Design and development of a solar-powered vehicle

• Main Author: Zhou, Bo
• Other Authors: Er Meng Joo
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Mechanical engineering::Alternative, renewable energy sources
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/60203
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The title of my final year project is Design and Development of a Solar-powered Vehicle. The objective is to design a fast and stable solar model car which can be used to participate in a solar race named Alternative Energy Car Challenge Solar Prix 2014 in Singapore. The solar car is designed and implemented from scratch. A thin film solar panel rated at 6V DC is used to power the car. An adjustable joint is used to tilt the solar panel so as to make sure the solar panel is perpendicular to the sunlight. The mechanical structure used is similar with that of a real car. The two rear wheels are driven by a motor connected by the axle and bearings. The steering system in the front controls the direction of the front wheels. In addition, some electronics are used to stabilize the output of solar panel and batteries are added as alternative power source for testing. The solar car can be remotely controlled by a pair of radio control circuits. The testing was conducted after the integration all components. The car running powered by batteries was done first and later car running powered by solar panel was done also. After some adjustments the car can run persistently. Therefore we can conclude that the object of the project is successfully met.