Performance evaluation of a solar powered electric vehicle

Abstract

Solar power is one of the key source in the field of renewable energy in current world. The solar energy is converted to electrical energy by means of photovoltaic cells like as Monocrystalline silicon, Polycrystalline silicon and Amorphous silicon. The objective of this paper is to measure the efficient solar electric vehicle performance and upgrade the vehicle as per need, for the daily office-goers of the Dhaka city, so that they can cover their required distance as per need on daily basis on a reliable, environment friendly and economical car that operates on free renewable solar energy. The paper gives a brief of how the charge created in the solar panels is obtained and is carried in and out of the battery pack and is controlled using a microcontroller based charge controller to make efficient storage of charge in the battery pack. And how the stored charges from the battery drives the DC motor of the vehicle to operate using a motor controller to drive the vehicle forward and reverse and to control its speed. The paper also illustrates the wiring and mechanical concepts of the electric vehicle from top to bottom and its modification and also provides graphical representation of the component testing results with calculation derived after evaluation.