The document presents information about solar cars from a seminar given by Soumyasankar Pradhan. It defines a solar car as an electric vehicle powered by solar energy collected from solar panels. It discusses the history and first solar car invented in 1955. The key components of a solar car are described as the solar array, power trackers, electric motor, speed controller, chassis, battery and wheels. The document outlines the working principles of solar cells and arrays and how they convert sunlight into electrical energy to power the motor and charge batteries to run the car. Advantages are listed as reduced pollution and energy costs while disadvantages include high initial costs and limitations in cloudy weather.

1. SOLAR CAR
SEMINAR ON:
PRESENTED BY:
SOUMYASANKAR PRADHAN
REGD. NO:1201109163
DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
PARALA MAHARAJA ENGINEERING COLLEGE,BERHAMPUR

2. CONTENTS
 What is Solar Car?
 History of Solar Car
 Components of a Solar Car
 Mechanism
 Advantages
 Disadvantages
 Application
 Conclusion
 Reference

3. What is a Solar Car?
 A solar vehicle is an electric vehicle powered by a
type of renewable energy, by solar energy
obtained from solar panels on the surface of the
vehicle.

4. History of Solar Car
 First Solar Car was invented in 1955 by Willam G. Cobb.
 That was called “SUN MOBILE”.
 It had 12 PV cells and the size was about 12 inch.
Sun Mobile(first solar car)

5. Components of a Solar Car
 SOLAR ARRAY
 POWER TRACKERS
 ELECTRIC MOTOR
 SPEED CONTROLLER
 CHASSIS
 BATTERY
 WHEEL

6. Solar Cell
 A solar cell converts solar energy to electrical energy.
 Photons in sunlight provide the energy that moves electrons from one layer of
a semi-conducting metallic wafer to another.
 The movement of the electrons creates a current.
 The most common solar cells function by the photovoltaic effect.
 “Photo” means light and “Voltaic” means electrical current or electricity.

7. Working Principle of Solar Cell
 When sunlight falls on the PV Cell, it absorbs the energy from photons
and free the electrons from the Semi-conductor.
 A flow of electrons takes place which produces an electricity.

8. Solar Array
 The array is made up of many (often several hundred) photovoltaic solar
cells.
 It collects the direct sun radiation and converts to electricity.It is the
main source of power to the Solar Car.
 The power produced by the solar array varies depending on the weather,
the sun's position in the sky, and the solar array itself.

9. Power Trackers
 Power trackers condition the electricity coming from the solar array to
maximize the power and deliver it either to the batteries for storage or to
the motor controller for propulsion.
 When the solar array is charging the batteries, the power trackers help to
protect the batteries from being damaged by overcharging.

10. Electric Motor
 An electric motor is a device using electrical energy to produce mechanical
energy.
 An electric motor is the basic and the most important part of a solar car.
 It should work with optimal power and the efficiency should be high.
 It is used to drives the wheels.

11. Battery
 After the power tracker convert the energy to the energy that is usable for
the car, it send to the battery then the battery store the energy.
 This energy is send to the motor and controller to make the car run.

12. Speed Controller
 The purpose of a motor speed controller is to take a signal
representing the demanded speed, and to drive a motor at that
speed.
 The controller may or may not actually measure the speed of the
motor.
Speed Controller

13. Chassis and Wheels
 The primary challenge in developing an effective solar car chassis is to
maximize the strength and safety, but minimize the weight.
 However, safety is a primary concern and the chassis must meet stringent
strength and safety requirements.
 The wheel should be Light weight and should posses good road grip.

14. Mechanism

15. Advantages
Reduced
Polution
Reduced
Energy Cost
Produce less
noise
Unlimited
Source

16. Disadvantages
High initial
Cost
Lesser speed than
regular car
Less efficient in cloudy
weather
Limited to Solar
regions only

17. What Will Happen if There is No
Sunlight?
 If there is no sunlight,
the emergency
batteries will be used.
Example in the
situation that there
was a large cloud cover
the sky, this emergency
batteries will be used.

18. Applications
 This concept can be utilized to build a single sitter four wheel vehicles in
practice.
 It can be extended to more commercial form of four wheeler vehicle.
 In industry where small vehicles are used to perform light weight conveys
work from one place to other place.
 It can be used places where, fuel based vehicles are banned due to
production of pollution and noise

19. Conclusion
 Solar Car would be an amazing advancement in future car technology.
 They would allow free and pollution less travel with unlimited accessibility.
 If some minor drawbacks associated with Solar Car can be rectified, then for
sure Solar Car will play a vital role in future transportation.

20. Reference
 www.wikipedia.com
 www.solarcar.Stanford.edu
 www.technologystudent.com
 www.auto.howstuffsworks.com
 www.solarcar.engine.umich.edu

21. ANY QUERIES
???

22. Thank YOU