MEKELLE UNIVERSITY

Ethiopian Institute of Technology Mekelle

School of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Solar Powered Sensor-Based Automatic Car Cabin

Cooling System

A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

By
Sr. no Name ID number
1 Hailemchael Welegerima Eitm/ur119195/09
2 Teklit Yohannes Eitm/ur119197/09
3 Getachew Tsigabu Eitm/tur003/11

Advisor: Dawit Tesfay (MSc)

Date: November 4, 2023

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 DECLARATION
We HAILEMICHAEL WELEGERIMA, TEKLIT YOHANNES AND GETACHEW TSIGABU,
declare that this thesis is the result of our work and that all sources or material used for this thesis
have been duly acknowledged. This thesis is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement
for the Bachelor‟s Degree in Mechanical Engineering at Mekelle University and to be made
available at the university‟s Library under the role of the library. We confidently declare that this
thesis has not been submitted to any other institution anywhere for the award of any academic
degree, diploma, or certificate.

Advisor
1) Dawit Tesfay Signature ___________ Date ____________

Name (students) Signature Date

1) Hailemichael Welegerima ________________ _________________
2) Teklit Yohannes ________________ _________________
3) Getachew Tsigabu _________________ _________________

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First of all, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to GOD and then to advisor Mr. Dawit
Tesfay for his series follow up throughout the project design. Finally, we would like to thank to
our friends, our brothers and roommate‟s for helping us material support and their great
contribution in doing of this project.

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 ABSTRACT
The project mainly aims to design and model car cabin cooling system using solar energy which
targets in solving the problem on reducing the high temperature inside the car cabin. The high
temperature, after the vehicle parking, the interior temperature of the car cabin increases rapidly.
It can make the vehicle interior parts to release harmful gases and this is a threat to human‟s
health. In order to overcome the temperature inside the vehicle, this paper designed a solar-
powered automatic car cabin cooling system. It also designs the components of this machine
such as solar panel and fan, and selects charge controller, battery, microcontroller, temperature
sensor, motor, relay inverter and bolt based on specifications. This project also measures the
performance analysis and cost of each component. It contains the drawing of each component
guided by CATIA software with part drawing of the components and assembly drawing of the
system. It also contains the result and discussion of the overall system. Finally, the whole thesis
ends with conclusions and recommendations.

Keywords; solar panel, solar energy, solar radiation, photovoltaic module, photovoltaic cell, air
conditioning, microcontroller and depth of discharge.

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Contents
DECLARATION .............................................................................................................................. 2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ................................................................................................................ 3
ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................................... 4
List of tables .................................................................................................................................... 8
List of figures .................................................................................................................................. 8
List of symbols and abbreviations ................................................................................................... 9
CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................................. 11
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 11
1.1 Background of the study ..................................................................................................11
1.2 Statement of the Problem ............................................................................................... 12
1.3 Objectives of the study.................................................................................................... 12
1.3.1 General Objectives.................................................................................................. 12
1.3.2 Specific Objectives .................................................................................................. 12
1.4 Scope of the Project ........................................................................................................ 12
1.5 Organization of the thesis............................................................................................... 12
CHAPTER TWO............................................................................................................................ 14
LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................................................ 14
2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 14
2.2 Air conditioning working principle ................................................................................ 14
2.3 Solar energy ................................................................................................................... 15
2.3.1 Solar cells................................................................................................................ 15
2.3.2 Photovoltaic module ............................................................................................... 15
2.3.3 Module performance ............................................................................................... 16
2.3.4 Photovoltaic cell ..................................................................................................... 17
2.4 Battery type and specifications ...................................................................................... 17
2.5 Charge controller ........................................................................................................... 19
2.5.1 Classification of controller ..................................................................................... 19
2.6 Inverter ........................................................................................................................... 20
2.7 Previous related studies ................................................................................................. 20
2.8 Summary of literature and research gap ........................................................................ 21

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CHAPTER THREE........................................................................................................................ 22
MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................... 22
3.1 Project approach ............................................................................................................ 22
3.2 Data collection ............................................................................................................... 23
3.3 Concept generation ........................................................................................................ 23
3.3.1 Concept scoring ...................................................................................................... 24
3.3.2 Concept Selection.................................................................................................... 25
3.4 Selection of types and materials ..................................................................................... 25
3.4.1 Solar panel selection ............................................................................................... 25
3.4.2 Solar charge controller selection ............................................................................ 26
3.4.3 Rechargeable storage battery selection .................................................................. 26
3.4.4 Fan type and material selection .............................................................................. 27
3.4.5 Relay (automatic switch) selection ......................................................................... 28
3.4.6 Material selection for temperature sensors ............................................................ 28
3.4.7 Motor selection ....................................................................................................... 29
3.4.8 Inverter selection .................................................................................................... 30
3.4.9 Microcontroller ....................................................................................................... 30
3.4.10 Material selection for bolt ...................................................................................... 31
3.5 Detail design analysis .................................................................................................... 31
3.5.1 Car cabin heat calculations .................................................................................... 31
3.5.2 Design of solar panel .............................................................................................. 34
3.5.3 Charge controller .................................................................................................... 39
3.5.4 Storage battery ........................................................................................................ 39
3.5.5 Design of Fan .......................................................................................................... 40
3.6 Working principle and components description ............................................................. 43
3.6.1 Working principle .................................................................................................... 43
3.7 Performance analysis ..................................................................................................... 45
3.8 Cost analysis .................................................................................................................. 46
CHAPTER FOUR ......................................................................................................................... 47
RESULT AND DISCUSSION ........................................................................................................ 47
4.1 Result .............................................................................................................................. 47
4.2 Discussion ...................................................................................................................... 48

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CHAPTER FIVE ........................................................................................................................... 49
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION ............................................................................... 49
5.1 Conclusion...................................................................................................................... 49
5.2 Recommendation ............................................................................................................ 49
References ..................................................................................................................................... 50
Appendix 1: Specifications ............................................................................................................ 53
Appendix A: Solar panel specifications .................................................................................... 53
Appendix B: Charge controller specifications .......................................................................... 54
Appendix C: Rechargeable storage battery specifications ....................................................... 55
Appendix D: Axial fan specifications ........................................................................................ 55
Appendix E: Relay specifications .............................................................................................. 56
Appendix F: Inverter specifications .......................................................................................... 56
Appendix G: Bolt specifications ................................................................................................ 57
Appendix 2: Components Drawing ............................................................................................... 57
Appendix I: Solar panel............................................................................................................. 57
Appendix II: Bolt ....................................................................................................................... 58
Appendix III: Microcontroller ................................................................................................... 58
Appendix IV: Temperature sensor ............................................................................................. 58
Appendix V: fan ......................................................................................................................... 58
Appendix VI: Charge controller ................................................................................................ 59
Appendix VII: Battery................................................................................................................ 59
Appendix VIII: Motor ................................................................................................................ 59
Appendix VX: Relay .................................................................................................................. 59
Appendix X: Inverter ................................................................................................................. 59
Appendix 3: Assembly Drawing .................................................................................................... 60

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 List of tables

Table 1 Concept scoring ............................................................................................................... 24

Table 2 average temperature data of mekelle ............................................................................... 34
Table 3 monthly mean sunshine hour of mekelle .......................................................................... 38
Table 4 cost analysis of components ............................................................................................. 46
Table 5 Result of calculated parameters ....................................................................................... 47

List of figures
Figure 1 Air conditioning work flow 14
Figure 2 solar cell structure 15
Figure 3 Sample Current Voltage graph of a Photovoltaic cell 17
Figure 4 (a) series controller (b) shunt controller 20
Figure 5 methodology flowchart 22
Figure 6 Manual car cabin cooling system using solar energy 23
Figure 7 Automatic car cabin cooling using solar energy 24
Figure 8 mono crystalline solar panel 25
Figure 9 solar charge controller 26
Figure 10 lead acid battery 27
Figure 11 axial fan 28
Figure 12 LZ series relay 28
Figure 13 DHT11 temperature sensor 29
Figure 14 brushed DC motor 29
Figure 15 KBMA Hybrid Drive™ – NEMA 1 / IP50 type inverter 30
Figure 16 Arduino microcontroller 31
Figure 17 hexagonal head bolt 31
Figure 18 Illustration on dimension of car cabin 32
Figure 19 Assumption on Design of Vehicle's Cabin 32
Figure 20 heat inside a car cabin 33
Figure 21 solar panel 34
Figure 22 Solar radiation reaching the earth’s atmosphere and the total solar irradiance 35
Figure 23 the total solar energy passing through concentric spheres 36
Figure 24 the direct and diffuse radiation incident on a horizontal surface 36
Figure 25 radiation interactions of aluminum surface exposed to solar and atmospheric
radiation 37
Figure 26 storage battery 40
Figure 27 Airfoil as used in an axial flow fan blade 41
Figure 28 axial fan 41
Figure 29 process flow of automatic car cabin cooling system using solar energy 43
Figure 30 block diagram flowchart for automatic car cabin cooling system using solar energy 44

