Project on Solar Car

Solar Car
Our world is going to face serious energy shortages in the near future. High energy consumption and the ever-increasing world population will force residents to confront the critical problem of dwindling domestic fossil energy supplies. Renewable energy technologies that have the potential to provide future energy supplies include: biomass systems, hydroelectric systems, hydrogen fuel, wind power, photovoltaics, solar thermal systems, and passive and active heating and cooling systems.Solar energy technologies, paired with energy conservation, have the potential to meet a large portion of future worlds needs. The use of solar energy is, however, expected to grow. Before widespread use, however, improvements are needed in the photovoltaic cells to make them economically competitive. Test photovoltaic cells that consist of silicon solar cells are currently up to 21% efficient in converting sunlight into electricity. A solar car is a solar vehicle used for land transport and uses solar technology to propel. Solar cars combine technology typically used in the aerospace, bicycle, alternative energy and automotive industries. The design of a solar vehicle is severely limited by the amount of energy input into the car. Most solar cars have been built for the purpose of solar car races. Exceptions include solar-powered cars and utility vehicles. The solar car gets its energy from solar cell. The solar cell panel generates an electrical charge that is stored in a battery and used to provide energy as the vehicle is driven. The lighter the vehicle, the less energy used and the farther the vehicle will travel. In cloudy days, or at night, energy can be drawn from reserve batteries.

Materials Checklist: Before start making solar car one need to make sure that they have all the items listed below. This kit has the supplies to build at least one type of solar car model. Solar cars may be propelled using a pulley/ rubber band method or some types of interlocking gears.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Solar Cell DC motor Rear Slicks Front Wheels Traction Bands (for non-geared slicks) Eyelets or washers Straw Wood Sheet

9. Basswood 10. Motor Mount (With straps if needed)

1. Solar Cell
The solar array consists of hundreds of photovoltaic solar cells converting sunlight into electricity. In order to construct an array, PV cells are placed together to form modules which are placed together to form an array.[3] The larger arrays in use can produce over 2 kilowatts (2.6 hp).

The solar array can be mounted in several ways:

Horizontal. This most common arrangement gives most overall power during most of the day in low latitudes or higher latitude summers and offers little interaction with the wind. Horizontal arrays can be integrated or be in the form of a free canopy. Vertical. This arrangement is sometimes found in free standing or integrated sails to harness wind energy.[5] Useful solar power is limited to mornings, evenings, or winters and when the vehicle is pointing in the right direction. Adjustable. Free solar arrays can often be tilted around the axis of travel in order to increase power when the sun is low and well to the side. An alternative is to tilt the whole vehicle when parked. Two-axis adjustment is only found on marine vehicles, where the aerodynamic resistance is of less importance than with road vehicles. Integrated. Some vehicles cover every available surface with solar cells. Some of the cells will be at an optimal angle whereas others will be shaded. Trailer. Solar trailers are especially useful for retrofitting existing vehicles with little stability, e.g. bicycles. Some trailers also include the batteries and others also the drive motor. Remote. By mounting the solar array at a stationary location instead of the vehicle, power can be maximised and resistance minimized. The virtual grid-connection

however involves more electrical losses than with true solar vehicles and the battery must be larger. The choice of solar array geometry involves an optimization between power output, aerodynamic resistance and vehicle mass, as well as practical considerations. For example, a free horizontal canopy gives 2-3 times the surface area of a vehicle with integrated cells but offers better cooling of the cells and shading of the riders. There are also thin flexible solar arrays in development. Solar arrays on solar cars are mounted and encapsulated very differently from stationary solar arrays. Solar arrays on solar cars are usually mounted using industrial grade double-sided adhesive tape right onto the car's body. The arrays are encapsulated using thin layers of Tedlar.

2. DC motor
A DC motor is an electric motor that runs on direct current (DC) electricity. DC motors were used to run machinery, often eliminating the need for a local steam engine or internal combustion engine. DC motors can operate directly from rechargeable batteries, providing the motive power for the first electric vehicles. Today DC motors are still found in applications as small as toys and disk drives, or in large sizes to operate steel rolling mills and paper machines. Modern DC motors are nearly always operated in conjunction with power electronic devices. In DC motor, operation is based on simple electromagnetism. A current-carrying conductor generates a magnetic field; when this is then placed in an external magnetic field, it will experience a force proportional to the current in the conductor, and to the strength of the external magnetic field. The internal configuration of a DC motor is designed to harness the magnetic interaction between a current-carrying conductor and an external magnetic field to generate rotational motion.

3. Rechargeable Batteries
A rechargeable battery, storage battery or accumulator is a group of one or more electrochemical cells. They are known as secondary cells because their electrochemical reactions are electrically reversible. Rechargeable batteries come in many different shapes and sizes, ranging anything from a button cell to megawatt systems connected to stabilize an electrical distribution network. Several different combinations of chemicals are commonly used, including: leadacid, nickel cadmium (NiCd), nickel metal hydride (NiMH), lithium ion (Li-ion), and lithium ion polymer (Li-ion polymer). Rechargeable batteries have lower total cost of use and environmental impact than disposable batteries. Some rechargeable battery types are available in the same sizes as

disposable types. Rechargeable batteries have higher initial cost, but can be recharged very cheaply and used many times.

