SSN team develops energy efficient solar-powered vehicle

It has been designed by Prof Dr R Seyezhai, from the department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE), along with research student, A Bharathi Sankar. The battery operated cart equipped with solar panels has a load capacity of around 230 kg. 

Explaining the mechanism, the professor said, “The solar panels are mounted on the cart’s roof to help it power its batteries. As an alternative, plug based power-point charging is also possible. The cart uses lead-acid batteries and can reach a speed of 40 km per hour on a single charge. This is a first for the industry. Currently, battery operated carts employing DC drive in the market are not capable of reaching this speed.” She further said that plans are on to market it commercially. “While we continue working on refining and improving the mechanics and performance of the cart, we are also looking at taking this to the market.” 

The project was initiated in 2013 by a team of researchers. The institution bankrolled this project as part of its funding for Innovative Projects Scheme (FIPS), a novel scheme by SSN. Through this initiative, about Rs. 2.87 crore has been invested in 62 projects of the faculty, while a sum of Rs 1 crore is ear-marked for around 230 student projects. 

SSN has also filed a patent for the controller for brushless DC motor. The ‘controller’ controls the running of the motor – it controls the speed and regulates the battery voltage. “Typically, a new battery operated cart costs approximately Rs 4.5 lakhs; however, the solar-powered battery operated cart costs only Rs 3 lakhs and also offers a host of additional and better features, she added.