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 List of symbols and abbreviations
𝑉=car cabin volume
𝐿 = 𝑐𝑎𝑟 𝑐𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑛 𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡𝑕
𝑊 = 𝑐𝑎𝑟 𝑐𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑛 𝑤𝑖𝑑𝑡𝑕
𝐻 = 𝑐𝑎𝑟 𝑐𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑛 𝑕𝑒𝑖𝑔𝑕𝑡
𝑄𝑐 = 𝑕𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑟 𝑐𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑛
𝑄𝑟𝑎𝑑 = 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑕𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑓𝑒𝑟
𝑄𝑐𝑣 = 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑕𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑓𝑒𝑟
𝑄𝑐𝑑 = 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑕𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑓𝑒𝑟
𝜌𝑎 = 𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦
𝐶𝑎 = 𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 𝑕𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦
𝑚𝑎 = 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑖𝑟
∆𝑇 = 𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒
𝐷 = 𝑠𝑢𝑛 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟
𝑀 = 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡𝑕𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑛
𝑙 = 𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑕
𝐸𝑠𝑢𝑛 = The radiant energy emitted continuously by the sun
𝐺𝑠 = 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑖𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒
𝐺𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 = 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑙
𝐺𝐷 = 𝑑𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
𝜃 = 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒
𝐺𝑑 = 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
𝐺𝑠𝑘𝑦 = 𝑠𝑘𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

𝜍 = 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦
𝛼𝑠 = 𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦
𝜀 = 𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦
𝐴 = 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎

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𝑃 = 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟
𝐼𝑐 = 𝑐𝑕𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡
𝐴𝑕 = 𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑕𝑜𝑢𝑟
𝑊𝑕 = 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑡 𝑕𝑜𝑢𝑟
𝐼𝑠𝑐 = 𝑠𝑕𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑐𝑖𝑟𝑐𝑢𝑖𝑡 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡
𝐼𝑐𝑐 = 𝑐𝑕𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡
𝐵𝑠𝑐 = battery storage capacity
𝐵𝑝 = 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑙
𝐵𝑐 = 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑦
𝐵𝑠 = 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠
𝑉𝑏 = 𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒
𝐵𝑇 = 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠
𝑇 = 𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑐𝑕𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒
𝑄 = 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑖𝑟
𝑝 = 𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒
𝑑𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝑕𝑢𝑏 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟
𝐷𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝑤𝑕𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟
𝐼 = 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡
𝑉 = 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒
𝜂 = 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦
DC=direct current
AC=alternating current
3D= 3 dimensional

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 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study

Nowadays, vehicles are main means of modern transportation for people to travel. The demand
for personal transportation has induced many undesirable problems. Drivers are having difficulty
to get an indoor or roof parking space, particularly during peak hours as the number of vehicles
on the road are increasing day by day. As a result, they have no choice except to leave their car in
an open space parking. In this situation, due to unroofed parking conditions the car exposes to
the sunlight and the temperature inside the car cabin increases proportional to the outside
temperature and it gets worse in the afternoon, especially when the car owners leave their car for
few hours. This phenomenon happens because of the thermal radiation caused by the solar
energy and it is known as the Greenhouse Effect. Rise in temperature levels inside the car cabin
can be attributed to convection, conduction and radiation of which the most influencing factor in
such heating is radiation [30].

As the thermal radiation travels through the car window, it is converted into waveform. As the
wavelength gets shorter, the heat is trapped inside the car experiences a constant increase in
temperature, adding the fact that the interior of the car deficits air flow circulation as the car
windows are closed. The more time the car is uncovered in the sun with no air flow circulation,
the higher the temperature collected inside the car. Because of the temperature increases inside
the car it causes discomfort and is detrimental to health of driver and passenger inside the car
[31].

To reduce the heat inside the car, some drivers open a small gap of the car windows to provide
some ventilation. However, study shows this has minimal effect and it does not really improve
the situation. This will also lead to safety and security issue due to theft and robbery. Thus, there
is a need to have a proper ventilation system inside a parked car. There are several tools that have
been developed to assist the ventilation problem inside a parked car either via battery powered
system or solar based system. Some ventilation system works directly using electricity energy of
storage battery, which would consume a large amount of electricity and does harm to the life of
storage battery [15].

This study adopted the analysis solar energy in the ventilation system. When the car parks the
cabin fan was driven by a solar panel mounted on the car roof to discharge heat inside the cabin,
achieving the purpose of cooling. The result and discussion from the analysis can be calculated.
Finally, the paper ends with conclusion supporting with recommendation for further research
development.

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1.2 Statement of the Problem
Most of the parking areas in the world are under the direct sunlight. This kind of hot weather will
cause the interior temperature of a vehicle cabin to increase and will keep increasing depending
on how long the automobile is being parked there. As a result, the air in the enclosed area inside
vehicle becomes uncomfortable. The effect that most of people do not realize is the situation will
be hazardous to human health. The example of hazard that might affect our body and health
when dealing with this situation are headache, dehydration and leading to brain damage or even
death.

1.3 Objectives of the study

1.3.1 General Objectives

The General objective of this study is to design and model a solar powered sensor-based
automatic car cabin cooling system that ventilates continuously after it reach certain level of
temperature to reduce the interior vehicle cabin temperature to the ambient temperature.

1.3.2 Specific Objectives

The specific objectives of this project are:

 To develop mathematical model and design analysis of the components of the system.
 To determining the power required to derive the air-conditioning.
 To calculate the heat transfer between the internal car cabin and external environment.
 To perform cost analysis.
 To develop 3D model of the system using CATIA software.

1.4 Scope of the Project

The scope of this project is performing design calculation for solar energy implementation on the
rooftop of the car and to design every component with help of the different engineering concepts,
analyzing the variation of power and heat optimizing for better performance, put
recommendation towards the air-conditioning of solar technology, by clarifying each part
theoretically and mathematically.

1.5 Organization of the thesis

In this thesis, chapter one discusses background, problem statement, objective, scope and
limitations, whereas chapter two discusses about the literatures (researches) made to solve for a
similar problem. Chapter three is all about materials and methodology which discusses on data
collection, conceptual design, and detail design analysis, working principle, component

12
description, performance analysis methods and cost analysis. In chapter four is all about result
and discussion and at the end chapter five it is conclusion and recommendation.

13
 CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
The temperature in the vehicle's interior rises as a result of solar radiation, this is known as a
heat. The goal of the study is to model a ventilation system that will reduce the car cabins
internal heat.

2.2 Air conditioning working principle

The concurrent preparation and control of temperature, stickiness, filtration of air, and
conveyance of air current in compliance with the necessity of space requiring are called air
conditioner system. Air Conditioner Principle many air conditioners use split-air conditioners,
which are consist of the indoor unit and outdoor unit. The indoor unit is an evaporator outdoor
unit is a condenser [17].

The working principle is Cooling in traditional AC systems is accomplished using the vapor
compression cycle, which uses the forced circulation and phase change of a refrigerant between
gas and liquid to transfer heat. The vapor-compression cycle can occur within a unitary, or
packaged piece of equipment that is connected to terminal cooling equipment such as a variable
refrigerant flow terminal or fan coil unit on its evaporator side and heat rejection equipment on
its condenser side. In an air-conditioning system heat is rejected from inside to outside under
using of electricity for operating a compressor and fans. The transport medium evaporates at
temperatures below room temperature at the inside unit [18].

An expansion is a component in air conditioning systems that controls the amount of refrigerant
released into the evaporator and is intended to regulate the superheat of the vapor leaving the
evaporator. An expansion valve does not regulate temperature, the temperature of the evaporator
will vary with the evaporation pressure. Fans on both sides support the heat transfer. A condenser
is a device or unit used to condense a gaseous substance into a liquid state through cooling. In so
doing, the latent heat is released by the substance and transferred to the surrounding
environment. Figure 1 shows the operation of air conditioning [29].

Figure 1 Air conditioning work flow

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2.3 Solar energy
Sun-oriented energy is a free, inconsumable, and clean source of energy which is the center of
numerous later investigations in the energy field, numerous of which are around overcoming the
wasteful aspects of sun-powered control frameworks [20]. The sun energy delivered in one hour
is equal to the annual energy demand of the earth.

