A solar vehicle is powered by solar energy, usually through photovoltaic panels that convert sunlight directly into electric energy. Solar vehicles include solar cars for races, as well as experimental electric vehicles, boats, aircraft and spacecraft that use solar power. While not yet practical as everyday transportation, solar vehicles demonstrate solar energy technologies and their applications may expand in the future as costs come down and efficiencies increase. Challenges for solar vehicles include their limited range without sunlight and high production costs compared to gasoline vehicles.

1. SOLAR VEHICLE.
PRESENTED BY:-
KOKILA PATEL - 17
MAYUR THAKRE – 52
VARUN LAMBA – 27
SHANTANU BHOPLE – 31
GAURAV JADHAV – 57

2. INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS A SOLAR VEHICLE ?
A solar vehicle is an electric vehicle powered completely or significantly by direct solar
energy. Usually, photovoltaic (PV) cells contained in solar panels convert the sun’s energy
directly into electric energy. The term "solar vehicle" usually implies that solar energy is used
to power all or part of a vehicle's propulsion. Solar power may be also used to provide power
for communications or controls or other auxiliary functions.
Solar vehicles are not sold as practical day-to-day transportation devices at present, but are
primarily demonstration vehicles and engineering exercises, often sponsored by government
agencies. However, indirectly solar-charged vehicles are widespread and solar boats are
available commercially.

3. SOLAR CAR
 Solar cars depend on PV cells to convert sunlight into electricity to drive electric motors. Unlike
solar thermal energy which converts solar energy to heat, PV cells directly convert sunlight into
electricity. EXAMPLE -Ned, constructed in 1999 by the South Australian Solar Car
Consortium, can speed up to 120 km/h.
 The design of a solar car is severely limited by the amount of energy input into the car. Solar cars
are built for solar car races. Even the best solar cells can only collect limited power and energy
over the area of a car's surface. This limits solar cars to a single seat, with no cargo capacity, and
ultra light composite bodies to save weight. Solar cars lack the safety and convenience features of
conventional vehicles.

4. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
 Electric vehicle conversion and Aftermarket kit The Venturi Astrolab in 2006 was hailed as the world's first
commercial electro-solar hybrid car, and it was originally due to be released in January 2008. Toyota Prius uses solar
cells to generate up to 240 watts of electrical power in full sunshine. This is reported as permitting up to 15 km
extra range on a sunny summer day while using only the electric motors.
 Features – Power mode , Economy mode , PWR mode.
Aerodynamic shape and design .
Extra Solar panel can be added on the roof.
 It has a Solar panel and electric battery , the solar panel converts the sunlight directly into electric energy and
charges up the car . The car also has a CNG and a Petrol/ Diesel tank . The car run on electrical energy from 0-40
kms . Then it runs on CNG gas from 40-60 Kms . Then from 60-240 kms it runs on either petrol or Diesel. An
unconfirmed report in January 2009 stated that Toyota is working on an all-solar vehicle.

5. SINGLE-TRACK VEHICLES
 A solar bicycle or tricycle has the advantage of very low weight and can use the
riders foot power to supplement the power generated by the solar panel roof. In
this way, a comparatively simple and inexpensive vehicle can be driven without the
use of any fossil fuels .
 Example:-Solar photovoltaics helped power India's first Quadricycle developed
since 1996 in Gujarat state's Surat city.

6. SOLAR SHIPS
 The race to go green is on in the shipping industry. Not only is the price of oil soaring, but
more and more stress is being put on the shipping industry to decrease its carbon emissions and its
harmful affects on the global environment. This has led shipping companies to turn to sources of
a renewable energy to power their vessels. Two Japanese companies have taken the initiative to
tackle this important issue saying that they plan to begin work on the first ships to have propulsion
engines partially powered by solar energy.
 Example :-`Tûranor Planet Solar Europe’ Ship is fully using the sun as a source of energy.
Sunlight on the 825-some solar panels installed on its wings extended, which can generate electricity
up to 93.5 kilowatts. Lithium-ion batteries in both the float to move the ship at night and enough to
pass through three full days without sunlight. A computer controls the flow of energy into the
batteries and motors that drive the propellers 1.8 meters long yacht.

7. SOLAR POWERED SPACECRAFT
 Solar energy is often used to supply power for satellites and spacecraft operating
in the inner solar system since it can supply energy for a long time without excess
fuel mass. A Communications satellite contains multiple radio transmitters which
operate continually during its life. It would be uneconomic to operate such a vehicle
(which may be on-orbit for years) from primary batteries or fuel cells, and refueling
in orbit is not practical. Solar power is not generally used to adjust the satellite's
position, however, and the useful life of a communications satellite will be limited by
the on-board station-keeping fuel supply.

8.  A few spacecraft operating within the orbit of Mars have used solar power as an
energy source for their propulsion system. All current solar powered spacecraft use solar
panels in conjunction with electric propulsion, typically ion drives as this gives a very high
exhaust velocity, and reduces the propellant over that of a rocket by more than a factor
of ten. Since propellant is usually the biggest mass on many spacecraft, this reduces
launch costs. Other proposals for solar spacecraft include solar thermal heating of
propellant, typically hydrogen or sometimes water is proposed. An electrodynamic tether
can be used to change a satellite's orientation or adjust its orbit.

9. ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT
 An electric aircraft is an aircraft that runs on electric motors rather than
internal combustion engines, with electricity coming from fuel cells, solar
cells, ultracapacitors, power beaming, and/or batteries. Currently flying electric
aircraft are mostly experimental demonstrators, including manned and unmanned
aerial vehicles. Electrically powered model aircraft have been flown since the
1970s, with one report in 1957.

10. EXAMPLE:-
 HELIOS project was a part of NASA's ERAST programme (Environmental Research Aircraft
and Sensor Technology). It was developed by NASA and Californian company AeroVironment Inc.
ERAST programme develops pilotless solar powered airplane technology. The HELIOS
construction is based upon its predecessors like NASA's solar plane Pathfinder, which was
successfully tested a few years prior to HELIOS. Due to its speed HELIOS was able to flew over
the same spot for days or weeks, therefore, in the future such aircrafts could substitute
communication satellites. In the test flight on 13th August 2001, HELIOS reached the height of
almost 30,000 meters. HELIOS was a slow airplane - if you ride a bicycle fast, you are quicker than
HELIOS. It was a remotely controlled plane with no crew weighting less than most cars.
However, it flew higher than any other plane powered solely by solar energy.

11. L I M I TAT I O N S A N D C H A L L E N G E S
 Solar cars don’t have speed or power that regular cars have.
 Solar powered cars can operate only for limited distances where there is no sun.
 If it is dark out for many days, the car battery will not charge and you this can
seem as a problem to many problem. This is the main reason why people don’t
rely on solar cars.
 A good solar powered car is expensive. It will cost $200,000 or more.
 Parts used in solar cars are not produced in large quantity so they are expensive

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