4. Propulsion Systems:
Propulsion systems include using a solar cell and toy motor with a:

Gear drive Pulley and Rubber band drive Direct Coupling

Advanced students are encouraged to experiment with different size pulleys, and gears if available. Basic Tools Required These items may be required to build the solar vehicle:

Craft knife, used to cut or trim soft wood. White glue, wood glue or glue gun Soldering Iron, needed if you need to solder wires. Pliers, used to connect and twist wires together if needed Rulers, used for measurements Pencil, used for marking

Safety Recommendations During the construction of the solar vehicle, the following safety precautions should be observed.

Wear safety glasses Use care with sharp cutting blades Avoid touching the tip of the glue gun or soldering gun Put safety first

Standard Assembly Steps Step 1:

Construct the basic car chassis with 4 wheels Cut a strip of wood that is 2" (5cm) wide. Mark the location of axles by drawing two lines, one on each end of the car, parallel to the front or back side. On the axle lines, mark two points that are 1/4" (6mm) away from each side. Insert one eye screw in each of the points. Eye screws are used to hold the axles. Insert the axle and make sure it is level and it can spin freely. If necessary, adjust the eye screws. Cut some plastic tubes or straws and use them as the spacer in both sides. Insert the wheels. Wheels may be inserted while the axle is in position. You can also insert the axle into one wheel and then pass it through the eye screws. At the end your simple car will look like this. You can use it the way it is or you can turn it over as shown in the picture bellow. In the model shown here, the gears are built in the rear slicks (rear wheels). With plain wheels, you had to insert a pulley or gear in the same axle with one wheel. If you don't need to install pulleys or gears, continue with step 2. To mount a pulley or gear next to one wheel, it is a good idea to cut some space for that on your chassis; otherwise, one wheel will stand out and your model will not have a symmetrical shape. The size of this space may vary depending on the size of your pulley or gear. (3/8" x 1 1/2" cut is shown in this example) This is how a pulley or gear may be mounted beside one of the wheels. The pulley or gear must have a hole matching the axle diameter and must feet snugly. Some pulleys and gears require a plastic insert and some drilling in order to adapt the diameter of the axle you are using. After mounting, make sure that the wheels can spin freely. If necessary, mount a metal washer between the spacer and eye screws.

Other methods of mounting the axle You may not have eye screws for mounting the axles. This is an alternate method for mounting wheels and axle. Insert the axle in one wheel, slide a washer onto it. Insert a 5 1/2" straw over it and finally insert another washer and another wheel. Your final wheels and axle will look like this. Hold the straw and spin the wheels. Make sure the wheels can spin freely. If necessary, make some adjustments. Cut 4 pieces of 2" (5cm) long wood strips and glue them about 1/5" (5mm) apart where you want to mount the axles. Insert the axle in the space between the strips and secure them in place using some glue. Cover it with a strip of cardboard or heavy construction paper. Note that the glue will touch the straw, not the axle. This is how the bottom of your car will look like after covering the axle holder with a strip of paper.

Step 2:
Mount the motor Insert the small gear or pulley onto the motor's shaft. Place the motor on the self adhesive motor mount and strap it securely and snugly. Place the motor on the car while the car is on a flat surface. Move it towards the gears until the gears engage. Mark the location of the motor. Avoid too much pressure on the gears because it will increase the friction and make it difficult for the car to move. If you use pulleys to transmit force, motor must be mounted away from the pulley so that the rubber belt is slightly stretched. Carefully peal off the protective cover of the adhesive pad. Make sure you will not remove the adhesive pad itself. Place the motor where you already marked. Push it down firmly to stick in place.

Step 3:
Mount the solar panel Place the solar panel on the car. Connect the solar panel to the motor (if they are not already connected). The solar panel may be mounted horizontally or slanted. It may be secured in place using a few pieces of clear tape.

Take the car outside in a sunny location and test it. Does the motor run while you have the car in your hand? Do the wheels spin? Now place the car on a smooth flat surface so that the solar panel is faced to the sun. Does it run on the ground? You can test your car indoor by replacing the sunlight with a strong portable light you may buy from a hardware store. Just position the lamp about 2 feet above the car and see how it works. For best results the portable lamp must have at least a 120 Watt bulb and a reflector. The final solar car you make may be different based on the materials you use, the design implementation and additional decorations you may add. Decoration may include wooden or cardboard pieces you can add or paints you may use.

Alternate Assembly Procedure for gear driven solar car

The following steps relate to the construction of the basic solar vehicle.

1. Make sure your kit contains the items listed. 2. Locate the grid planning sheet in the kit. 3. Using a pencil and ruler, design the body of the vehicle and propulsion
system. Remember, the lighter the vehicle's body, the further it will travel. 4. Locate the balsawood sheet from the kit 5. Transfer the vehicle body pattern to the balsawood. 6. Using the craft knife and straight-edge, carefully cut out the vehicle body.

8. Locate the straw from the kit. Also get scissors and glue gun. 9. Cut straw in half 10. Using the glue gun, attach the straws to the bottom of vehicle, one at each end 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.
(parallel to the end) Locate the axles through each straw. Push one wheel into each axle. Insert and axle through each straw. Carefully place the remaining wheel onto each axle. Note: This completes construction of the basic solar vehicle. Locate the solar cell Panel and the required parts for the propulsion system chosen gears, pulleys, propeller, or rubber band. (Gears are supplied, Pulleys and propellers are optional. Assemble and attach the propulsion system as designed. Finish your solar racer as desired using paint, markers, etc.

18. Race the assembled vehicle on a flat surface in a sunny day.