Sun is like a black body radiator. That has a surface temperature of 5800 K which leads to a 1373
W/m2 energy density over the atmosphere [21]. While designing PV systems, the initial factor
should be studied and taken into consideration. The importance of knowing the sun's property
lies in the fact that this knowledge can help to understand the effects of the atmosphere on the
radiation and guides us to select the best materials for solar cells [22].

2.3.1 Solar cells

Solar cell like the crystalline silicon-based is a solid-state semiconductor p-n junction device that
converts sunlight into direct-current electricity through the principle of photovoltaic effect. They
were principally deployed to provide electrical power for orbital satellites [23].

Figure 2 solar cell structure

2.3.2 Photovoltaic module

A PV module is an assembly of photovoltaic cells mounted in a framework for installation.
Photovoltaic cells use sunlight as a source of energy and generate direct current electricity. A
collection of PV modules is called a PV Panel, and a system of Panels is an Array. Arrays of a
photovoltaic system supply electricity to electrical equipment [10].

The most common application of solar energy collection is rooftop electricity generation systems
number of modules can be connected. So the advantage of a PV system is added to an existing
system when required because the modular structure is comfortable to add [10].

15
There are several advanced PV innovations for making PV modules. From those Cadmium
telluride (CdTe), Copper indium diselenide (CIS), undefined silicon (a-Si), and thin-film silicon
(thin film-Si) are listed. [24] Amorphous silicon is the first commercial technology but it has
small efficiency while the other three technologies are slowly reached the market and have big
acceptance in the market because of their efficiency [13].

Thus this review helps to select the proper advanced module for the design based on efficiency,
tolerance (below or above-rated capacity that is positive tolerance), lifetime, and cell temperature
so for this study monocrystalline module is selected.

2.3.3 Module performance

The power output of a photovoltaic module is a product of its operating current and output
voltage. There is a performance curve that shows simple characteristics of a PV module called an
I-V Curve which shows the current and voltage output characteristics of the module cell.

At 1000 watts per meter square of sun irradiation I-V curves are given at 250 c (77 degrees F)
cell temperature [25]. Most of the time 1000 watts per square meter is „Peak Sun.‟ There are
three important terms in the I-V curve [9].

1. Maximum Power Point (MPP): is a point where the power is at its maximum. In MPP
the Vmp, Imp on the I-V curve is visible. The power at the MPP is the product of the
MPP voltage (Vmpp) and MPP current (Impp): the maximum power point is a point at
the operating point at which maximum output power achieved this point clearly shown
below in figure 3.
2. The Open circuit Voltage (Voc): is the difference of electrical potential between two
terminals of a solar cell when disconnected from any circuit. There is no load connected.
No electric current flows between the terminals. Alternatively, the open-circuit voltage
may be thought of as the voltage that must be applied to a solar cell or a battery to stop
the current. Thus the open-circuit voltage (VOC) shown in figure 3.

V (at I=0) = 𝑉𝑜

3. The Short Circuit Current (Isc): is an electrical phenomenon that allows a current to
travel along an unintended path with no electrical impedance. This results in an excessive
current flowing through the circuit.

I (at V=0) =𝐼𝑠𝑐

ISC appears at maximum current value. For an ideal cell, this maximum current value is the total
current that occurs in the module cell by photon excitation [8].

16
 Figure 3 Sample Current Voltage graph of a Photovoltaic cell

2.3.4 Photovoltaic cell

An important component in the photovoltaic module is the cell. When the sun irradiation crosses
the module surface electric potential is produced in cell material. The photovoltaic cell is
prepared from a wafer which is a semiconductor material like silicon and germanium but most of
the time silicon is used because it is abundantly available [10].

For a photovoltaic cell, Silicon is used because of its semiconductor properties. To modify its
electric properties boron and phosphorus are doped to create an imbalance in molecular charge
[10].

Solar Radiation: The solar radiation inters to the surface is two types that are direct solar
radiation and diffuse radiation.

And diffuse radiation is the solar radiation scattered by different air molecules. Diffuse radiation
has no unique direction. The total radiation is adding the two radiation that is direct and diffuse
radiation and is called global radiation.

2.4 Battery type and specifications

An electric battery is electrochemical cells that transform chemical energy into electricity, when
the sun energy lost during night time and power is needed to supply load the battery is important.
Since a module output is seasonal and different though out the day. The energy storage device is
important to provide relatively constant power. Even the energy comes from the module isolated
in case of maintenance or during no sunshine [26].

17
Based on their specific design and performance characteristics the battery has many types. They
are used for different applications from those applications solar system is one. All batteries have
different characteristics and based on the characteristic design they have their strength and
weakness. In the photovoltaic system most common battery type used is lead-acid batteries
because it is widely available in different capacity and size with minimum cost .also they have
the best performance when compared to other .the another type of battery most used now a day is
nickel-cadmium but due to their cost most photovoltaic system didn‟t use it .while choosing a
battery for a solar system there is no perfect battery so it‟s a task to choose better battery type
based on the load. Electrical storage are classified into two groups that are primary and
secondary batteries [26].

1) Primary Batteries- is a battery that is designed to be used once and discarded, and not
recharged with electricity and reused like a secondary cell (rechargeable battery). In
general, the electrochemical reaction occurring in the cell is not reversible, rendering the
cell rechargeable. As a primary cell is used, chemical reactions in the battery use up the
chemicals that generate the power; when they are gone, the battery stops producing
electricity. Primary batteries are not used in PV systems because they cannot be
recharged.
2) Secondary Batteries- A secondary battery the reaction can be reversed by running a
current into the cell with a battery charger to recharge it, regenerating the chemical
reactants. Primary cells are made in a range of standard sizes to power small household
appliances such as flashlights and portable radios. Lead-acid batteries are commonly used
batteries in PV systems.

Sizing Battery Banks: for grid-connected systems, batteries are usually sized for relatively short
time periods. Size may vary, however, depending on the particular needs of a facility and the
length of power outages expected. For comparison, battery banks for off-grid systems are usually
sized for one to three cloudy days.
Interaction with Solar Modules: the solar array must have a higher voltage than the battery
bank in order to fully charge the batteries. For systems with battery back-up, pay particular
attention to the rated voltage of the module, also called the maximum power point, in the
electrical specifications. Higher voltages may be required for long wiring distances between the
modules and the charge controller and battery bank.

Days of Autonomy: autonomy refers to the number of days a battery system will provide a given
load without being recharged by the photovoltaic array. Correctly selecting a number of days will
depend on the system, its location, its total load and the nature of the system‟s load. Weather
conditions determine the number of no sun days which may be the most significant variable in
determining autonomy.

18
Depth of discharge (DOD): most solar batteries need to retain some charge at all times due to
their chemical composition. If we use 100 percent of a battery‟s charge, its useful life will be
significantly shortened so the best DOD is important.

2.5 Charge controller

In most photovoltaic systems to protect the batteries from overcharge, charge controllers are
used. Overcharging produces heat that heats the electrolyte inside the battery and causes failure
of the battery. When the battery is discharged all it will cause permanent battery failure and it
also cause damage to the load .there for charge controller is a basic equipment of the
photovoltaic system [27].

The charge controller has many functions to protect battery charging and discharging. When the
battery is fully charged and reaches its state of charge the controller controls the battery charge
state and switches off module current. When the battery is empty and reaches its depth of
discharge if the controller includes the low voltage disconnect capability and disconnects all load
and charges the battery [27].

To increase the life and performance of battery voltage of the controller must be matched with
the nominal system voltage and they have to be capable of handling the maximum current
produced by the PV module [27].

2.5.1 Classification of controller

The charge controller has different types some are listed below [12].

 Shunt controller – it works by shunts the charging current away from the battery.
These types of controllers dissipate excess current by using a heat sink. Shunt
controllers are used for smaller current system that is up to 30 amperes.
 Series controller – it works by interrupting charging current by open-circuit. This
controller current is handled by the switching controller to switch the direct current.
 Single-stage controllers – is used to isolating the module when the storage reaches the
maximum voltage level.
 Multistage controllers – this controller is efficient than others on its charging level.
Thus it allows different charging currents as the battery nears full state-of-charge. To
increase internal resistance the battery must be at full state of discharge [27].

19
 Figure 4 (a) series controller (b) shunt controller

2.6 Inverter
Inverters have known as Power conditioning units .they used to convert alternating current to
direct current so it is important for a rooftop solar system. Based on operating direct current
voltage the system inverter will choose [28].

