Electric vehicle range is very important while designing an electric vehicle energy storage system. So an energy storage system must be designed according to the vehicle power, torque required and speed of the vehicle. So the capacity and energy must be according to vehicle parameters. But there will be range anxiety i.e. the discharge time of the battery is a problem. Due to load variations and speed variations battery will drain fully before the expected time which is calculated theoretically. So to avoid this problem a new method is introduced in this paper. In this method the total energy requirement is calculated including the efficiency factor. Then an extra percentage is added to that and the total energy storage system capacity is fixed. Then the total energy storage system is split in to two as main battery pack and auxiliary pack. Then the first part is allowed to charge fully and the next part is charged through solar panel pasted on the car body. After the charging of first part the car is started and allowed to move. When the SoC has discharged fully, main pack is cut off and the auxiliary pack is ON, simultaneously the main pack is charged. This strategy will help to improve the range of electric vehicle when compared to a vehicle without solar panel and only single set of battery pack

1. http://www.iaeme.com/IJMET/index.asp 391 editor@iaeme.com
International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology (IJMET)
Volume 10, Issue 02, February 2019, pp. 391-396, Article ID: IJMET_10_02_041
Available online at http://www.iaeme.com/ijmet/issues.asp?JType=IJMET&VType=10&IType=2
ISSN Print: 0976-6340 and ISSN Online: 0976-6359
© IAEME Publication Scopus Indexed
SOLAR CELL BASED ALTERNATE PARALLEL
CHARGING METHOD OF LITHIUM ION
BATTERIES FOR RANGE IMPROVEMENT IN
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Dileepan V M
a
Ph.D. Scholar (Part-time-external) Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences,
(Deemed to be University), Karunya Nagar, Coimbatore-641 114, Tamilnadu, India,
a
Assistant Professor,Department of Electrical and Electronics,Sreepathy Institute of
Management and Technology,Vavanoor,Koottanad,Palakkad- 679 533,Kerala,India,
J Jayakumar
Associate Professor, Department of Electrical and Electronics, Karunya Institute of
Technology and Sciences (Deemed to be University) Karunya Nagar, Coimbatore-641 114,
Tamilnadu, India
ABSTRACT
Electric vehicle range is very important while designing an electric vehicle energy
storage system. So an energy storage system must be designed according to the
vehicle power, torque required and speed of the vehicle. So the capacity and energy
must be according to vehicle parameters. But there will be range anxiety i.e. the
discharge time of the battery is a problem. Due to load variations and speed
variations battery will drain fully before the expected time which is calculated
theoretically. So to avoid this problem a new method is introduced in this paper. In
this method the total energy requirement is calculated including the efficiency factor.
Then an extra percentage is added to that and the total energy storage system capacity
is fixed. Then the total energy storage system is split in to two as main battery pack
and auxiliary pack. Then the first part is allowed to charge fully and the next part is
charged through solar panel pasted on the car body. After the charging of first part
the car is started and allowed to move. When the SoC has discharged fully, main pack
is cut off and the auxiliary pack is ON, simultaneously the main pack is charged. This
strategy will help to improve the range of electric vehicle when compared to a vehicle
without solar panel and only single set of battery pack
Keywords: battery, charging of battery, electric vehicle, solar cell based charging,
specific energy, vehicle range, vehicle range extension..

2. Solar Cell Based Alternate Parallel Charging Method of Lithium Ion Batteries for Range
Improvement in Electric Vehicles
http://www.iaeme.com/IJMET/index.asp 392 editor@iaeme.com
Cite this Article: Dileepan V M and J Jayakumar, Solar Cell Based Alternate Parallel
Charging Method of Lithium Ion Batteries for Range Improvement in Electric
Vehicles, International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology, 10(2),
2019, pp. 391-396.
http://www.iaeme.com/IJMET/issues.asp?JType=IJMET&VType=10&IType=2
1. INTRODUCTION
The range anxiety related to electric car is a serious problem. The battery will drain even
before the designed or calculated time due to heavy current drawn during starting and also due
to load variations. This will reduce the discharging time of the battery. So a new strategy must
be found out to improve the range or discharging time of the battery. This must improve the
range of the vehicle .But increasing the size of energy storage system is not wise because total
weight of the system is also increased. So this paper presents a novel method of improving the
range of an electric vehicle using solar energy [1].
2. DESIGN OF ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC
VEHICLE
The energy storage system is done according to the vehicle parameters such as weight of the
vehicle, speed, torque and power which includes load current. So the capacity of the battery is
decided by not only the ampere hours but also the kWh of the system [2]. Here a 16 kg
vehicle is taken as the hardware scaled-down model.
2.1. Vehicle and battery parameter Design
Vehicle weight=14.9kg (with battery pack)
Vehicle dimensions= 108*54*35 cm
Tire radius =9.4 cm
Motor power= 30W
Speed =6 km/h
Battery = 12.8 V (maximum)/12V (rated); 4.5Ah; 54Wh (Lithium ion battery);
2.2. Energy requirement from calculation
Torque required =T= W (kg)* R (radius of tire)
=14.9*9.4/100=1.4006N-m.
v= 6 km/hr; N=6/(2*9.4*.001885)=169.3~ 170
P=2𝜋 NT/60 = 2*3.14*170*1.4006/ (60)=24.92 W~25W
So it is observed that the calculated energy requirement can be met by the energy storage
system. So the discharge time of the battery is Ah/A i.e. 4.5/ (30/12)) = 1.8 hours i.e. 108
minutes.
In the experiment it took 105 minutes to fully drain the battery. So it means more current
is taken due to friction, load variation, over current drawing while starting. So energy required
is 25*1.75 =43.75Wh; i.e. efficiency is 43.75/54* 100=81%. This will reduce the range or
discharge time of the battery.

