would take advantage of the sunlight
during the sunniest part of the day, as was stated previously.

Final Design

One of the analyses will be done based on the center cross section of the card and
canopy design. The other analysis will be done on the cross section of the car that would
be on the left and right side of the canopy.
In order to perform the analysis, specific boundaries around the car needed to be
designated.

The dimensions of this boundary box are 30cm high by 60cm long and the body will be
positioned in this box at its actual height above the ground.Ideally, the boundary
condition dimensions should extend in all directions to the point where the flow remains
undisturbed by the control volume. However, as was stated earlier, the analysis is
intended strictly to give a basic idea of the design.

While this final drawing represents a design that achieves all of the objectives set forth
in the project goals, the design process itself might present many problems, and will
cause the design team to alter some of these goals. The final design have to successfully
enclose the frame, and working parts, while simultaneously acting as a surface for solar
cell placement. The final design should also successfully meet all of the requirements of
the ISO 9001 standards guidelines, and it should similarly manages to account for all of
the constraints given by the Green Server Pvt.Ltd.
While the shell was designed as aerodynamically sound as possible the constraints put
on this design left relatively little room for the design team to optimize the
aerodynamics. First, and most importantly, the solar modules chosen by the electrical
team might force us to go for a boxy and obtrusive body design. The gentle sloping
curves and streamlined body might have to be sacrificed for flatter sides and sharper
angles. Similarly, the frame might provide difficulties to the design team.
Proposed Drawings

Figure 1 : Chassis Drawing 1

 Figure 2 : Chassis Drawing 2

CAR SPECIFICATIONS

Body dimensions:................................................600 *

300 *300 mm.

Body weight....400g with

electronics
Solar panel ..173 mm *

500 mm
Solar panel power.5

Watts
Axle length 200 mm.
Distance between axles. 200

mm.
 Forward body overhang .80

mm.
Rear body overhang ...185

mm.
Wheel diameter ..20 mm.
Load carrying capacity500g
Working Time .120 sec
Straight Distance...10m
Diode.1N914
Rechargeable batteries .3*AA

NiMH
Battery Holder 1*3

ASSEMBLY AND OPERATION

1. Insert a rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) AA battery into the

battery compartment.
Do not use non-rechargeable batteries. The car CAN ALSO RUN WITHOUT
BATTERIES, in
Solar Cell Driven mode.
Adjust the angle of the solar panel to provide maximum direct solar
energy.
3. Slide the switch to the desired setting as follows:
4. Solar Cell Driven Mode: Place the car in a sunny location on a smooth
surface. Angle the solar Panel so that it faces the sun. The car is powered
directly by the solar panel so the battery can be removed to reduce
weight.
5. Battery Charging Mode: Place the car in a sunny location with the solar
panel angled toward the
sun. The batteries will charge at a rate that depends on the sun intensity.
Full charge may be
reached in as little as two hours.
6. Battery Driven Mode: The solar panel is disconnected from the circuit
in this setting, and the carruns on battery power alone.
7. Off: All circuits are disconnected
 Cost Analysis

The total cost for development of the motor control system prototype is $78,203.75. The
equipment needed for development totals $18,203.75; labor costs total $60,000. Table 9
below shows a breakdown of the total equipment costs

Product Description Quantity Unit Price Price

Solar Panel 1 Rs.1500 Rs.1500

DC Motor 1 Rs.500 Rs.500
1N914 Diode 2 Rs.25 Rs.50
NiMH batteries 3 Rs.150 Rs.450
LED Light 4 Rs.5 Rs.20
Battery Cover 1 Rs.200 Rs.200
Switch 1 Rs.100 Rs.100

Wires 1 Rs.200 Rs.200

Wheels 4 Rs.50 Rs.200

Building Materials (wood, plastic, 1 Rs.1000 Rs.1000
fasteners, etc.)
Rs.500 Rs.500
Other

APPROXIMATE TOTAL COST Rs.4720

NGM SC-M150 Motor (estimated) 1 $ 12000.00 $ 12000.00

Responsibility Chart

Due date Description Assigned Person

20/9 Order parts Mr. Abeywardane

30/9 Initial circuit for power logic Mr. Kaushalya

10/10 Initial circuit for control logic Mr. Sandirigama

18/10 Design Review Mr. Perera

25/10 Construct power logic circuit Mr. Sandirigama

28/10 Assemble batteries and power Mr. Kaushalya

circuit
1/11 Construct control circuit Mr. Abeywardane

10/11 Solar panel testing Mr. Kaushalya

18/11 Wirings Mr. Perera

20/11 Aerodynamics & Stability Mr. Abeywardane

review
30/11 Construction of Wheel sets Mr. Sandirigama

09/12 - 13/12 Supervising design Progress Mr. Perera

09/12 - 13/12 Communication with Mr. Eragama

Consultant
5/12 Progress Reports Mr. Eragama

10/12 Financial Review Mr. Eragama

13/12 Test and debug Mr. Kaushalya