To select the inverter all ac load requirements should be considered for tolerance, which are
power, variation in voltage, frequency, and waveform. On the module output, dc voltage, surge
capacity, and acceptable voltage variation have to be considered. To choose the best inverter for
solar modules seeing many parameters is important [28].

To secure the performance and reliability of a PV system choosing a compatible inverter is

important. Rooftop solar system inverters operate at 12, 24, 48 or 120 volts dc input and creates
120 or 240 volts ac at 50 Hertz. There is a different category of inverter-based on the waveform,
that is Square wave, Modified sine wave, and Sine wave and it is an important parameter. DC
voltage is an important parameter to select the inverter input voltage [28].

2.7 Previous related studies

Seeing many papers on the relation between air conditioners and photovoltaic electricity is
important to design a solar-powered air conditioner. Previous studies related to the project are:

The engine shaft is the input power to drive the compressor of the refrigeration system, hence the
engine has to produce extra work to run the compressor of the refrigerating unit utilizing extra
amount of fuel. Fan will be controlled by temperature controller where the temperature is set to
outside air and uses manual switch [15].

The air condition compressor is driven by an internal combustion engine of the vehicle when the
engine is running. When the engine is not running, the compressor is driven by a brushless DC
machine powered by a 24 V lead acid battery. The compressor of this system is driven by the
internal combustion engine when the engine is running as a typical automobile air conditioning
system. Hybrid solar air conditioners are more suitable for daytime use as they don‟t have
batteries to store solar power for night use [14].
20
2.8 Summary of literature and research gap
The demand of air conditioning is increasing due to the effect of climate change and global
warming. The greenhouse gas emitted would continuously worsen global warming, in turn the
demand of air conditioning would be further increasing. A solar powered sensor-based automatic
car cabin cooling system, which has simpler capacity control, easier implementation, high
reliability, is a genuine candidate for efficient and economic use. It will also help to improve the
stability and efficiency of the system.

21
 CHAPTER THREE
MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY
This chapter contains the work flow of the engineering analysis that was used during the
implementation of this project. The best suitable equipment is selected and designed by studying
appropriate properties.

3.1 Project approach

A series of methods were followed during the design of the project. The major ones
are described as follows:

 Problem identification
 Data collection
 Concept generation: this is a method that we used to generate alternative solutions and
options to solve an identified problem.
 Identifying part components that need for the machine.
 Selecting appropriate material for each component based on its strength, cost and
availability.
 Detail design of analysis of all components.
 3D modeling of individual machine components: by the data and result of the above
procedures the modeling of the part is done by CATIA software.
 Assembly of the components using CATIA software.
 Result and discussion.
 Conclusion and recommendation.

The approaches used in this thesis are based on different reference [13]. Generally, the following
diagram shows the summarized layout that follows while doing the project.

Figure 5 methodology flowchart

22
3.2 Data collection
In data collection all the data that helps for this research are gathered. This stage is essential as
main reference for generating conceptual designs and evaluating alternatives. The data collection
is done through secondary sources by downloading related books and videos from the internet.

3.3 Concept generation

This is the theory where alternatives design concepts of the air conditioning are generated. In this
stage, several conceptual designs are produced based on the engineering design specifications
data. The conceptual design will differ primarily in physical principle and the materials been
used. Along the way, the ideas for generating conceptual design can be searched through
journals, internets, and by innovative methods which is brainstorming to generate innovative
ideas.
The different concepts are:

1. Concept one
The air conditioning (fan) is done using energy from the solar and the switch is operated
manually.

Solar panel Solar charge Manual switch

controller

Storage battery Fan

Figure 6 Manual car cabin cooling system using solar energy

2. Concept two
A solar panel which is used for powering the battery. Then this power is feed to the battery for
charging it. This stored power is used for driving the microcontroller and for the working of the
fan. It provide the switching device relay automatically switches the motor on and the fan starts
to rotate.

23
 Temperature sensor

Solar panel Solar charge controller Microcontroller

Rechargeable battery Relay (automatic switch)

Fan

Figure 7 Automatic car cabin cooling using solar energy

3.3.1 Concept scoring

Design matrix is a method used to compare and contrast different alternative concepts or
mechanisms by using different criterias, so that it is easy to select the most suitable and effective
one. Thus by using the following criteria the following measurement weights are given.

Concept 1 Concept 2
Aesthetic (10%) 6 8
Cost (10%) 8 8.5
Complexity (10%) 8.5 9
Safety (10%) 8 8
Ergonomics (10%) 6.5 7
Efficient (10%) 7 9.5
Durability (10%) 8 7
Maintainable (10%) 7 6.5
Portability (10%) 7.5 8
Manufacturing (10%) 6.5 6.5
Total=100% 73 79

Table 1 Concept scoring

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3.3.2 Concept Selection

After computing all the concepts using the given criteria through the above design matrix out of
the points, concept-2 has the best value with 79 points. Because it is efficient, durable and
automatic. At the next chapter concept 2 is going to develop its design analysis and detail
drawings ( main part drawings and assembly drawings).

3.4 Selection of types and materials

3.4.1 Solar panel selection

A solar electric system is potentially less expensive and is a renewable source of energy. Solar
cells are usually made from silicon, the same material used for transistors and integrated circuits.
The silicon is treated or "doped" so that when light strikes it electrons are released, so generating
an electric current [22].
There are three basic types of solar cell. Mon crystalline cells are cut from a silicon ingot grown
from a single large crystal of silicon whilst polycrystalline cells are cut from an ingot made up of
many smaller crystals. The third type is the amorphous or thin-film solar cell amorphous
technology is most often seen in small solar panels. The other types are Hybrid Solar Cells, this
is a combination of both amorphous solar cells and mono crystalline solar cells [23].
Mono crystalline solar cell that is with characteristics having;

 Highest efficiency
 Longer lifetime up to 25 years
 With enough space-efficient
 Less exposed to corrosion

For this study mono crystalline solar panel is selected with a silicon material. This is the most
efficient in terms of production and area utilization since it is made from higher grade silicon.
The required power of the solar panel depends on the amount of energy needed to operate air
conditioning on train systems [23].

Figure 8 mono crystalline solar panel

25
 3.4.2 Solar charge controller selection

A solar panel charge controller is the heart of a solar-powered system, responsible for converting
solar energy into electricity to charge the battery or the inverter in the system. It‟s important to
pick a solar regulator that provides reliable solar battery charging, diversion regulation, and load
control [12].
Charge controllers are selected based on:

 PV array voltage; the controller‟s DC voltage input must match the nominal
voltage of the solar array.
 PV array current; the controller must be sized to handle the maximum current
produced by the PV array [27].

For this project a STECApr1010model charge controller is selected. This is an effective means to
achieve constant voltage battery and charging by adjusting the duty ratio of the switches. In
STECA regulation, the current from the solar panel tapers according to the battery‟s condition
and recharging needs. Hence, a STECA charge controller is built from scratch as it is a good low-
cost solution for smaller systems compared to other charge controllers.

Figure 9 solar charge controller

3.4.3 Rechargeable storage battery selection

The two types of batteries most commonly offered for solar PV storage are lithium-ion, lead-acid
batteries. There are certain specifications when evaluating solar battery options, such as how
long the solar battery will last or how much power it can provide. Depth of discharge (DOD):
Most solar batteries need to retain some charge at all times due to their chemical composition. If
we use 100 percent of a battery‟s charge, its useful life will be significantly shortened so the best
DOD is important. Therefore, for this design lead acid battery is selected [26].

The majority of new energy storage technologies, such as the use of some form of lithium-ion
chemical composition. Lithium-ion batteries are lighter and more compact than lead-acid

26
batteries. They also have a higher DOD and longer lifespan when compared to lead-acid
batteries. However, lithium-ion batteries are more expensive than lead-acid counterparts.
Therefore, for this design the batteries with storage (110Ah, 24V), Cycle life to 75% depth of
discharge (DOD). Charge efficiency from 20% discharged is selected [12].

Figure 10 lead acid battery

3.4.4 Fan type and material selection

A fan is a power-driven machine used for air conditioning. In its simplest form, a fan comprises a
motor, fan housing and a rotating impeller. There are centrifugal and axial fan types. An axial fan
discharges air parallel to the axis of the impeller rotation [5].

Fan Selection Criteria

Before selecting a fan, the following information is needed.

