Future Solar Electric Vehicle Charging System

Abstract

One of the front runners in the area of renewable energy resources today is solar power. Photovoltaic cells are used to convert solar
energy in to useful electrical energy. The objective of this paper is to construct an efficient solar car, for the daily office commuters
of city so that they can travel a fixed distance that they need to commute everyday on a reliable and economical car that essentially
runs on free renewable solar energy. The paper illustrates how the charge generated by an array of solar panels is received and its
flow in and out of a battery pack is to be controlled using a microcontroller based charge controller to ensure efficient storing of
charge in a battery pack. The stored energy would be divulged to a DC motor which would run the car. The design of a motor
controller to control the car’s speed and forward/reverse direction of motion is shown. The mechanical construction from scratch of
the chassis along with all necessary mechanical systems is illustrated. Finally the wiring of the electrical system onto the
mechanical body is demonstrated.