3. Dileepan V M and J Jayakumar
http://www.iaeme.com/IJMET/index.asp 393 editor@iaeme.com
3. POWER SPLIT STRATEGY
In this method the total energy requirement is calculated including the efficiency factor. Then
extra 33.33% is added to that and the total energy storage system capacity is fixed. Then the
total energy storage system is split in to two in 100% and33.33 % of the original requirement.
Then the first part is allowed to charge fully and the next part is charged through solar panel
pasted on the car body. After the charging of first part the car is started and allowed to move.
When the battery is almost discharged, main pack is cut off and the auxiliary pack is ON,
simultaneously the main pack is charged .This strategy will help to improve the range of
electric vehicle when compared to a vehicle without solar panel and only single set of battery
pack [3, 4]. The proposed methodology is shown in the figure.1
Figure 1 .Block Diagram representation of the Proposed System
4. CHARGING, DISCHARGING AND PARALLEL CHARGING
ANALYSIS
In parallel charging method total energy or ampere hours required is calculated and 33.33%
extra is taken and split that set in to two. Then it is split in to two as 54 Wh pack and 18 Wh.
Then main part is charge by plug in charge-controller and remaining part is charge by solar
cells. After fully charging of main battery pack the vehicle is allowed to move. Parallel solar
charging is done for auxiliary battery pack. When the main pack is discharged to the full, then
main pack is switched off and auxiliary pack is switched ON .At the same time solar cell is
used to charge the main pack. This will improve the mileage or range of the system [5-9].
5. EXPERIMENTAL SETUP
Experimental setup consists of a car allowed to run till the battery is fully discharged. Then a
12V, 1.5 Ah batteries is added to the battery energy storage system as auxiliary power source.
This battery is charged from solar panel of 12V, 30W 1.4A (1.7A peak) with 600 grams of
weight, at the time of running. So it will be charged without stopping. The battery used here is

4. Solar Cell Based Alternate Parallel Charging Method of Lithium Ion Batteries for Range
Improvement in Electric Vehicles
http://www.iaeme.com/IJMET/index.asp 394 editor@iaeme.com
lithium ion battery. It is charged at a rate of 0.7 C .The running time of battery operated car is
100 minutes. So in these 100 minutes auxiliary battery will be fully charged. Then main
battery is cut OFF and auxiliary battery is ON. So at that time main battery is allowed to
charge.
6. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
MAIN BATTERY PERFROMANCE 4.5 Ah
Vm Im Pm Tm V
Tchg
(minutes)
Tdis
(minutes)
12 V 3A 30W 1.59N-m 12.8 85 100 m
AUXILIARY BATTERY 1.5 A h
Vm Im Pm Tm V
Tchg
(minutes)
Tdis
(minutes)
Tadd
(minutes)
Ttotal
(minutes)
12 V 3A 30W 1.59N-m 12.8 85 30m 30 130
When the electric car powered by lithium ion battery is run with a lithium ion battery of
4.5Ah it ran for about 100 minutes. When 1.5Ah auxiliary battery is connected and charged
from solar panel pasted on the electric car the auxiliary battery took 85 minutes to charge and
after 100 minutes of running the car is switched to auxiliary battery and so the car ran for
extra 30 minutes. This shows that use of auxiliary battery and solar charging unit can increase
the car range. The result is as shown in the Figure.2
Figure 2 Graphs showing improvement in discharge time with auxiliary battery and solar charging
7. RESEARCH AND FUTURE SCOPE
The method of using split battery power system and charging while running the auxiliary
battery with solar cell will improve the range of the electric vehicle. The important constraint
is the solar panel which could provide considerable charging current with light weight so that
this method can be implemented commercially [9-16].
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to thank Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences and Sreepathy
Institute of Management & Technology for supporting this research and literature survey in
all respects.

5. Dileepan V M and J Jayakumar
http://www.iaeme.com/IJMET/index.asp 395 editor@iaeme.com
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6. Solar Cell Based Alternate Parallel Charging Method of Lithium Ion Batteries for Range
Improvement in Electric Vehicles
http://www.iaeme.com/IJMET/index.asp 396 editor@iaeme.com
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BIOGRAPHIES
Mr.Dileepan VM (dileepan.vm@simat.ac.in) was born in June 1985 in Shoranur, Palakkad,
and Kerala, India. Currently he is working as Assistant Professor in EEE Dept. Sreepathy
Institute of Management & Technology, Vavanoor, Koottanad, Palakkad, and Kerala, India
since June 2010.Now he is pursuing Ph.D in Energy Storage System at Karana University
since July 2015. He completed his M.E in in Power Electronics & Drives from BIT College,
Sathyamangalam, Erode, Tamilnadu, India in 2008-2010.He graduated in B.Tech Electrical &
Electronics Engineering from Jyothi Engineering College, Cheruthuruthy, University of
Calicut in 2007. He also worked as Lecturer in Al-Ameen Engineering College, Kulappully,
Shoranur, Kerala for one year (2007-2008).He has also presented papers in 2 international
conferences and in 1 national conference in his works related to his research. He has also
published a paper in an international journal.
Jayakumar J (jayakumar@karunya.edu) received his Ph.D. degree from Anna University,
Chennai in 2010, and M.E. degree from Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai in 2002 and
B.E degree from Bharathiar University, Coimbatore in 1999. Currently, he is working as
Associate professor in Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Karunya
University, Coimbatore, India. He has published many research papers in international
journals and conferences. His research field of interest includes multimedia systems, Cloud
computing, smart Grid, power system analysis, generation and distribution, control and
modeling of the power system with flexible ac transmission systems (FACTS).