 Type of service
o Environment type
o Operating temperature
o Space limitations
 Fan type
 Drive type (Direct or Belt)
 Noise criteria
 Number of fans
 Discharge
 Rotation
 Motor position
 Expected fan life in years

Propeller-type fans are generally low cost. Blades attached to a relatively small hub. Energy
transfers at low pressure, high flow rate, high volume and non-ducted application. Efficiency is
low and usually limited to low pressure applications [5].

Based on the above criteria‟s the axial fan with impeller type was selected for this design. Since
plastic has the highest inherent strength and the lowest cost that can withstand the stresses, this
material was selected for this design.

27
 Figure 11 axial fan

3.4.5 Relay (automatic switch) selection

A relay is an electro magnetically operated switch. Relays allow one circuit to switch over to a
second circuit that can be completely separated from the first. An electro-magnet is fixed inside it
to cause controlled movement either by magnetic attraction or magnetic repulsion. It is used for
remote or automatic control [14].

Depending on the operating principle and structural features, relays are of different types:
electromagnetic relays, thermal relays, power varied relays, multi-dimensional relays, and so on.
Depending on the above factors LZ series relay was selected. LZ series relays have high
sensitivity and high surge strength [14].

Figure 12 LZ series relay

3.4.6 Material selection for temperature sensors

Temperature sensor is simple device that sense or detects the degree of cold or hot of any object
and sends signal to microcontroller. The four most popular temperature sensors are: Integrated
circuit (IC) sensors, Thermistors. Resistive temperature detectors (RTDs) and Thermocouples
[32].
For this design thermistor DHT11 sensor was selected and it has: [32].

 Low cost
 3 to 5V voltage power and I/O
 2.5mA max current use during conversion (while requesting data)

28
  Good for 0-50°C temperature readings ±2°C accuracy
 No more than 1 Hz sampling rate (once every second)
 Body size 15.5mm x 12mm x 5.5mm
 4 pins with 0.1" spacing

Figure 13 DHT11 temperature sensor

3.4.7 Motor selection

Electric motors convert electrical energy into mechanical motion. Motors are broadly classified
into two different categories: DC (Direct Current) and AC (Alternating Current). Within these
categories are numerous types, each suit well for specific application [6].

Brushed DC Motors use brushes that rub on a segmented copper ring so that the current through
the armature coils alternates as the motor spins. These are the most common type of motors.
Since brushed DC motors are inexpensive, lightweight and reasonably efficient. For this design
brushed DC motor was selected [6].

Figure 14 brushed DC motor

29
 3.4.8 Inverter selection

Inverters have known as Power conditioning units they used to convert alternating current to
direct current.
For this design KBMA Hybrid Drive™ – NEMA 1 / IP50 type invertor was selected. The KBMA
Series of Adjustable Frequency Drives are inverter models rated for 1/8 to 1 horsepower motors.
These drives are housed in NEMA 1 / IP50 aluminum enclosures [7].

Figure 15 KBMA Hybrid Drive™ – NEMA 1 / IP50 type inverter

3.4.9 Microcontroller

A microcontroller is needed to control, program and organize the tasks of all these different
components. The PIC16F84, which is a low-cost 8-bit microcontroller with EEPROM flash
memory for program and data storage. It has no built-in A/D, D/A, or serial communication
capability, but it supports 13 digital I/O lines and serves as a good learning platform because it is
low cost and easy to program. Once you know how to interface and program one
microcontroller, it is easy to extend that knowledge to other microcontrollers with different
features and programming options. Another good reason to focus on the PIC16F84 is that many
other PIC microcontrollers are upward compatible and pin compatible with the PIC16F84 [4].
For this project PIC16F84 is selected based on several factors:
 The type that can support the sensors and other components used in the system.
 Simple and easy to use open source programs.
 The availability and simplicity of codes.
 The capacity of the microcontroller to run the required tasks efficiently. [4]

30
 Figure 16 Microcontroller

3.4.10 Material selection for bolt

The purpose of a bolt is to clamp two or more parts together. The clamping load stretches or
elongates the bolt; the load is obtained by twisting the nut until the bolt has elongated almost to
the elastic limit. If the nut does not loosen, this bolt tension remains as the preload or clamping
force [2]. The material selected for the bolt and nut is stainless steel because it has higher
strength.

Figure 17 hexagonal head bolt

3.5 Detail design analysis

3.5.1 Car cabin heat calculations

The car cabin volume means the volume of the hot air in the car cabin.

𝑉 = 𝐿 × 𝑊 × 𝐻 Equation 1

Where, V the interior volume of the vehicle, L interior length of the vehicle (m), W is the interior
width of the vehicle (m) and H is the interior height of vehicle (m). Figure below shows the
dimension area of a car to be measured for calculating the volume of hot air in the cabin. For this
work, the car cabin is assumed to be like a box [14].

31
 Figure 18 Illustration on dimension of car cabin

Figure 19 Assumption on Design of Vehicle's Cabin

For this project, a sample car was selected to be the subject and assume its cabin dimension is:
L = 2m W = 2m H = 1.2m

𝑉 = 2𝑚 × 2𝑚 × 1.2𝑚 = 4.8𝑚3
For a vehicle which has its door and window closed, heat transfer from the outside to the inside
will be mainly due to radiation through the glass window and conduction and convection through
the body of the vehicle. The heat balance equation of the vehicle inside can be described as
follows:

𝑄𝑐 = 𝑄𝑟𝑎𝑑 + 𝑄𝑐𝑣 + 𝑄𝑐𝑑 Equation 2

Where:

𝑄𝑐 = heat balance equation inside a car cabin in KJ

𝑄𝑟𝑎𝑑 = Radiation heat transfer through the window glasses

𝑄𝑐𝑣 = Convection heat transfer through the car parts

32
𝑄𝑐𝑑 = Conduction heat transfer through the car parts

Figure 20 heat inside a car cabin

Therefore, the temperature variations inside the vehicle are mainly caused by the sensible heat
due to solar radiation and we neglect the heat transfers through conduction and convection.

Heat quantity based on the car cabin volume and the difference in temperature between the car
cabin and the ambient temperature is:

𝑄𝑐 = 𝑚𝑎 × 𝑐𝑎 × ∆𝑇 Equation 3

𝑄𝑐 = 𝜌𝑎 × 𝑉 × 𝐶𝑎 × (𝑇1 − 𝑇2 ) Equation 4

Where;

𝜌𝑎 = 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑖𝑟 = 1.29𝑘𝑔/𝑚3

𝐶𝑎 = 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 𝑕𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑖𝑟 = 1.004𝑘𝐽/𝑘𝑔𝐾

(𝑇1 − 𝑇2 ) = 𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝐾

𝑉 = 𝑐𝑎𝑟 𝑐𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑛 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 = 4.8𝑚3

𝑚𝑎 = 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑡𝑕𝑒 𝑣𝑒𝑕𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒

33
 Table 2 average temperature data of mekelle

Assume that the car cabin temperature is lower than the ambient temperature. Metrology data of the
monthly average temperature is used to find ambient temperature. Let‟s take for the month of May, The
temperature difference of Mekelle in May is:

𝑇1 − 𝑇2 = ∆𝑇 = 260 𝐶 − 14.30 𝐶 = 11.70 𝐶

1.29𝐾𝑔 1.004𝐾𝐽
𝑄𝑐 = × 4.8𝑚3 × × 11.7𝐾 = 73𝐾𝐽
𝑚3 𝐾𝑔𝐾
The heat quantity is proportional of the volume of the car cabin, meaning that a large car cabin
volume increases the amount of heat quantity at the same temperature. Therefore, the volume of
the car cabin affects the proposed system components design, capacity and dimensions.

3.5.2 Design of solar panel

Figure 21 solar panel

34
 3.5.2.1 Determination of energy requirement

The sun is our primary source of energy. The energy comes from the sun, called solar energy, and
reaches us in the form of electromagnetic waves after experiencing considerable interactions
with the atmosphere. The radiation energy emitted or reflected by the constituents of the
atmosphere form the atmospheric radiation [1].

Figure 22 Solar radiation reaching the earth’s atmosphere and the total solar irradiance

The sun is a nearly spherical body that has a:

𝐷𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟(𝐷) = 1.39 × 1011 𝑚

𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠(𝑀) = 2 × 1030 𝑘𝑔

𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑕 (𝑙) = 1.5 × 1011 𝑚

𝐸𝑠𝑢𝑛 = 3.8 × 1026 𝑊

𝐸𝑠𝑢𝑛 = The radiant energy emitted continuously by the sun.

