Solar-Powered Car

Prepared By:
Harsh Kumar ( )

Aakash Upadhyay ( )

Prince Verma ( )

Trisheet Sen Gupta ( )

 This project is a chance to explore the exciting world of solar energy
and its potential to power our vehicles. You'll build a small, solar-
powered car model and learn how it works, gaining valuable insights
into renewable energy and sustainable transportation
Solar-powered cars employ photovoltaic cells, commonly known as solar
panels, to convert sunlight into electricity. These panels are typically
installed on the car's surface, such as the roof or hood, where they can
capture sunlight efficiently. The electricity generated is stored in batteries
or used to power the vehicle's electric motor directly. One of the significant
advantages of solar-powered cars is their sustainability. By relying on
renewable energy sources, they reduce dependency on fossil fuels and help
mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to a cleaner environment
and combating climate change. Additionally, solar-powered cars offer
greater energy independence, as sunlight is abundant and universally
accessible.
 Introduction
Solar power is power we get from the sun. Unlike fossil fuels, which can
cause significant pollution and emit greenhouse gases when burned, solar
power is clean and renewable. However, solar power is not without its
drawbacks—it is not available at night or on a cloudy day.

Solar panels convert sunlight into electrical energy, which can be used to
power machines like motors. They must be connected to the motor by
wires to form a circuit. A motor can be used to drive the wheels of a solar-
powered car (Figure 1). In order to build a solar car, you need to be familiar
with the basic parts that make up a typical car:

 The chassis is the car's frame, or body.

 The axles are straight, rigid rods that support the wheels.
 The bearings connect the axles to the chassis and allow them to spin.
 The motor converts electrical energy from the solar panel into spinning motion. It has a
metal shaft that spins.
 The transmission transmits rotating motion from the motor's shaft to an axle.
 There are several different types of transmissions that you can use for a
solar car, shown in Figure 2.

 In a friction drive, a disk on the motor shaft rubs directly against another
disk on the axle.
 In a belt drive, a disk on the motor shaft is connected to a disk on the axle
by a belt (e.g. a rubber band).
 In a gear drive, a gear on the motor shaft meshes with a gear on the axle.

There are different engineering and physics concepts you will need to take
into account when designing and building a solar car. Some decisions may
involve trade-offs between different factors. There is no single "correct" way
to build a car. Some of the factors should consider are listed below.
 Mass and stiffness: what material(s) will you use to make your chassis?
Different materials have different densities (mass per unit volume) and
stiffnesses (resistance to bending/flexing). In general, you want a chassis
to be stiff and not too flexible. Your motor will have a hard time moving a
very heavy chassis. However, if a chassis is too light, it could be blown
around easily by the wind, or its tires might slip because there is not
enough friction with the ground (see next point).
 Friction is the force that resists two surfaces sliding against each other.
Sometimes friction is bad—you want your bearings and axles to have as
little friction between them as possible, so the axles can spin freely.
However, sometimes friction is good—you want your tires to have a lot of
friction with the ground so they do not slip.
 The gear ratio is the ratio between the diameter of the drive gear on the
motor shaft and the driven gear on the axle. This number tells you how
many times the driven gear will rotate for each rotation of the drive gear.
For example, if the driven gear is five times bigger in diameter than the
drive gear, then whenever the drive gear completes one full rotation, the
driven gear will complete 1/5 of a rotation. Note that this concept also
applies to friction drives and belt drives, and more generally can be called
the transmission ratio.
 Adjusting the transmission ratio allows you to adjust the speed of your
motor, measured in rotations per minute or RPM, and the torque of the
motor. There is a trade-off between these two quantities (if you increase
the RPM, you decrease the torque, and vice versa). You may need to
experiment to find out what gear ratio makes your car go the fastest.
 The angle of the solar panel relative to the sun's rays affects how much
electrical power it produces. It will produce the most power when the panel
is perpendicular to the sun's rays.
 Terms and Concepts

 Solar power
 Fossil fuels
 Renewable
 Solar panel
 Circuit
 Chassis
 Axle
 Wheel
 Bearing
 Motor
 Shaft
 Transmission
 Friction drive
 Belt drive
 Gear drive
 Mass
 Stiffness
 Friction
 Gear ratio
 Transmission ratio
 Drive gear
 Driven gear
 Rotations per minute (RPM)
 Torque
 Angle
 Materials and Equipment
At a minimum, you will need to purchase an official solar panel and motor for your car.
Decide if you want to build the other components from scratch, or purchase a kit that
includes additional parts. The official vendors for the Junior Solar Sprint competition, Solar
Made, have a variety of options (ranging from just the motor/solar panel to a complete car
kit, including a balsa wood chassis, axles, gears, and wheels):

If you want to build your own parts from scratch, here are some suggestions for materials:

Chassis: corrugated cardboard, balsa wood, Styrofoam®, milk/juice cartons, cardboard

tubes

Axles: metal coat hanger (cut a straight section), wooden skewer or dowel, any other thin
metal rod

Bearings: drinking straws, eye hooks, holes drilled in chassis material

Wheels: bottle caps, circles cut from a rigid material (plastic, wood)

Tires: rubber bands, hot glue along the edge of the wheel

Transmission: gears salvaged from toys or an electronic device like a VCR or DVD player,
small disks (like rotary tool attachments), rubber bands

Depending on the materials you choose, you may need other miscellaneous tools or
supplies (power drill, hot glue gun, scissors, pliers, etc.). Important: make sure you use
tape/glue that won't melt or soften in the sun on a hot day!

