Solar vehicle to 'Go Green Glow Green'

With non-renewable energy sources getting exhausted, renewable energy has become vital in today's world.

In such a scenario, a solar vehicle could be the solution to save non-renewable sources of energy. What a solar vehicle does is use energy that is stored in a battery after charging it from a solar panel. These batteries can be used to drive the motor which moves the vehicle. This may help save the fuel.

An innovative two-seater-three-wheeler solar vehicle called 'Go Green Glow Green'' SET- 3 (Solar Electric Transmission) is developed in Bengaluru by Byre Gowda G, a mechanical engineering student from Alvas Institute of Engineering and Technology.

Aluminium Alloy, which is lightweight, has been used to make the vehicle. It reduces 60-65% of the weight as compared to other Mild Steel Vehicles (MS). The advantage of Aluminium Alloy is that it has design flexibility, is corrosion-resistant and can be recycled.

The lithium battery in the vehicle is charged with the solar panel fixed on the vehicle for three to four hours. The solar panel used is mono-crystalline silicon type of photovoltaic which has an average efficiency of 10% to 12.%. The additional electric port will help charge the vehicle in 90 minutes.

The compact design protects the vehicle from the rain. With a single passenger, the vehicle has a capacity of 70-80 km mileage and a speed of 45 km/hr. If there are two passengers, the mileage will come down to 65-70 km and the speed to 38 km/hr.

The average speed of the vehicle, with a single passenger, is 30km/hr. With two passengers, the average speed would be 28 km/hr.

The vehicle has two wheels in front and one in the back. For safety reasons, a drum brake is provided on the front-side wheels.

A sensor is used in the vehicle as alarm and the GPRS for locating the vehicle. The central locking system will operate with remote control and not with a key.

"So far no company has come forward to take up the project. In the space occupied by one Swift car, four solar vehicles can be parked. Its unique compact design works as a two-wheeled vehicle. In the future, I am planning to put the flexible solar panel on top of the vehicle. This will increase 10-12% efficiency. The tilting and twisting mechanism can also be developed,'' says Byre Gowda. "At a time, when fuel prices are skyrocketing, this solar vehicle can be of great help up to a level," he added.

The advantages of the vehicle

• The vehicle is eco- friendly
• Suitable for cities and towns
• No noise pollution
• Requires less parking area
• Compact in design and is flexible
• Most preferred in traffic zones
• It has zero emission level and no pollutants like CO2, CO, NOX
• Can be used off the roads as well
• The overall cost of the vehicle is Rs 1,48,000. For mass production, the cost ranges from is Rs 75,000 to 80,000

The scope of the project

• This vehicle is an alternative way to exhaust fossil fuel energy
• It has less maintenance and is simple in design
• There is no fuel consumption

Disadvantages

• The cost factor
• Welding (Using the TIG welding method with the Miller Syncrowave 350LX welding machine)
  

( Byre Gowda G is a mechanical engineering student from Alvas Institute of Engineering and Technology in Mijar, Moodbidri, Mangaluru. [e-mail])