SCHOOL: School of Engineering Technology and Applied Science

DEPARTMENT: Advanced Manufacturing and Automation Technology

PROGRAM: Mechanical Engineering Technology – Design

COURSE TITLE: Project Design 2

COURSE CODE: MT - 356 - 061

PROFESSOR: XXXXX

PROJECT TITLE: Solar Car; Technical Report

GROUP MEMBERS: XXXXX

XXXXX

XXXXX

SEMESTER: Winter XXXX

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS:

ABSTRACT: ...............................................................................................................................................3

INTRODUCTION: ….…................................................................................................................................4

DESIGN CRITERIA: ....................................................................................................................................9

DESIGN PROCEDURE: ..............................................................................................................................11

DISCUSSION AND RESULTS: ....................................................................................................................17

GANTT CHART: .…………………………………...................................................................................................19

COST ANALYSIS: ......................................................................................................................................20

CALCULATIONS: ......................................................................................................................................21

CONCLUSION: ..........................................................................................................................................28

REFERENCES: ...........................................................................................................................................29

TECHNICAL DRAWINGS: ….......................................................................................................................31

2
ABSTRACT:

The solar car model we have designed has a unique drive assembly unit that has not been used

in any other solar vehicle based on our research to date. A pancake motor is part of the drive

wheel assembly and provides the power directly to the drive wheel. A steering motor is

mounted beside the drive assembly and turns a drive gear attached to the wheel assembly. As

the steering motor turns, the drive gear rotates the wheel assembly from left to right providing

the control required to steer the vehicle. A hand held remote control is used to accelerate,

stop, and steer the vehicle. A motor controller is used to relay the signal from the remote

control to the motors.

The solar car is powered by sunlight that is collected by solar panels and converted to energy in

the form of electricity. The electricity is used to power the drive and steering motors. The

design of the body of this vehicle was developed around two criteria, the shape of the solar

panels and the space required to house the drive assembly and solar components. The

materials and components used in the design are lightweight, cost effective, and functional.

DRIVE ASSEMBLY UNIT DESIGN:

3
INTRODUCTION:

History of Solar Power:

Research into solar power began in the 1800 by French physicist Antoine-Cesar Becquerel.

Becquerel observed the photovoltaic effect while experimenting with electrodes in an

electrolyte solution and saw a voltage develop when light fell upon the electrode. His

observations lay dormant for many years until Charles Fritts, using the principle of Becquerel's

observations, developed the first solar cell around 1883. This first solar cell had an efficiency of

approx 1%, and was not practical to use as an energy source.

In the 1950s, Bell Laboratories funded research into the use of a solar battery. In 1954, three

American researchers funded by Bell Laboratories, designed a silicon solar cell. The efficiency of

the cell was approx 6%. The three researchers created the first solar panels. The first public

trials of the solar panels (named the Bell Solar Battery) began with the installation of a Bell

telephone carrier system in Americus, Georgia on October 4 1955. The low efficiency panels

could not compete with the more cost effective traditional electrical systems, and future solar

research was conducted mostly by Universities and large corporations that could afford the

research and development costs.

Interest in solar technology was renewed in the 1980's as the cost of non renewable energy

began to steadily increase. The need to develop alternate energy sources that will not pollute

the planet and destroy our natural resources became a priority in the 1990, and can no longer

be ignored. If we as a civilization are to survive, we must achieve a balance in the use of energy

4
required to sustain our technological way of life, with the need to preserve the natural

environment that provides our food, water and air.

Solar Vehicles:

The first solar cars were built by Universities and car manufacturers.

A solar vehicle is powered by sunlight that is collected by solar panels and converted to energy

in the form of electricity. The electricity is used to power a motor (or motors depending on the

power requirements) that will drive the vehicle. Excess electricity not required to power the

motor, can be stored in batteries.

The first solar cars were aerodynamically designed and resembled an airplane wing to reduce

drag and minimize the power required to operate them. The design used solar cells mounted in

layers on the curved body surface of the vehicle to maximize the exposure to sunlight.

Solar car racing competitions began in the late 1980’s. The most notable solar car racing

competition is the World Solar Challenge in Australia, featuring competitors from around the

world. The North American Solar Challenge features mostly University and Collegiate team

competitions from the United States and Canada.

Honda has produced a solar vehicle that is being used for research into solar car technology.

