Energy conservation of Electric Hybrid Rickshaw with PV support

Abstract

In Bangladesh, The most used mode of public transportation is the rickshaw. This Is because of its itinerary, time flexibility and door--‐to--‐door services. Since, Considerable fraction of population in Bangladesh uses the rickshaw and a major part of underprivileged population are either directly or indirectly dependent upon the rickshaw--‐pulling profession, the necessity of modernizing this mode is evident.

Newly designed green electric rickshaw was invented which eliminated manual labor of Rickshaw puller and increased their daily income but one of the main disadvantages of these rickshaws is that it has to recharged almost everyday. These vehicles use up the energy stored in the battery, at the end of the day the battery has to be recharged from the national grid. Due to present deficiency of power already prevailing in the country, the government has banned this rickshaw due to its high power consumption.

Our thesis describes a research and development project of Control and Applications Research Centre (CARC), BRAC University, aiming to show the conservation of energy for these green fuel--‐free vehicles by PV assistance. This involves the installation of PV panels on top of the vehicles so that, when at rest, the battery can be charged by this panel. During motion, the PV panel and the battery will simultaneously run the motor. Thus, this Also involves the development design and algorithmic implementation of a charge controller. Additionally, the structure for panel installation is also sought. The goal being the overall power needed from the ‘mother’ grid being reduced.