19-03-2014, 02:28 PM
Project Report On SOLAR VEHICLE
ABSTRACT
Now a day’s gasoline consumption seems to be much costlier than ever .The alternative energy now using for vehicles is electricity .but a state like Kerala which uses Hydral power stations for production of electricity, which is in sufficient to meet other needs. Water scarcity is the main problem for production of electricity. For solving this problem we can employ solar power which is the cheapest and easiest source of power for vehicles
Since there are only electrical components, they are much easier to repair than other cars. They are cheaper than a gasoline car. The power of electric cars is lesser than gasoline cars. But it is impossible to tell the difference between them while driving. While gasoline cars have a heavy noise, electric cars are smooth and silent while driving.
In our solar car the power source is a solar panel which provides power and making the roof of the vehicle. The power from solar panel is controlled by a charge controller unit based on op-amps and fed into a lead- acid battery. The driving mechanism is a D.C motor which is the heart of the vehicle .Power transmission system is a conventional gear box and the throttle of the vehicle is controlled by a PWM (pulse width modulation) controller.
INTRODUCTION
Vehicles are used to carry people, objects, etc from one place to another. And they have been using for years by men. The number of vehicles has been increasing over the years all over the world. Many vehicles are poorly maintained and several have inadequate pollution control equipments resulting in the release of greater amount of carbon monoxide and other polluting gases
Carbon monoxide is one of the most serious air pollutants. It is a colorless, odorless gas, highly poisonous to living beings because of its ability to block oxygen to the organs and tissues. It is produced as a result of incomplete combustion of fossil fuels like coal, petrol, diesel, etc. from automobile through exhaust
Pollution, noise while working, maintenance are main disadvantages of gasoline powered vehicles. A solution for this problem is to use electric vehicles which are zero polluting, low maintenance, seldom noise while working.
Electricity is produced by different types of methods but is very costly. A state like Kerala mainly gets electricity from hydro power plants and thermal power plants. But the seasonal availability of water and the cost naphtha make the production costlier.
Sun is an abundant source of energy which is clean, silent, limitless, free, zero polluting, and there is no transmission losses. The light energy from sun can be converted into electricity by photovoltaic conversion. Statistics says that if 0.1% of solar energy is converted at efficiency of 10% it would be 4 times greater than the world’s generating capacity of about 3000GW.And it is expected that in future majority of our energy needs will be met solar energy.
Photovoltaic’s modules consists of multi crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells which produces electricity when light falls on it. The modules are covered with outer glass layer to enhance the optical performance of the unit. Solar cells can be mounted on the body of vehicles to absorb energy and the electricity thus produced can be used to run the motor to drive the vehicle.
By making necessary alterations on the vehicle it will be beneficial for handicapped, fish merchants etc.
NON CONVENTIONAL ENERGY Sources
Energy generated by using wind, tides, solar, geothermal heat, and biomass including farm and animal waste as well as human excreta is known as non-conventional energy. All these sources are renewable or inexhaustible and do not cause environmental pollution. More over they do not require heavy expenditure.
Wind Energy
It is form of energy conversion in which turbines convert the kinetic energy of wind into mechanical or electrical energy that can be used for power. Since wind power does not require the use of fossil fuels, it is considered a renewable energy source. Historically, wind power in the form of windmills has been used for centuries for such tasks as grinding grain and pumping water. Modern commercial wind turbines produce electricity by using rotational energy to drive a generator. They are made up of a blade or rotor and an enclosure called a nacelle that contains a drive train atop a tall tower. Large wind turbines (producing up to 1.8 megawatts of power) can have a blade length of over 40 meters (about 130 feet) and be placed on towers 80 meters (about 260 feet) tall.
Tidal Energy
Sea water keeps on rising and falling alternatively twice a day under the influence of gravitational pull of moon and sun. This phenomenon is known as tides. It is estimated that India possesses 8000-9000 MW of tidal energy potential.
The vast potential of energy of the seas and oceans which cover about three fourth of our planet, can make a significant contribution to meet the energy needs. Ocean contains energy in the form of temperature gradients, waves and tides and ocean current, which can be used to generate electricity in an environment-friendly manner. Technologies to harness tidal power, wave power and ocean thermal energy are being developed, to make it commercially viable
LIGHT ENERGY CONVERSION
A solar cell is an electronic device which directly converts sunlight into electricity. Light shining on the solar cell produces both a current and a voltage to generate electric power. This process requires firstly, a material in which the absorption of light raises an electron to a higher energy state, and secondly, the movement of this higher energy electron from the solar cell into an external circuit. The electron then dissipates its energy in the external circuit and returns to the solar cell. A variety of materials and processes can potentially satisfy the requirements for photovoltaic energy conversion, but in practice nearly all photovoltaic energy conversion uses semiconductor materials in the form of a p-n junction.