The energy of the sun is due to the continuous fusion reaction during which two hydrogen atoms
fuse to form one atom of helium. Therefore, the sun is essentially a nuclear reactor, with
temperatures as high as 40,000,000 K in its core region. The temperature drops to about 5800 K
in the outer region of the sun, called the convective zone, as a result of the dissipation of this
energy by radiation [1].

The solar energy reaching the earth‟s atmosphere is called the total solar irradiance Gs, whose
value is:
𝑊
𝐺𝑠 = 1373
𝑚2
The total solar irradiance (also called the solar constant) represents the rate at which solar energy
is incident on a surface normal to the sun‟s rays at the outer edge of the atmosphere when the
earth is at its mean distance from the sun (Fig. below) [1].

35
 Figure 23 the total solar energy passing through concentric spheres

The total solar energy passing through concentric spheres remains constant, but the energy
falling per unit area decreases with increasing radius [1].

The value of the total solar irradiance can be used to estimate the effective surface temperature of
the sun from the requirement that:

(4𝜋𝑙 2 )𝐺𝑠 = (4𝜋𝑟 2 )𝜍𝑇𝑠𝑢𝑛 4 Equation 5

Where l is the mean distance between the sun‟s center and the earth and r is the radius of the sun.
The left-hand side of this equation represents the total solar energy passing through a spherical
surface whose radius is the mean earth–sun distance, and the right-hand side represents the total
energy that leaves the sun‟s outer aluminum surface. The conservation of energy principle
requires that these two quantities be equal to each other, since the solar energy experiences no
attenuation (or enhancement) on its way through the vacuum (Fig. above). The effective surface
temperature of the sun is determined from Eq. above to be Tsun = 5780 K [1].

The solar energy incident on a surface on earth is considered to consist of direct and diffuse
parts. The part of solar radiation that reaches the earth‟s surface without being scattered or
absorbed by the atmosphere is called direct solar radiation GD. The scattered radiation is
assumed to reach the earth‟s surface uniformly from all directions and is called diffuse solar
radiation Gd [1].

Figure 24 the direct and diffuse radiation incident on a horizontal surface

36
For this design the horizontal surface is a solar panel with aluminum material, and all properties
are taken from aluminum. Then the total solar energy incident on the unit area of a horizontal
aluminum surface (Fig. above): [1].

𝐺𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 = 𝐺𝐷 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃 + 𝐺𝑑 (𝑊/𝑚2 ) Equation 6

Were, 𝜃 is the angle of incidence of direct solar radiation (the angle that the sun‟s rays make
with the normal of the aluminum surface).

Consider a surface exposed to solar radiation. At a given time, the direct and diffuse components
𝑊
of solar radiation are, 𝐺𝐷 = 200 , and 𝐺𝑑 = 150 𝑚2 , and the direct radiation makes 𝜃=20° angle
with the normal of the aluminum surface [1].

𝐺𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 = 300 sin 20° + 200 = 303(𝑊/𝑚2 )

The value of 𝑇𝑠𝑘𝑦 depends on the atmospheric conditions. It ranges from about 230 K for cold,
clear-sky conditions to about 285 K for warm, cloudy-sky conditions.
𝑊
𝐺𝑠𝑘𝑦 = 𝜍𝑇𝑠𝑘𝑦 4 (𝑚 2 ) Equation 7

= 5.67 × 10−8 𝑊/𝑚2𝐾 4 × (270𝐾)4 = 301𝑊/𝑚2

Note that the effective sky temperature does not deviate much from the room temperature. Thus,
in the light of Kirchhoff‟s law, we can take the absorptivity of a surface to be equal to its
emissivity at room temperature. Then the sky radiation absorbed by a surface can be expressed
as: [1].

𝐸𝑠𝑘𝑦,𝑎𝑏𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑒𝑑 = 𝛼𝐺𝑠𝑘𝑦 = 𝛼𝜍𝑇𝑠𝑘𝑦 4 = 𝜀𝜍𝑇𝑠𝑘𝑦 4 Equation 8

301𝑊
= 0.9 × = 271𝑊/𝑚2
𝑚2

Figure 25 radiation interactions of aluminum surface exposed to solar and atmospheric radiation

37
The net rate of radiation heat transfer to a surface exposed to solar and atmospheric radiation is
determined from an energy balance (Fig. above): [1].

𝑞̇ 𝑛𝑒𝑡,𝑟𝑎𝑑 = ∑ 𝐸𝑎𝑏𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑒𝑑 − ∑ 𝐸𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑑

= 𝐸𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟,𝑎𝑏𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑒𝑑 + 𝐸𝑠𝑘𝑦,𝑎𝑏𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑒𝑑 − 𝐸𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑑

= 𝛼𝑠 𝐺𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 + 𝜀𝜍𝑇𝑠𝑘𝑦 4 − 𝜀𝜍𝑇𝑠 4

𝑊
𝑞̇ 𝑛𝑒𝑡,𝑟𝑎𝑑 = 𝛼𝑠 𝐺𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 + 𝜀𝜍(𝑇𝑠𝑘𝑦 4 − 𝑇𝑠 4 ) (𝑚 2 ) Equation 9

𝑊 𝑊
𝑞̇ 𝑛𝑒𝑡,𝑟𝑎𝑑 = (0.9 × 303 2
) + (271 2 )
𝑚 𝑚
10−8 𝑊
−(0.9 × 5.67 × × (304𝐾)4 )
𝑚2𝐾 4
𝑊
𝑞̇ 𝑛𝑒𝑡,𝑟𝑎𝑑 = 302 + 271 − 436 = 137
𝑚2
Where Ts is the temperature of the aluminum surface in K and 𝜀 is its emissivity at room
temperature. A positive result for 𝑞̇ 𝑛𝑒𝑡,𝑟𝑎𝑑 , rad indicates a radiation heat gain by the surface and a
negative result indicates a heat loss. The power produced on the solar panel is: [1].

𝑃𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 = 𝑞̇ 𝑛𝑒𝑡,𝑟𝑎𝑑 × 𝐴𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑙 (𝑊) Equation 10

The solar panel dimension is 670mm*1200mm*30mm

𝐴𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑙 = 0.67𝑚 × 1.2𝑚 = 0.804𝑚2

𝑃𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 = 137 × 0.804 = 110𝑊

Energy requirement, E by the system can be calculated as follows:
The capacity of the solar is based on the power of the electrical device. From standards the
power input for the solar panel has the capacity of 110W, with dimensions 670mm x 1200mm x
30mm.

Daily Sunshine Hour

From the metrological data of Mekelle

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug. Sep. Oct Nov Dec.

9.49 9.54 9.5 10.24 10.8 8.67 4.75 5.37 8.29 9.39 9.56 9.51
Table 3 monthly mean sunshine hour of mekelle

Maximum sunshine hour = 10.24 and minimum sunshine hour = 4.75, take 5 hours.

38
The average energy produced in a solar panel in (Wh/day) is determined as:

𝐸(𝑊𝑕) = (𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 ∗ 𝑕𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛)

𝑕
𝐸(𝑊𝑕) = 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟(𝑊) × 𝑛 (𝑑𝑎𝑦) Equation 11

5𝑕
𝐸(𝑊𝑕) = 110𝑊 × = 550𝑊𝑕/𝑑𝑎𝑦
𝑑𝑎𝑦
The ampere-hour requirement is
𝐸(𝑊𝑕)
𝐴𝑕 = 𝑠𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑚 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 Equation 12

System voltage be 16.8V

550𝑊𝑕
𝐴𝑕 = = 32.74𝐴𝑕 ≈ 33𝐴𝑕
16.8𝑉
Peak sunshine period is 5 hours per day, the charging current is
𝐴𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑕𝑜𝑢𝑟,𝐴𝑕 33𝐴𝑕
𝐼𝑐 = 𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑘 𝑠𝑢𝑛𝑠𝑕𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑕𝑜𝑢𝑟,𝑆𝑝 = = 6.6𝐴 Equation 13
5𝑕

3.5.3 Charge controller

For STECAPR1010 Model charge controller

𝐼𝑐𝑐 = (𝑀𝑝 × 𝐼𝑠𝑐 ) + 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑎𝑓𝑒𝑡𝑦 Equation 14

𝐼𝑐𝑐 = (1 × 7.24) + 1.25 = 8.49𝐴 ≈ 10𝐴

Where, 𝐼𝑐𝑐 = 𝑐𝑕𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡
𝐼𝑠𝑐 = 𝑠𝑕𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑐𝑖𝑟𝑐𝑢𝑖𝑡 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡

For the selected solar module 𝐼𝑠𝑐 = 7.24𝐴 and the factor 1.25 is to make provision of 25%
safety. Therefore, 1 No., 18V, 10A charge controller is recommended for the system.