Most of the research by car manufacturers centers on the use of solar as a battery charger for

their electric vehicles, rather than a solar operated vehicle. There are rumors that Honda and

Toyota are researching a solar car that can be produced as a cost effective passenger vehicle for

the future.

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Solar golf carts have been produced in limited quantities and seem to have a practical use

because they only operate for short periods of time, allowing the battery time to recharge in

the sun.

HONDA-SOLARCAR:

6
Our Solar Car Design:

The design concept for our solar car model is based on the research conducted on the internet

of existing solar vehicles. The best design that suited our requirements was the three wheel

solar cars built by the Colleges and Universities. It allowed the flexibility to use the unique drive

system that we designed. The rear wheel provides both the drive system and steering

mechanism in a compact, space saving design. As a result of the rear wheel drive, the two front

wheels can be fixed in place and provides stability for the vehicle.

The solar panels used in our design are mounted on the top surfaces of the vehicle. Two panels

are used for the roof; one panel is used for the hood and creates a rectangular shape vehicle.

We originally planned to design a sleek aerodynamic shaped car like the Honda Solar Car or the

other solar vehicles designed by the universities, colleges or vehicle manufacturers but later

abandoned this idea due to the cost and time required to make this type of vehicle.

The solar components (charge controller, battery, and motor controller) are mounted in the

front half of the vehicle near the front wheels, and convert the energy collected by the solar

panels to electricity required to power the drive and steering motors. The drive assembly unit

is mounted in the rear half of the vehicle.

This is a basic overview of our design. The design details will be discussed in the Design Criteria

and Design Procedure section of this report.

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Advantages of a solar vehicle:

 A clean source of energy that will not pollute the air

 No gas pump is required and no issues of running out of gas on the highway

 Reduced dependence on foreign suppliers and market volatility due to gasoline supply

shortages

 Solar cars are quiet and do not require an engine and a muffler system

 No exhaust fumes are produced eliminating the need for expensive exhaust systems

Disadvantages of a solar vehicle:

 Solar panels are not very efficient and require a large surface area to produce a small

amount of power

 Sunlight is required to provide power (operating the vehicle in minimal sunlight or at night

may drain the batteries before they can be recharged)

 Batteries required are expensive and the technology for refurbishment or disposal is

minimal to date

 Solar vehicles are currently more expensive to produce than conventional vehicles

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DESIGN CRITERIA:

The main design criterion for this course is that our design must be no larger than three feet

wide, by three feet long and 3 feet high. As a result, an aerodynamically shaped vehicle that

could carry the number of solar cells required to produce any significant electrical power, and

still have room for the components and drive systems would not be practical. It would also be

harder to design and build in the time period allotted for this course.

The second criterion that must be met was to have an original concept incorporated into the

design. After completing our research, a design for a unique drive assembly unit not used in

any other solar vehicle to date was developed. The design incorporated the drive and steering

functions into one unit and eliminated the need to design complex steering mechanisms and

transmission systems. As a result of the rear wheel drive design, the two front wheels are not

required to turn the vehicle and can be fixed in place to provide stability for the vehicle.

The final criterion is that the design of the solar vehicle must be completed in twelve weeks.

The Principle of Operation of our solar car model is as follows: The solar panels are attached to

the frame of the vehicle. The solar panels collect the suns rays and convert them into

electricity that is collected by the charge controller. The charge controller sends the electric

charge to the battery allowing it to be charged. The current is then channeled through the

charge controller and redistributed to a variable motor controller. The motor controller will

activate or deactivate the drive and steering motors when a signal is received from the hand

held remote control. The mechanical energy generated by the motors, powers the wheels, and

steers the vehicle.

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Note: It is possible to operate the vehicle without a battery by sending the current directly from

the charge controller to the motor controller, but this is not advisable. The excess current not

used by the battery controller could not be stored, and if there is no sunlight, the vehicle would

have no power source.

It is also possible to send the current directly to the motors from the solar panel without using a

charge controller or motor controller, but this is also not advisable. The electrical charge from

the solar panels is subject to spikes in the current, and a high current spike could overload or

damage the motors.

OUR SOLAR CAR DESIGN:

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DESIGN PROCEDURE AND EQUIPMENT:

This section is a break down of the procedure used to design the solar car for this course.

After the decision was made that our team would design a solar vehicle, the first task was to

decide what type of vehicle we wanted to design. We decided to search the internet and

research the different types of solar vehicles that had been designed and built. The solar

vehicles we found ranged from small toy models, golf carts, hybrid electric solar cars, and finally

the solar cars built by Colleges and Universities and car manufacturers like Honda. We decided

to design a solar car similar to the type developed by the Colleges and Universities.

