Solar rickshaw

To design a solar rickshaw which would be manual driven as well as motor driven using solar energy.

Project Guide – Mrs. Richa Pandey Project Supervisor – Mr. Jeeoot Singh

Nitesh Prasad (BE/1183/08)

Vishal Balodia(BE/1149/08) Prateek Jha (BE/1181/08)

Sunny Kumar(BE/1194/08)

1 .To reduce the eff ort o f r i ckshaw pul ler

2 . To use abundant ly ava i lab le so lar power

3 . To reduce the use o f foss i l fue ls

4 . Ecofr iendly in nature

5 . High future prospects in Renewable energy fi e ld

Why Solar Rickshaw ?

To des ign a hybr id r i ck shaw, manua l d r i ven as we l l a s motor d r i ven us ing So l a r Energy t o r educe the eff or t o f r i ck shaw pu l l e r. The pay l oad wou ld be 250 kg , two passengers w i th a d r i ve r.

Th i s i nc ludes :

Max imi s ing the su r face a rea o f the hood . Min imi s ing the we igh t o f the r i ckshaw. Se lec t i on o f motor and o ther c i r cu i t r y e l ements . Ci rcu i t des ign ( e l ec t r i ca l and mechan i ca l ) . Se lec t i on o f so l a r ce l l s .

Objective

Introduction

The sun provides the earth with energy at a rate of more than 100 000 TW (1 TW = 1012 W).

India has high solar insolation, an ideal combination for using solar energy. This energy can be used to drive a rickshaw.

To reduce the effort of rickshaw puller decision has been taken to assist rickshaw puller with the help of solar driven motors. This can be done in two ways:

Modification / improvement in prevailing rickshaw design. Modification / improvement in solar cells.

Since the field related to improvement in solar cells is confined for scientific research we will purchase solar cells directly from the market and will switch our focus on the mechanical part i.e. Designing the solar rickshaw.

Mathematical Modeling

Force analysis of rickshaw up the inclined plane

F= µMg cos + Mg sin

Power, P=Force (F) × Velocity (V)

Power Required 

------>

Mass 00 40 60 80 100

300 2352 3172 3572 3972 4364

350 2744 3700 4168 4632 5092

400 3136 4228 4764 5296 5820

450 3528 4756 5356 5956 6544

500 3920 5284 5956 6616 7272

Assuming Velocity, V =15 kmph or 4 mps

Solar cells and its selection

Solar cells are devices which convert solar energy directly into electricity by photovoltaic effect. The current generation of crystalline and amorphous silicon solar cells has efficiencies between 5% and 17%. Solar cells have been classified into following types:

• Silicon wafer based solar cells• Photo-electrochemical solar cells• Dye sensitize solar cells

Battery and its selection

A storage battery is a group of one or more electrochemical cells which comes in different sizes, shapes and specifications. Some of the commonly used include :

Lead-Acid Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) Lithium ion (Li-ion)

Total daily energy expenditure by Electric Rickshaws

Battery Specifications

Electric Motor and its selection

A electric motor converts electrical energy to mechanical energy. Brushless DC motors are powered by direct current and have electronic commutation system rather than mechanical commutators and brushes. The current-to-torque and frequency-to-speed relationships of BLDC motors are linear.

48 volt Heinzmann hub motor 1200 watt is selected

CAD Model for Solar Rickshaw

Specifications of Solar Rickshaw

Power Source Electrical and Pedal 

Type of Drive Electric Motor Assisted Pedal Driven

Electric Motor 48 volt Heinzmann hub motor 1200 watt

Electric Motor type Hub Motor 

Motor Controller Driving and Controlling the RPM of BLDC Motor 

Transmission Sprocket and Chain Drive with override at rear axle 

Payload 250 kg considering 2 passengers and 1 driver

Average Speed 15 kmph 

Motor RPM 160 rpm 

Motor Mounting Front Wheel Hub 

Weight of Motor 8 kg approx. 

Motor Control Electronic Controller and Throttle 

Controller Mounting On Centre of handle of Rickshaw 

Electronic Throttle Mounted on Right Side of Handle 

Battery 48V,18 Ah, Deep Cycle,Li-ion Battery 

Charge Controller From 220 VAC supply or Optional Solar Charging 

Battery Weight 15 Kg approx. 

Weight 160 kg ( including all items) 

Body Made of CRC Sheet or FRP 

Weight 45 kg 

Overall Size 1300 mm x 1200 mm x 1500 mm 

Hood Material Rexin 

Hood Type Folding 

Sample Calculations

For total (rickshaw + Passengers + Driver) mass, m = 400 kg to run on a flat road (ϴ=0o) running at a speed of 15 kmph/4 mps, the power required is 3136 W.

For the same rickshaw running on an inclined road (ϴ=4o) at the same speed, the power required is 4228 W.

The extra effort to be compensated is 4228 – 3136 = 1092 W

For the selected solar cell, power output per unit area = 168.1 W/m2

Through our CAD model we have achieved roughly 2 m2 generating 168.1 *2= 336.2 W

Future Aspects

To increase the efficiency of solar cell.To reduce the weight of the frame and body.To use light weight high energy density

battery.To use alternator or regenerative braking

down the slope to charge the battery.To use sensors and actuators for speed

control and battery indicator.

THANK YOU