3.5.4 Storage battery

The selected lead acid battery is a model of GT12120C and assuming No. of storage days = 1day
and depth of discharge, DOD = 0.75 or 75%.

39
 Figure 26 storage battery
𝑊ℎ
( )×𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑦
𝑑𝑎𝑦
𝐵𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦(𝐴𝑕) = 0.85×0.6×𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒×𝐷𝑂𝐷 Equation 15

562𝑊𝑕/𝑑𝑎𝑦 × 1𝑑𝑎𝑦
= = 120𝐴𝑕
0.85 × 0.6 × 12𝑉 × 0.75
𝐵𝑠𝑐 = battery storage capacity

 Number of batteries in parallel (Bp), [26]

𝐵𝑠𝑐
𝐵𝑝 = Equation 16
𝐵𝑐

𝐵𝑐 = 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑦

 Number of batteries in series (Bs)
𝑠𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑚 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑉
𝐵𝑠 = 𝐵𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 = 𝑉 Equation 17
𝑏

 Total number of battery (BT)

𝐵𝑇 = 𝐵𝑝 × 𝐵𝑠 = 1 × 1 = 1 Equation 18

Charging Time required for Battery

𝐶𝑕𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑦 = 𝐵𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝐴𝑕 / 𝐶𝑕𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐶𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡

𝐴𝑕
𝑇= Equation 19
𝐼

For a single 12V, 120Ah battery, the charging time would be:
𝑇 = 𝐴𝑕/𝐴 = 120𝐴𝑕/(6𝐴 ) = 20𝑕𝑟𝑠
Therefore, 1 No., 12V, 120Ah battery is recommended for the system.

3.5.5 Design of Fan

Air flows through the fan in an approximately axial direction. On the inlet side, as the flow
approaches the fan blades, the direction of the flow is axial, in other words, parallel to the axis of

40
rotation, provided there are no inlet vanes or other restrictions ahead of the fan wheel. The fan
blade then deflects the airflow, as show in the fig. below: [5].

Figure 27 Airfoil as used in an axial flow fan blade

A lift force L, perpendicular to the relative air velocity; and a drag force D, parallel to the relative
air velocity produced [5].

Number of blades
Turbulence and noise are mostly produced by the edges, both leading and trailing edges and not
by the blade surface. Therefore, fewer and wider blades will result in a better fan efficiency and a
lower noise level [5].
But if the number of blades becomes too small and the blade width too large the fan cub becomes
axially too wide it is hard to balance.

Figure 28 axial fan

41
A fan‟s impeller design, its rotational speed, and the power supplied by its motor dictate the
volume of air that the fan is capable of moving and the amount of pressure it is able to develop in
helping to overcome any resistance to airflow that may exist [5].
𝑚3
Let us consider a duct area A= 0.04𝑚2 . The volume flow rate of 0.7 at a static pressure of 80
𝑠
Pascal to be produced by an axial fan at 400rpm:

So 𝑄 = 𝐴𝑉
𝑄 0.7𝑚3 /𝑠 17.5𝑚
𝑉=𝐴= = Equation 20
0.04𝑚2 𝑠

Where:

 Q=Volume flow rate of air

 A= duct area
 V= local velocity
We can calculate the outlet velocity pressure p as:
1
𝑝 = 2 𝜌𝑉 2 Equation 21

Where:

 p= dynamic pressure or outlet velocity

 ρ= at 2240m density altitude above Sea level
 V= local velocity
The pressure at the outlet velocity OV will be:
1 2 1 𝐾𝑔
𝑂𝑉 = 𝑞 = 𝜌𝑉 = 0.982 ( 3 ) (17.5𝑚/𝑠)2 = 150.4𝑃𝑎𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑙
2 2 𝑚
The total pressure will be the sum of the static pressure and the outlet velocity pressure.

𝑃𝑇 = 𝑃𝑠 + 𝑃𝑉 = 80 + 150.4 = 230.4𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑙 Equation 22

The air power or power output in the fan motor will be:

𝑃𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 = 𝑉̇ × 𝑃𝑇 Equation 23

0.4𝑚3
𝑃𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 = × 230.4𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑙 = 92.15 ≈ 92𝑊
𝑠
Let us calculate the minimum hub diameter 𝑑𝑚𝑖𝑛 and the minimum wheel diameter 𝐷𝑚𝑖𝑛 for
these requirements.
19
𝑑𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 𝑟𝑝𝑚 √𝑃𝑠 Equation 24

42
 19
= √80 = 0.28𝑚
400𝑟𝑝𝑚

𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒
𝐷𝑚𝑖𝑛 = √𝑑2 + 61 ( ) Equation 25
𝑟𝑝𝑚

0.4
= √0.282 + 61( ) = 0.386𝑚
400𝑟𝑝𝑚

To calculate the ventilation fan current I,

𝑃
𝐼=𝑉 Equation 26
𝐶

92
𝐼= = 5.75𝐴
16

3.6 Working principle and components description

3.6.1 Working principle

The principles for working of solar powered car parking system is as shown in the figure below:
[33]

Temperature sensor

Charge controller Microcontroller

Solar panel

Battery Cooling fan

Figure 29 process flow of automatic car cabin cooling system using solar energy

43
The process starts when the solar panel captures solar energy from the sunlight and charges to
the battery through the charger controller. The solar energy is used for all the processes of
cooling intrnal car part.

If the temperature inside the car reaches 24°C or higher then, the temperature sensor detects it
and sends signal to the microcontroller. Then the relay automatically switches the fan on and
starts ventilating the car until it gets lower. If the temperature drops below 24°C, the temperature
sensor detects it and sends signal to the microcontroller. The microcontroller automatically
commands the relay to switch the fan off and the fan stops ventilating.

Block diagram
Start

Temperature sensor detects temperature inside car cabin

If
T>
24 𝑑𝑒𝑔. 𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑐𝑖𝑢𝑠

The temperature sensor sends signal to the microcontroller

The relay automatically switches the fan on and starts ventilating the internal car cabin

If 𝑇 <
24 𝑑𝑒𝑔. 𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑐𝑖𝑢𝑠

The temperature sensor sends signal to the microcontroller

The relay automatically switches the fan off and stops ventilating

End

Figure 30 block diagram flowchart for automatic car cabin cooling system using solar energy

44
 Program using PIC16F84 microcontroller
If (Temp_value>=24deg.celcius) Then
‘Relay on
Relay=on
‘Fan rotate
Fan=rotate
Cooling of the car
Else
If (Temp_value<24deg.celcius) Then
‘Relay off
Relay=off
‘Fan stops rotating
Fan=stop
End If: End If
Go to main ‘continue polling buttons
End’ end of main program

3.7 Performance analysis

The performance of the solar panel is measured by how much its power output works the desired
internal car cabin cooling or air conditioning. It is calculated by determining the efficiency of the
system.
Efficiency of the machine is calculated:
𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡
𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 = 𝜂 = Equation 27
𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡

92𝑊
𝜂= = 0.8364 = 84%
110𝑊
With a 110W power input from the solar panel have the capacity to produce 92W power output
to the fan motor. This means the solar panel have 84% efficiency.

45
 3.8 Cost analysis
Cost is the price of something or the amount many that is needed to pay for or to buy something.
Cost is the most common factor in any field. There are two types of costs; fixed cost and variable
cost.

The objective of the cost analysis is to compute the rough cost of the solar powered sensor-based
car cabin cooling. The cost analysis depends on the cost of each component, cost of constructing
materials and manufacturing cost. The general cost of the parts and materials of solar powered
sensor based car cabin cooling is listed in following table.

