Solar electric ambulance van unfolding medical emergencies of rural Bangladesh

Abstract

Rickshaws are a key mode of transportation in Bangladesh. When it was changed to electrically-assisted ones, it achieved prevalence but was soon banned because of overconsumption of power from the national grid. In determination, Control and Applications Research Centre (CARC), BRAC University has proposed the idea to give a complete off grid course of action by using the PV array, torque sensor pedal and solar battery charging station. Since a significant number of people live in the rural areas, the probability of reaching the hospitals in the towns is low because of absence of proper mode of transportation. The torque sensor pedal decreases the over-usage of battery-bank. The control structure lessens the human effort and curtails over-usage of motor. 400W PV panel share power with the battery bank and the solar battery charging station completely detaches itself from the national grid. Previous model called 'The Human Hauler' implemented these techniques but our modifications made the entire system more efficient. We have achieved up to 25% increase in total distance travelled and 37% increase in speed. Further modifications to chassis with five wheels made the vehicle stable. This paper comprises of the configuration and usage of the thought proposed via CARC.