There were two issues that made us modify this decision. The first issue was the cost. The

Colleges and Universities had invested thousands and in most cases, hundreds of thousands of

dollars in solar car research. The car manufacturers like Honda had invested millions in solar

car research. We did not have the budget for this type of project as the vehicle we designed

would have to be built in our final semester. The second issue was the time constraint. It was

evident that we would not be able to design a vehicle of this complexity in one semester. Our

final decision was to design a model of a solar vehicle that could be built at a reasonable cost.

We were notified that one of the criteria for this course was to design the vehicle with a unique

feature that had not been used in any other vehicle of this type.

Our initial design concept was to use an aerodynamic design similar to the Honda solar car. We

could create a scale model of this vehicle. However a four wheel vehicle of this type would

require a complex drive and steering mechanism. The three wheeled solar cars designed by the

Colleges and Universities seemed to be less complex, and Richard had an idea that if we could

11
use the rear wheel to drive and steering the vehicle, we could further reduce the complexity of

this design and save space, weight and time. This idea would become the unique feature that

had not been used in any other vehicle of this type.

XXXXX volunteered to work on the design of the drive and steering unit. XXXXX volunteered to

design the vehicle frame and assist as required. XXXXX would research the solar panels and

solar components, and assist as required.

The research and decision making process concerning what type of vehicle to design, the

vehicle size, and the drive assembly requirements, were made in the first two and a half weeks

of the course.

Drive Assembly Unit:

The drive design proved to be challenging. The single rear wheel would have to be attached to

the frame of the vehicle, and it would have to rotate to steer the vehicle. This meant that a

swivel system would have to be used. In order for the wheel to turn it needed to be mounted

in a movable ring with an external gear attached to the ring. The external gear would be driven

by a smaller gear attached to the shaft of a motor. As the steering motor turns, the drive gear

attached to the motor would rotate the external gear attached to the movable ring. A

planetary gear with a gear ratio of seven to one was determined to be the best for our design.

Running the motor in forward or reverse would allow the wheel to turn to the left or the right.

This method would provide the control required to steer the vehicle. This steering motor

would have to be attached to the vehicle frame. A separate drive motor mounted to the

movable ring would have to provide the power to the rear wheel to accelerate and stop the car

12
in order for this design to work. A traditional motor would be difficult to mount to the movable

ring. Research on the internet found a company named “Printed Motor Works” that made a

pancake motor that could be used in this application. The shaft of the pancake motor was

perpendicular to the motor face, allowing the motor to be easily attached to a bracket. The

bracket would be attached to the movable ring of the drive assembly. The rear wheel would be

mounted to the shaft of the drive motor. The motor was sold as a package with all the

components ready to mount to the wheel and the support bracket. The motor specifications

were downloaded and the design of the drive assembly was completed.

The Drive Assembly Unit was secured to a 1/4” Aluminum Plate that would be fastened to the

vehicle frame.

With the completion of this design, the solar car had a compact, efficient, and relatively simple

drive and steering mechanism that met the requirement of a unique feature for our project.

The final design of the drive assembly unit was completed in week ten of the course.

The motor and gear specifications are listed in the Appendices section of this report.

Solar Panel and Components:

The Solar panel and components required for this design also proved to be a challenge. The

research began with trying to find the type of solar components needed to provide power to

operate our solar vehicle. A document from The Cypress Institute entitled “Solar Car Design

Guide” provided the information needed for our design. The document contained an electrical

schematic of a working solar panel complete with components. This schematic was for a full

13
size solar car and was more complex than we required for our design, however, it provided the

information required for our solar panel and component design.

The first step was to find the solar panels and then choose the components that would meet

the requirements. The Flexible solar panels that would fit around a contoured vehicle frame

were originally considered. This type of panel was not suitable and could not be used, as the

flexible panels only had a five percent efficiency rating. It would have required a large number

of panels to provide sufficient power, and would have required a very large surface area on the

vehicle. Individual solar cells were considered as the next alternative. While it was possible to

get individual cells with the high efficiency rating required, the individual cells were not

practical. The cells are flat and cannot be bent. Placing flat cells on the contoured surface of

our model vehicle would be difficult and time consuming. Another issue was the electrical

wires would have to be connected individually to each cell and then connected to the charge

controller. If there is a problem with the connections it could take a long time to find the bad

connection and fix it. The final decision was to use flat panels and design the shape of the

vehicle around the panel or panels.

