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Getting in the Realm of Solar Powered Cars
from: Forsgrens
There are instances that instead of using your own car, you will just take a bus or ride into a cab going to your office. You will not be worrying of how many dollars you are going to spend just to fuel your car. Oil prices are increasing regularly due to the increasing demand in the world market. Add to it the cost of the spare parts of your car that needs immediate replacement.
But have you imagined that there will come a time that most of the cars plying the highways and other suburban areas are already solar-powered? There are attempts of creating a car that is powered by solar energy, and it turns out to be successful. Although the mass production of such genre of cars is still under study, it can be a great development, especially in the present world of transportation that is powered by gasoline and other types of fuels.
Solar-Powered Cars (SPC): An Overview
A solar-powered car is an electric automobile that uses solar power as its main fuel. Its power is derived from photovoltaic panels placed on specific locations in the car that has a maximum exposure to the sunlight. Currently, SPC’s are not yet considered to be a form of transportation because of two reasons. First, it can only run during daytime and second, it can only take maximum of two passengers. On the other hand, the further enhancement of solar panels to receive and produce additional amounts of solar energy capable of powering a car of regular capacity (four to six passengers) are still under extensive and study research.
Getting into the SPC Features
Let us get into some of the important features of a SPC. Its driver’s cockpit includes features that can be seen in a traditional automobile like brakes, accelerator, rear view mirrors, and ventilation. It also carries two-way radio as a communication medium with the support staff or a fellow SPC driver. The cockpit is also installed with gauges that must be checked regularly to spot some possible problems.
The electrical system of the SPC is the most vital element of the car system as it manipulates the entire power that comes in and out of the system. Its battery pack serves as the fuel tank of the SPC which provides the energy it needed to run it. SPC uses different kinds of batteries which include lead acid batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries (NiMH), nickel-cadmium batteries (NiCD), and Lithium polymer batteries. These batteries normally produce voltages ranging from 84 to 170 volts.
SPC’s are also equipped with power electronics monitor to regulate the consumption of the car’s electricity. It generally includes peak power trailers which manages the power that is retrieved from the solar arrays and be either stocked up in the battery or used in the motor; the motor controller which manages electricity running to the motor according to signals that flows from the accelerator; and the data acquisition system that monitors the entire electrical system of the SPC.
The solar array contains hundreds of solar cells which converts sunlight to electricity. These cells are bounded together to form strings while the strings are bounded together to constitute a panel. This method is regularly done to get many solar cells in a relatively small space. SPC designers also encapsulate these solar cells to shield them against weather effects and brakeage.
The power generated by the solar array installed on the SPC’s are dependent on the weather condition, the location of the sun, and its capacity. Normally, solar arrays can produce over 2 kilowatts or 2.6 horsepower on a bright sunny day during noontime.
There you have it, the solar-powered car and its features. Although it is not yet ready to be a passenger vehicle, but there will come a time that it will now be the most common cars plying in the highways in the near future.
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