Executive Summary : | The growing concerns about environmental issues and rising fuel prices also are motivating to develop environment friendly energy efficient vehicles. Electric vehicles (EVs) are being identified as one of the key technologies in reducing pollution and energy consumption in the mobility sector. Despite the advantages of lower emissions, EVs are being perceived as more expensive. The economic viability of electric car mainly depends on the energy capacity of the battery pack. solar photovoltaic technology could be an alternative to these expensive batteries. Instead of making electric car with a large battery pack, adding flexible photovoltaic (PV) panels can reduce the battery cost. Moreover, adding PV panels to EVs is much more efficient than fitting to buildings or parking sheds. However, there is a need for through investigation on potential of solar power assistance and optimization of battery pack sizing without compromising on performance and electric range of the vehicle. In addition to growing concerns about global air pollution, increasing traffic and parking issues are encouraging the production of smaller vehicles for passenger transportation in larger cities. This proposal focusses on development of solar power assisted plug-in microcar with modular battery pack to satisfy commuter's daily travel range, that minimizes the cost of ownership. By charging the batteries during office hours when parked in the sun, then the vehicle could be driven home in the evening on solar power and return back to office possibly either by solar power or grid power. This microcar has easy maneuverability in heavy city traffic, relatively affordable and has ability to plug-in to grid electricity. since, the surface of flexible photovoltaic panels on a microcar is limited, it is therefore important to maximize the power extraction. The primary objective the proposal is to investigate the potential of solar power assistance for vehicle propulsion using flexible photovoltaic panels. This supplementary solar energy not only extends the range, but it also reduces the battery pack size, cost and weight. Hence, the secondary objective of this proposal is to optimize the battery pack size to satisfy individual urban commuter's daily travel range. This involves a comprehensive study to estimate the daily travel range of commuter in Indian cities followed by experimental investigations. The proposed car offers most of the environmental benefits of EV operation without compromising the performance and range. Thus, development of plug-in microcar fitted with flexible photovoltaic panels is one the best solutions that addresses the energy sustainability issues, overall dependence on petroleum fuels and can be a near term solution for the personal mobility in cities. |
Co-PI: | Dr. srinivasa Rao Talluri, Vallurupalli Nageswara Rao Vignana Jyothi Institute Of Engineering And Technology, Hyderabad, Telangana-500090, Dr. GVL Prasad, Vallurupalli Nageswara Rao Vignana Jyothi Institute Of Engineering And Technology, Hyderabad, Telangana-500090 |