Trying to find a solid solar panel to design a vehicle around was a challenge. Finding a single

solar panel that would provide the power requirements for the vehicle size specifications of this

project was not easy. Research included companies like Sanyo and other industry leaders in

solar technology. One web site (Wholesale Solar.com), sold high efficiency solar panels and all

of the components and wiring required to complete the design. Three high efficiency panels

were chosen as they would deliver more charge to the battery than the use of a single solar

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panel, and still meet the size requirements of our solar car model. The Charge Controller and

the Battery required were also available from this company at a reasonable price. The Motor

Controller was not sold by this company but a search on the internet revealed a company called

“Signal Consulting” that had the type of motor controller we required.

The Battery, Charge Controller and Motor Controller were secured to a 1/8” Aluminum Plate

that would be fastened to the vehicle frame.

Two Solar Panels formed the roof of the vehicle and the third solar panel formed the vehicle

hood. The design of the vehicle resembles an SUV or family style van and not the contoured,

racing style vehicles like to the Honda Solar Car. This was necessary in order to design a

working solar car model.

The Solar Panel and Solar Component specifications are listed in the Appendices section of this

report.

The Vehicle Frame:

Most of the Solar Car is made from Aluminum 6061 T6 as it has the same yield strength as 1010

Cold Rolled Steel (CRS) at approx 1/3 of the weight of steel. The Support Frame for the solar car

is made from Aluminum Angle. The Side Body Panels that support the three Solar Panels are

made from Aluminum Sheet. The Rear and Front Body Panels are made from balsa wood as

they do not support any weight. The two Front Wheels are Aluminum as is the Wheel Housing

that attaches the wheels to the vehicle frame. The Wheel Shafts are 4140 Alloy Steel. The

shafts need to be made of steel as they must be able to withstand the shear stress of the

15
vehicle weight. Another reason for using steel is that the Aluminum Wheel will bind when

turning on an Aluminum shaft, therefore a different metal like steel is required to prevent this.

The Wheel is held on the Shafts by Surclips on both sides of the Wheel. There are two

Aluminum Plates mounted to the Support Frame of the vehicle that holds the Drive Assembly

Unit and the Solar Charging and Control components. The Aluminum Plates are the minimum

size required to hold the components. Aluminum sheet that covered the entire “Floor” of the

vehicle would have increased the weight beyond the limit required. It was critical to keep the

vehicle weight to a maximum of fifty pounds. If the vehicle were to weigh more, the motors

used would not have enough power to accelerate and steer the car. The vehicle will be bolted

together using Button Head Cap Screws and Flat Head Cap Screws and Nuts. It is easier to use

bolts instead of welding as the vehicle can be taken apart easily if modifications are required

during the construction phase. It is also cheaper to use bolts, as aluminum welding is a

specialty process that we do not have the equipment at the College to perform, and it is

expensive to contract the work to a welding company.

The Solar Panels used determine the length and width of the Vehicle. The panels are 16.5

inches by 10.7 inches. Using three Solar Panels gives a vehicle size of approx 16.75 wide (16.5

inches plus the Side Body Panels), by 33 inches long (10.7 x 3 plus the Rear and Front Body

Panels). The Overall Height of the vehicle is approx 6.9 inches. This is to accommodate the

height of the Steering Motor and Solar Components plus the thickness of the Solar Panels.

The Vehicle Frame specifications are listed in the Appendices and Drawing sections of this

report.

16
DISCUSSION:

The Solar Car presented a number of challenges to our group. Deciding on the type of vehicle

to design and build occupied the first two weeks of this course. After this decision was

finalized, another two weeks to three weeks was spent researching the type of vehicle frame,

drive and gear systems, solar cells, panels, and the solar components required. It was quickly

realized that it would not be possible to design a solar car within the hours assigned to this

course, and still ensure that we had a good, working design.

For the Drive Assembly Unit, two other designs were considered and abandoned due to short

comings that would not allow us to meet the requirements of this course. The current design

was the result of many hours of research and design modification before we were able to

achieve a working design.

The same is true for the solar panel requirements. There were many solar panel specifications

that were considered and discarded before a working solution was found. While there is a lot

of information available, and many solar panels from different manufacturers, it was time

consuming finding a reasonable combination that we could use in this design.