NO Name of part Quantity Unit price in Total cost in birr

used birr
1 Solar panel -110W with dimensions 1200 × 670 × 1 𝑏𝑖𝑟𝑟
52.9𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑡 5819
30𝑚𝑚
2 Charge controller -10A 1 4240 4240
3 Rechargeable storage Battery-120Ah,12V by 1 4081 4081
405𝑚𝑚 × 175𝑚𝑚 × 208𝑚𝑚
4 Axial fans 1 2300 2300
5 Relay 1 1200 1200
6 Temperature sensor (DHT11) 1 5300 5300
7 Motor 1 2000 2000
8 Inverter 1 2500 2500
9 Microcontroller (Arduino) 1 2000 2000
10 Bolt 12 12 × 80 960
11 Wire 20meter 𝑏𝑖𝑟𝑟 450
30
𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟
× 15𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟
Total 30,850

Table 4 cost analysis of components

46
 CHAPTER FOUR
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Result
The result of the calculated data from the design of the components is in the table below.
Table 5 Result of calculated parameters

Required parameters Calculation and Input data Result or output

Volume of the car cabin 𝑉 =𝐿×𝑊×𝐻 𝑉 = 4.8𝑚3
the total solar energy incident on the unit 𝐺𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 = 𝐺𝐷 sin 𝜃 + 𝐺𝑑 𝐺𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 = 303(𝑊/𝑚2 )
area of a solar panel
Car cabin heat quantity (kJ) 𝑄𝑐 = 𝜌𝑎 × 𝑉 × 𝐶𝑎 × ∆𝑇 𝑄𝑐 = 73𝐾𝐽

Sky incident radiation 𝐺𝑠𝑘𝑦 = 𝜍𝑇𝑠𝑘𝑦 4 301𝑊

𝐺𝑠𝑘𝑦 =
𝑚2

Sky radiation absorbed by the solar panel 𝐸𝑠𝑘𝑦,𝑎𝑏𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑒𝑑 = 𝛼𝐺𝑠𝑘𝑦 𝐸𝑠𝑘𝑦,𝑎𝑏 = 271𝑊/𝑚2
The net rate of radiation heat transfer to a 𝑞̇ 𝑛𝑒𝑡,𝑟𝑎𝑑 𝑊
𝑞̇ 𝑛𝑒𝑡,𝑟𝑎𝑑 = 137 2
solar panel exposed to sunlight 𝑚
= ∑ 𝐸𝑎𝑏𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑒𝑑

− ∑ 𝐸𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑑
= 𝛼𝑠 𝐺𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 + 𝜀𝜍𝑇𝑠𝑘𝑦 4 − 𝜀𝜍𝑇𝑠 4
Solar panel area 𝐴𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑙 = 𝐿 × 𝑊 𝐴𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑙 = 0.804𝑚2

The power produced on the solar panel 𝑃𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 = 𝑞̇ 𝑛𝑒𝑡,𝑟𝑎𝑑 × 𝐴𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑙 𝑃 = 110𝑊
The energy produced in a solar panel 𝐸(𝑊𝑕/𝑑𝑎𝑦) 𝐸(𝑊𝑕) = 550𝑊𝑕/𝑑𝑎𝑦
= 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟(𝑊)
𝑕
×𝑛( )
𝑑𝑎𝑦
ampere-hour requirement in the solar panel 𝐸(𝑊𝑕) 𝐴𝑕 = 33𝐴𝑕
𝐴𝑕 =
𝑠𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑚 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒
The charging current of the solar panel 𝐴𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑕𝑜𝑢𝑟, 𝐴𝑕 𝐼𝑐 = 6.6𝐴
𝐼𝑐 =
𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑘 𝑠𝑢𝑛𝑠𝑕𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑕𝑜𝑢𝑟, 𝑆𝑝
Solar charge controller current 𝐼𝑐𝑐 𝐼𝑐𝑐 = 10𝐴
= (𝑀𝑝 × 𝐼𝑠𝑐 )
+ 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑎𝑓𝑒𝑡𝑦

47
Storage battery capacity 𝐵𝑠𝑐 (𝐴𝑕)
𝑊𝑕 𝐵𝑠𝑐 = 120𝐴𝑕
( ) × 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑦
𝑑𝑎𝑦
=
0.85 × 0.6 × 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 × 𝐷𝑂𝐷
Battery charging time 𝐵𝑠𝑐 𝑇 = 20𝑕𝑟𝑠
𝑇=
𝐼𝐵
Fan outlet volume flow rate 𝑄 17.5𝑚 17.5𝑚
𝑉̇ = = 𝑉̇ =
𝐴 𝑠 𝑠

Fan outlet pressure 1 𝑝 = 150.4𝑃𝑎𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑙

𝑝 = 𝜌𝑉 2
2
The total fan pressure 𝑃𝑇 = 𝑃𝑠 + 𝑃𝑉 𝑃𝑇 = 230.4𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑙
The air power or power output in the fan P=Air Volume x Total Pressure 𝑃 = 92𝑊
motor
Minimum hub diameter 19 𝑑𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 0.28𝑚
𝑑𝑚𝑖𝑛 = √𝑃
𝑟𝑝𝑚 𝑠
Minimum wheel diameter 𝐷𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 0.386𝑚
𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒
𝐷𝑚𝑖𝑛 = √𝑑 2 + 61 ( )
𝑟𝑝𝑚
Ventilation fan current 𝑃 𝐼 = 5.75𝐴
𝐼=
𝑉𝐶
Efficiency of the solar 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝜂 = 84%
𝜂=
𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡

4.2 Discussion
From results the heat produced inside the car cabin is 73KJ for the car cabin volume of 4.8𝑚3 ,
and the total solar energy incident on the unit area of a solar panel is 𝐺𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 = 303(𝑊/𝑚2 ) and
the sky incident radiation and Sky radiation absorbed by the solar panel are 301 and 271𝑊/𝑚2
respectively. Thus the net rate of heat radiation transfer to a solar panel exposed to sunlight is
137𝑊/𝑚2 .

For area of the solar𝐴𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑙 = 0.804𝑚2 , the power produced in the solar panel is 110W and
the energy produced in the solar panel for 5 peak hours is𝐸(𝑊𝑕) = 550𝑊𝑕/𝑑𝑎𝑦. Power output
from PV panels per year is calculated 92W. But these powers reduce by different losses like
temperature increase, dust, etc. So the power produced from the panel is enough to supply a
power for the cooling of the car cabin with an efficiency of the solar, 𝜂 = 84%. The total cost for
the machine is ETB30850 and this cost is fair.

This system is both technically and economically feasible. As a result, we can achieve the
desired pleasant and comfortable interior thermal environment of the car for the users at all
expected external ambient environmental conditions, during the day time.

48
 CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Conclusion
This thesis concludes that the system design considers solar systems to achieve car cabin
cooling. The system of the car cabin considers space area of the car, volume and internal and
external temperatures. Thus, by considering all the parameters all design was done with a total
load of 110W and to supply this load, the system needs a total of 36 photovoltaic modules having
110W also several characteristics are considered to know either on the PV system.

This research was conducted on different data collection from Ethiopian metrology agency and
calculation. The results from the analysis showed that for a cooling load of 92W the air
conditioner having a capacity of 110W, a solar PV array of surface area of 0.804𝑚2 and a battery
size of 120Ah, 12V, and controller size of 10 A, 18V and 110W of inverter size will be required
𝑚3
to meet the cooling demand for the car. The air supply volume is0.7 .
𝑠

Therefore, for the air conditioning, cooling capacity 110W first as it will give a rough idea on
how to design and construct the system with enough electrical energy supplied to it. As a result,
can achieve the desired pleasant and comfortable interior thermal environment for the passengers
at all expected external ambient environmental conditions.

In general, it is possible to conclude that the energy generation from the top roof of the car can
cover a significant amount of required energy for the air conditioner. In turn, it helps to reduce
the cost of investing in-grid and increase the growth of the country's usage of renewable energy
efficiency.

5.2 Recommendation
The solar-powered air conditioning system option is recommended to be applied in Ethiopia
solar system to encourage future full utilization in all cars. The model of solar energy for car air
conditioning power supply by installing the solar panel at the top roof of the car can generate a
high amount of electrical energy,

Therefore, it is recommended to the Ethiopian power suppliers, a series of measures should be

adopted to achieve energy security, sustainable development & minimize environmental
damages. Modeling PV solar systems in their best performance in real weather conditions will
give the required output results. Actual system implementation shall be tested in the study area
for selected sites. Since this research was done under many constraints subsequently it requires
further and deep study.

49
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 Appendix 1: Specifications
Appendix A: Solar panel specifications

53
Appendix B: Charge controller specifications

54
Appendix C: Rechargeable storage battery specifications

Appendix D: Axial fan specifications

55
 Appendix E: Relay specifications

Appendix F: Inverter specifications

56
 Appendix G: Bolt specifications

Appendix 2: Components Drawing

Appendix I: Solar panel

57
Appendix II: Bolt

Appendix III: Microcontroller

Appendix IV: Temperature sensor

Appendix V: fan

58
Appendix VI: Charge controller

Appendix VII: Battery

Appendix VIII: Motor

Appendix VX: Relay

Appendix X: Inverter

59
Appendix 3: Assembly Drawing

60