How to Make a Solar Car Project
A solar car is a vehicle powered by energy produced by sunlight. Solar cars run on solar energy. Therefore, they do not require any diesel or other fuel to start. The sunlight we receive is stored on a panel that can be used later. That's why it is called "solar energy". A Solar car charges the battery using sunlight and solar panels. It can be used for transport. Most solar cars are designed for solar car racing. A solar car depends on a solar panel that uses a photovoltaic (PV) cell that converts sunlight into electricity.
When the sun's rays hit the photovoltaic cell, the electrons get excited and start to flow. It generates an electric current. Photovoltaic cells are made up of semiconductor material.
Required Materials:
The materials needed to make the solar car are:
Solar panel
DC motor
Motor support
Four wheels
Straw
Hot glue
Welding machine
Craft knife
Cardboard
Steel wire
Tubes
Steps to Making a Solar Car
Here's how to do a small solar car project at home.
First, it connects the most crucial part of the vehicle that controls the wheels of the car, which is a DC motor. Solder the leads of the DC motor directly to the wheels of the car like a gear.
After that, take the cardboard and cut it well in the shape of a rectangle.
Now glue the tubes on the cardboard with the glue stick that we cut.
A small space is created on the box for the equipment.
The wheel with the attached gear is now inserted into the tube. After that, the wheels are linked to the shaft.
Now adjust the wheels, shaft and motor.
The final step is to connect a solar panel to the top of the cardboard utilising glue so that it does not fall.
Then connect the solar panel through the DC motor using solder.
Note that the solar panel must be kept in an oblique position.
Then take the solar car to a sunny place so that it can absorb the sunlight.
Working of Solar Car
When the solar car project is ready, take it to a place where there is a lot of sun. Place the car on a level surface and make sure that the solar panel is exposed to the sun. After absorbing sunlight, the car will start to run.
We can also explore the interior of our homes by replacing sunlight with a high wattage bulb. We can predict a result (which will be the exact same as followed by sunlight).
In this solar car project, we will learn how solar panels, DC motors work. So, we can do other projects with their help.
Some Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Car
Advantages
A solar car is an eco-friendly vehicle because it has zero emission levels. They do not burn fuels. The motors generate electricity that does not emit any toxic gases or produce any pollution in the environment.
The solar car makes less noise pollution when compared to the vehicles powered by conventional fuel.
Solar car vehicle has no fuel cost and it requires a low cost for maintenance.
Since the solar car is made of light-weighted components, the car runs faster and smoothly as compared to normal vehicles.
In the solar car, solar panels derive the energy from the sunlight/bright bulbs and store them. This stored energy can be used in the future as well.
Disadvantages
The solar panels or the photovoltaic cell can only convert 20-30% of the sunlight into electricity depending upon the material that has been used.
The solar car does not have driver safety features and any other equipment like headlights, rearview mirror, etc.
The solar car requires a large surface area to mount the solar panels.
This is all about how you can make a solar-powered car for a brilliant science project. Just follow the steps and arrange all the requirements. By doing this project, learn how solar cars operate and how this concept can be an excellent way to replace fossil fuels in the future.
FAQs on Solar Car Project
1. Do solar panels operate during the rainy season?
Photovoltaic cells utilised in solar cars can absorb direct or indirect sunlight to create energy. Although, solar panels are more useful in direct sunlight. Solar-powered devices can still operate when sunlight is partially blocked by clouds. Rain could help keep the panels running efficiently by removing dust or dirt attached to the solar panel. If you live in an area with maximum sunlight, the excess energy generated by the panels during sunny hours will be stored, which can be used in the absence of sunlight.
2. What are the uses of solar cells?
A solar cell is used for many applications. Some of the applications are:
A Solar Cell in Computers - The solar cell calculator uses photovoltaic cells. This calculator works with solar energy. The light is absorbed by the sun and the operation is completed.
Solar Cell Panels - We can put solar cells on the roof. It can be used as a solar water heater which will heat the water, we can use this water for swimming or any other work.
We can also store this energy and use it in the event of a power failure to charge the phone. We can also save on electricity bills by using solar panels on the roof.
3. What are the advantages of solar vehicles?
Solar automobiles are the future of the automotive enterprise. They are highly workable and can be made easily. The main advantages of a solar vehicle are that it is less polluting and very economical. Because they do not cause pollution, they are very environmentally friendly and are the only answer to the increasing pollution levels from cars in the current scenario. By harvesting renewable energy sources such as solar energy, we are helping to preserve non-renewable energy sources. The other main advantages of solar vehicles are that they require less maintenance than conventional vehicles and are very easy to use.
4. How do solar cars work?
The basic principle of a solar car is to use the energy stored in a battery during and after charging a solar panel. The charged batteries are used to drive the motor which here acts as a motor and drives the vehicle forward in reverse or forward. The electrical outlet rheostat is designed to control the speed of the motor. This prevents excess current when walking. Assumes the vehicle stops abruptly as in normal cars when it comes to fuel, this idea, in the future, may help protect our fuels from extinction.
5. Can solar cars run at night?
A solar car is an electric vehicle, powered directly by solar energy, which uses photovoltaic (PV) cells. They directly convert solar energy into electricity. Solar electric cars can also be driven at night because the batteries store solar energy during the day.