The vehicle frame was modified twice before using the current design. It was changed as the

Solar Panel and Drive Assembly systems were changed.

The components we are using still have issues that could not be solved before the end of this

course.

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Issue # 1: The drive motor used cannot generate enough power to move the vehicle if the

vehicle weight exceeds fifty pounds.

Issue #2: The current draw from the pancake motor is approx 6 amps. The three solar panels

together generate approx 2 amps of charge. The Solar Panels cannot supply the charge needed

to run the motors without the Battery. The Battery will have to supply the charge to the

motors to run the vehicle, and then the solar panels can recharge the battery when the car is

not being used. Due to the drain on the battery, the vehicle can only be operated for short

periods of time before recharging. This is a working design if the vehicle can be operated for

short periods of time and the Battery recharged over a longer period of time.

Additional research and time would have been required to address these issues, however, the

course ended before these issues could be resolved.

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 GANTT CHART FOR THE SOLAR CAR DESIGN:

1/11/2010 1/21/2010 1/31/2010 2/10/2010 2/20/2010 3/2/2010 3/12/2010 3/22/2010 4/1/2010 4/11/2010

Research
Design Sketch
Approval Form
Preliminary Drawings
Presentation 1
Calculations List
Final Drawings
Presentation 2
Technical Report
Final Presentation

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 COST ANALYSIS FOR THE SOLAR CAR:

GPN9LR Drive Motor $250.00

Steering Motor: $150.00

3 Solar Panels ($108.00 per Panel): $324.00

Charge Controller: $30.00

Motor Controller: $60.00

Battery: $19.00

Materials for the Vehicle Body (Price is approximate): $100.00

TOTAL PRICE: $933.00

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CALCULATIONS:

This section contains the main specifications and calculations used in the design of our solar

vehicle.

KINEMATIC CALCULATIONS:

Maximum Theoretical Speed, Thrust Force and Climb Angle:

The maximum theoretical speed (V max) is given by:

V max = (motor rpm at rated load) x (gear reduction) x (wheel circumference)

V max = 3000 rpm x 2π rad ÷ 60 sec x (1 ÷ 7) x 7(0.0254) π

V max = 25 m/s

The maximum Driving or Thrust Force (F max) is given by:

Torque = F max x gear reduction x perpendicular distance

0.2Nm = F max x (1 ÷ 7) x 3in x 0.0254m/in

F max = 18.37 N

If the available driving force is 18.37 N, then the climb angle (θ) must be such that the vehicle

weight acting down the slope is less than 18.37 N. Therefore sin θ < 18.37 N.

21
Planetary Gear Calculations: Formulae:

Diametral Pitch Pd = No Teeth on Gear/Pitch dia. Gear 20

Pinion Diameter (in) D= Pitch Diameter + 2 Addendum 1.1

# of Teeth on Pinion Given 20

Pitch Diameter of Pinion (in) Dp = No of Teeth/ Diametral Pitch 1

Gear Diameter (in) 9.1

# of Teeth on Gear 180

Pitch Diameter of Gear (in) Given 9

Pressure Angle Standard 20 Degrees

Gear Ratio # of Teeth on Pinion/# of Teeth on Gear 0.1111111

Circular Pitch (in) p = Pitch Diameter/ No of Teeth 0.1570796

Centre Distance (in) (# of Gear Teeth + # of Pinion Teeth)/2Pd 5

Addendum (in) 1/ Diametral Pitch 0.05

Dedendum (in) 1.25/Diametral Pitch 0.0625

Whole Depth (in) Addendum + Dedendum 0.1125

Working Depth (in) Addendum * 2 0.1

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 MOTOR SPECIFICATIONS:

GPN9LR MOTOR:

Peak Torque 250 Ncm

Cont. Torque 25 Ncm

Cont. Power 75 Watts

Motor Constants: Motor Ratings:

Speed < 1 to 6000 rpm Voltage 12.0 Volts

Voltage 2.5 V/krpm Current 11.4 Amps

Torque 2.4 Ncm/amp Torque 25.0 Ncm

Damping 1.2 Ncm Speed 2887 RPM

Resistance 0.42 Ohm Power 75 Watts

GPN9LR MOTOR REQUIREMENTS:

1hp = 746 Watts = 550 lb.ft / sec (A 1hp motor will move 550 lbs, one foot, in one second)

Our solar vehicle weighs 46 lbs. Therefore 1 hp will move 46 lbs approx 10 feet in one second.

