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Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

Jan 17, 2018

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What is It? (solar energy)  Renewable energy source that converts heat & light into energy  More common than we realize
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Page 1: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

Solar Energy

Page 2: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

What is Solar Energy?

-Concepts behind solar energy

- How solar energy is used in solar cars

Page 3: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

What is It? (solar energy)

Renewable energy source that converts heat & light into energy

More common than we realize

Page 4: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

Just how common is it?

The food we eat to give us energy comes from plants that use sunlight (photosynthesis)

We hang laundry out to dry in the sun (using sun’s heat to do work)

Sun is responsible for making other forms of renewable energy (biomass, wind, fossil fuels)

Page 5: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

How is Solar Energy used to run a Solar Race Car?

Page 6: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

The Basics

The photovoltaic cell• Building block of

solar-electric system

Page 7: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

Let’s look at what’s happening

Sun’s rays knock electrons off of Atoms

Electrons are pulled from bottom material to top material

Electrons flow through the motor producing power

Page 8: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

Looks a little like this…

Page 9: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

Let’s build one…shall we?

5 components of Solar Race Car;

• Chassis• Wheels & Bearings• Power Source• Transmission• Body/Shell

Page 10: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

1. Chassis…

How to build the frame of the car?-Holds all of the main parts

together

Page 11: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

Some Possible Chassis…

Designing & building will involve trade-offs

There is no one ideal design

Page 12: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

What to consider?

Is your car to heavy?

In solar cars, efficiency is very important

Don’t want to waste energy

Page 13: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

Materials

For solar cars, stiffness is very important

E.g.. Stiff, light materials include styrofoam, balsa wood and cardboard

Page 14: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

Shape

Paper is not stiff

Redesigning it’s shape, you can make paper stiffer

Page 15: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

Orientation

Take an ordinary wood/plastic ruler

• Try to bend it in both directions

Stiffen you chassis by adding strips?

Page 16: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

2. Wheels & Bearings

How to make wheels that turn- support the chassis and allow the car to roll forward

Page 17: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

Wheels can be large, small, narrow or wide…

Page 18: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

What to consider?

Weight Distribution and Traction

Page 19: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

Bearings

Components that allow relative motion between the axel and the chassis

Holds axel and wheels to the chassis but reduces their friction

Page 20: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

3. The Power Source

How the solar panel and motor work- solar power

Page 21: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

How does a solar panel create power?

The solar panel captures energy from the sun and turns this energy into electrical energy

Electric motor uses this energy to power the wheels of the car

Page 22: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

Let’s look at a mechanical example

Water wheel:– Power coming out

depends on 2 things1. How high the water

falls2. How much water

(how many buckets) is poured over the wheel

Page 23: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

Back to the solar thing…

Solar panel– Very similar to water

wheel concept;• Instead of height we

have voltage• Instead of buckets of

water we have an electric current

Power = voltage x current

Page 24: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

Maximizing Power…

Which car will have more power?

Tilt the panel towards the sun? Add reflectors?

Page 25: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

4. Transmission

How to transfer power from the motor to the wheels

Page 26: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

There are different ways to transfer power to the wheels

Page 27: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

Selecting the proper gear ratio…

Each rotation of the front sprocket will make the back wheel rotate;– Once in combo 1– Twice in combo 2– 4 times in combo 3

Page 28: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

5. Body/Shell

How the Shell effects car performance?

& - protects passengers - safety in case of crash - looks

Page 29: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

Some ideas for the Shell…

Page 30: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

Main concept….. Aerodynamics

How much force does air have?

Page 31: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

How about when bicycling?

Page 32: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

Think about these for your own design…

Fast cars shaped to move easily through the air

Tractor-trailer trucks with big air deflectors

Page 33: Solar Energy. What is Solar Energy? - Concepts behind solar energy - How solar energy is used in solar cars.

Your Task…

Design & Construct a solar vehicle

Remember to give careful consideration to your choice of:

ChassisWheels & BearingsPower SourceTransmissionBody/Shell