You will also need a flat, paved, sunny area to test your car, and a volunteer to help catch
your car (they can be fast!).
 STEPS TO MAKE THE CAR
1. Depending on where you purchased your motor, you will need to
solder wires to it and/or crimp alligator clips onto the wires
(Figure 3).
a. If necessary, solder two wires to the tabs on the back of the motor
(get an adult to help you with soldering).
b. Remove the plastic covers from the alligator clips, and slide them
onto the wires.
c. Use needle-nose pliers to tightly crimp the alligator clips onto the
bare metal ends of the wires.
d. Slide the plastic covers back over the alligator clips.
 2) Connect your wheels, axles, and bearings. Figure 4 shows
axles (metal rods) inside the bearings (straws). Each axle has
two wheels (plastic discs with rubber tires) that are press-fit onto
the ends of the axle. One of the axles also has a plastic gear
pressed on, which will form part of the transmission. You need to
plan ahead to think about how this gear (the driven gear) will align
with the gear on the motor shaft (the drive gear)

3. Construct your chassis.

4. Connect your axles/bearings to your chassis. Figure 5 shows the
axles/bearings connected to the underside of the chassis (a piece
of corrugated cardboard) with tape.
5. Connect the motor to the chassis and align the transmission. This
can be one of the most difficult steps. If your transmission uses
gears like the one in Figure 6, you need the teeth of the gears to
mesh firmly. If they are too loose or not touching at all, then the
motor will just spin without making the axle turn. However, if they
are too tight, there might be too much friction and they could jam.
You will need to see how it works when you connect the solar
panel.
6. Attach supports for your solar panel to the chassis (Figure 7).
7. Attach the alligator clips to the two tabs on the back of the solar
panel, and secure the solar panel to the chassis (Figure 8). Note:
the solar panel is fragile. Make sure you handle it carefully).
 8. Now it is time to test your car! Take your car outside in direct
sunlight, but do not put it down yet. Hold it in your hands and aim
the solar panel towards the sun. If the motor and axle both spin,
congratulations! Move on to the next step. If not, try these
troubleshooting steps:
a. If your motor does not spin at all:
i. Make sure you are outside, in direct sunlight, on a sunny day, with
the solar panel facing towards the sun. Your solar panel might not
generate enough power to spin the motor if you are in the shade
or it is cloudy.
ii. If your motor still does not spin, double-check your circuit. Make
sure the alligator clips are firmly connected to the solar panel's
metal tabs. If you soldered or crimped your own wire connections,
make sure none of them are loose or broken. Repair them if
necessary.
iii. If your circuit is OK, make sure your axle or transmission are not
jammed. Does the axle spin if you twist one of the wheels by
hand?
b. If your motor spins, but the axles does not, make sure the gears
are touching each other. You might need to realign your motor or
the axle to make sure the teeth of the gears mesh together firmly.
9. Once your motor and axle both spin when you hold the car in the
sun, it is time to put your car on the ground and watch it go! But
be careful—a working car can move pretty fast. It is a good idea
to test your car in a flat, open area free of obstacles that it could
crash into. Aim your car towards a volunteer who can catch it, or
something soft like a pillow. The solar panel is fragile, so try to
avoid letting your car crash. Watch your car carefully when you
put it down. How fast does it go? Does it go straight?
 CONCLUSION
The development and implementation of solar-powered cars represent a
significant stride towards a more sustainable and environmentally
conscious future of transportation. Through harnessing the power of
sunlight, these vehicles offer a compelling alternative to traditional fossil
fuel-powered cars, mitigating harmful emissions and reducing reliance on
finite resources.

While solar-powered cars face challenges such as limited energy output

and the need for efficient energy storage, ongoing advancements in
technology continue to overcome these barriers. Innovations in solar panel
efficiency, battery technology, and lightweight materials are steadily
improving the performance and feasibility of solar-powered vehicles.

Moreover, the benefits extend beyond environmental considerations. Solar-

powered cars promote energy independence, utilizing a freely available
resource—sunlight—to power transportation needs. They also inspire
innovation and foster a mindset of sustainability, driving progress towards a
cleaner and greener future.

As governments, industries, and individuals increasingly prioritize

sustainability, the momentum behind solar-powered cars is expected to
grow. Continued investment in research, development, and infrastructure
will be crucial in realizing the full potential of this technology and
integrating it into mainstream transportation.

In conclusion, while challenges remain, the promise of solar-powered cars is

clear. By harnessing the abundant energy of the sun, these vehicles offer a
pathway towards a more sustainable, efficient, and environmentally friendly
transportation system, paving the way for a brighter future for generations
to come.