The motor is rated at 75 watts. Therefore 75W ÷ 746 W/hp = .1 hp, (or 1/10 of a horsepower)

The motor at 1/10 horsepower should move a 46 lb vehicle, approx one foot in one second.

23
The motor is rated at 75 Watts continuous power. The manufacturer’s specifications list a

current rating of approx 6.25 Amps under continuous operation.

SOLAR PANEL SPECIFICATIONS: Model Number BSP 10.

The manufacturer’s specification for the solar panel lists: one Solar Panel will supply 10 Watts

of output power at 17.3 Volts and .58Amps.

Three solar Panels = .58Amps x 3 = 1.74 Amps.

Therefore, three Panels connected in parallel will provide 17.3 Volts at 1.74 Amps or 30 Watts

of Power. See the Schematic Diagram on Pg 24A for Details.

BATTERY SPECIFICATIONS:

Lead Acid Battery (Rechargeable):

Battery Rating: 12 Volts @ 7.2 Amps per hour.

Conclusion: The Drive Motor is using 6.25 Amps per hour. The Battery has a charge at 7.2

Amps per hour. The Battery charge will be reduced after one hour to 0.95 (7.2A – 6.25A). The

Battery will be able to power the vehicle for approximately one hour before running out of

charge. If the Solar Panels deliver 1.74 Amps of charge to the battery, it will take approximately

4 hours for the solar panels to recharge the Battery (1.74 Amps x 4.14 hours = 7.2 Amps).

24
CALCULATION OF FORCES EXERTED ON CHASSIS OF SOLAR CAR

(F B D)

FRAME - 8 LBS

SOLAR PANELS - 15 LBS

MOTOR ASSEMBLY - 10 LBS

ELECTRONICS - 10 LBS

TOTAL WEIGHT OF SOLAR CAR 45 LBS

-45.74 +RA +RB+RC =0

RA+RB+RC = 45.74

71.25 + RB + 32.11 = 45.74

RB = 6.505

66.4 + 170 + 170 – ( 17 RC) 41.6 + 120 -22.16 =0

-17 RC -22.16 + 568 =0

RC =32.11

13.85 + 50 – (5RC) +35.1 75 – (10 RA) + (13.85) – 0.1 + 50 = 0

- 5 RC -10 RA + 237.8 =0

-5RC -10 RA = -237.8

- 160.55 -10 RA = - 237.8

- 10RA =- 237 + 166.55

RA = 7.125

See the Drawing on Pg 25A for the location of the reaction forces.

25
 Deflection and Bending forces Exerted on the Solar Car Chassis

Formula: Y = -W(L-2a)³/384EI [5/L (L-2a) - 24/L (a²/L-2a)]

Y = -46(32-2(8))³/384(10.6 x 10⁶psi)(0.19 in⁴) [5/32 (32-2(8)) - 24/32 (8²/32-2(8))]

Y = 0.00012 in

Shear Stress Exerted on the 3/8 Diameter (4140) Wheel Shafts

Shear Stress Formula: τ = F/A τ = 46 lbs/π(0.375)²/4 in² τ = 416.5 psi

Design Stress Formula: (Sy)(0.5)/N

Design Stress = (60,000 psi)(0.5)/3 Design Stress = 10,000 psi

OK, Shear Stress (416.5 psi) < Design Stress (10,000 psi)

Tensile Stress Exerted on the 1/4-28 SHCS

Tensile stress formula: σ = F/A σ = 164/2 / π(.25)²/4 in² σ = 742 psi

σₐ = 120,000 x 0.75 = 90,000 psi

Torque (T) = KDP T = (0.2)(0.25)(0.75 x 120,000 x 0.364) T = 164 psi

OK, Tensile Stress (742 psi) < σₐ (90,000 psi)

26
 VEHICLE WEIGHT CALCULATIONS

MATERIAL SPECIFICATIONS: All manufactured parts are made from Aluminum (Al.) 6061 T6 (Density = .098 lb/in³)

BILL OF MATERIALS

WEIGHT
ITEM QTY DESCRIPTION 6061 T6 STANDARDS SIZE (lbs)
1 2 Frame Side Bracket Weight = .289 lb/ft 1/8 x 1.0 x 1.0 Al. Angle x 32.1 1.5
2 2 Frame End Bracket Weight = .289 lb/ft 1/8 x 1.0 x 1.0 Al. Angle x 16.25 0.75
3 1 Frame Middle Bracket (Left Side) Weight = .289 lb/ft 1/8 x 1.0 x 1.0 Al. Angle x 32.1 0.75
4 1 Frame Middle Bracket (Right Side) Weight = .289 lb/ft 1/8 x 1.0 x 1.0 Al. Angle x 32.1 0.75
5 2 Side Body Panel Weight = .289 lb/ft 1/8 x 6.9 x 32.1 Al. Sheet 4.5
6 1 Front Body Panel Weight = .1 lb/ft 1/16 x 3.0 x 16.75 Balsa Wood 0.1
7 1 Rear Body Panel Weight = .1 lb/ft 1/16 x 5.0 x 16.75 Balsa Wood 0.15
8 2 Front Wheel Housing Weight = .289 lb/ft 1.0 x 1.0 x 1.5 Al. Bar Stock 0.75
9 2 Front Wheel Shaft Alloy Steel 4140 ø3/8 x 1.625 Al. Round Stock 1.5
10 2 Front Wheel Weight = .289 lb/ft ø6.0 x .375 Al. Round Stock 1.25
11 1 Component Mounting Base Weight = .289 lb/ft 1/8 x 12.0 x 8.0 Al. Sheet 1.25
12 1 Rear Drive Wheel Weight = .289 lb/ft ø6.0 x .375 Al. Round Stock 0.5
13 1 Chassis (Drive Mounting Base) Weight = .289 lb/ft 1/4 x 12.0 x 15.0 Al. Sheet 2.5
14 1 Turret Ring Weight = .289 lb/ft ø9.75 O.D x ø7.0 I.D x .375 Al. Round Tubing 0.25
15 1 Main Motor Bracket Weight = 4.50 lb/ft 1/4 x 4.25 x 7.0 Al. I-Beam 2
16 1 Steering Motor Bracket Weight = .289 lb/ft 2.75 x 3.5 x 4.0 Al. Bar Stock 1
17 3 Solar Panel Purchased 10.5
18 1 Lead Acid Battery Purchased 6
19 1 Charge Controller Purchased 1.25
20 1 Motor Controller Purchased 1.5
23 1 Pancake Drive Motor Purchased 2
24 Pancake Motor Components Purchased 1.5
25 1 Steering Motor Purchased 2
26 Steering Motor Components Purchased 1.5
TOTAL VEHICLE WEIGHT 45.75

27
CONCLUSION:

The main objective of this assignment was to design a working model of a Solar Vehicle with a

unique design feature. This objective was achieved. The solar car will run for short periods of

time and it does have a unique drive and steering system not used in any other solar vehicle

design that our group is aware of.

The work load was distributed as evenly as possible, and all sections of this project was

researched and designed as thoroughly as possible, within the time constraints of the course.

This design is not perfect, as noted in the discussion section of this report. Given additional

time, these issues could have been resolved.

As a team, we learned a lot about how to design and build solar vehicles. It has raised our

awareness about the alternatives to the gasoline engine we take for granted as the main source

of transportation in our modern society. In designing a working solar vehicle in approximately

15 weeks we are now aware that if there is enough commitment by car manufacturers, it is

possible to find green alternatives to the gasoline engine.

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REFERENCES:

Textbooks and Articles:

Machine Elements in Mechanical Design: Robert L. Mott: Pearson - Prentice Hall.

Principles of Electric Circuits: Thomas L. Floyd: Pearson – Prentiss Hall.

Fundamentals of Vehicle Dynamics: Thomas D. Gillespie: Society of Automotive Engineers.

Machinery’s Handbook: Eric Oberg, Franklin D. Jones and Holbrook L. Horton: Industrial Press.

The Cypress Institute; Solar Car Design Guide: N. Sophocleous: Document Ref. Cyl/SVR/002

Websites: The websites listed below are the main websites used in our research. These

websites had links to other websites that contained some relevant information. However, most

of these secondary websites had information already available on the main sites listed below.

http://www.google.ca/solarcars/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_vehicle/

http://www.designboom.com/

http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/

http://www.printedmotorworks.com/

http://www.wholesalesolar.com/

http://www.signalconsultingllc.com/

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http://www.sanyo.com/

http://www.siliconsolar.com/

http://www.bostongear.com/

http://www.google.ca/planetarygears/

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TECHNICAL

DRAWINGS

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