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VOCATIONAL ENGLISH | groups 9

Solar car
What is the Solar Car ?
A solar car is a solar vehicle used
for land transport. Solar cars combine
technology typically used in the aerospace,
bicycle, alternative energy and automotive
industries. The design of a solar vehicle is
severely limited by the amount of energy
input into the car. Most solar cars have been built for the purpose of solar car races.
Exceptions include solar-powered cars and utility vehicles.
Solar cars are often fitted with gauges as seen in conventional cars. In order to keep
the car running smoothly, the driver must keep an eye on these gauges to spot possible
problems. Cars without gauges almost always feature wireless telemetry, which allows the
driver's team to monitor the car's energy consumption, solar energy capture and other
parameters and free the driver to concentrate on driving.
Solar cars depend on PV cells to convert sunlight into electricity. In fact, 51% of
sunlight actually enters the Earth's atmosphere. Unlike solar thermal energy which converts
solar energy to heat for either household purposes, industrial purposes or to be converted to
electricity, PV cells directly convert sunlight into electricity. When sunlight (photons) strike
PV cells, they excite electrons and allow them to flow, creating an electrical current. PV cells
are made of semiconductor materials such as silicon and alloys of indium, gallium and
nitrogen. Silicon is the most common material used and has an efficiency rate of 15-20%. Of
late, several consulting companies, such as Phoenix Snider Power, have started offering
technical and financial services to institutes and teams developing solar cars worldwide.
How the solar car working is when sunlight captured by solar car then into
the generator and battery. sunlight that enters the generator is converted into
energy that can move the car and the residu of sunlight put in batteries to be
stored as a reserve at night, when no sunlight

VOCATIONAL ENGLISH | groups 9

History of Solar Car

First Solar Car
The first solar car invented was a tiny 15-inch vehicle created by William G. Cobb of
General Motors. Called the Sunmobile, Cobb showcased the first solar car at the Chicago
Powerama convention on August 31, 1955. The solar car was made up 12 selenium
photovoltaic cells and a small Pooley electric motor turning a pulley which in turn rotated the
rear wheel shaft. The first solar car in history was obviously too small to drive.

Now, let's jump to 1962 when the first solar car that a person could drive was
demonstrated to the public. The International Rectifier Company converted a vintage model
1912 Baker electric car (pictured above) to run on photovoltaic energy in 1958, but they
didn't show it until 4 years later. Around 10,640 individual solar cells were mounted to the
rooftop of the Baker to help propel it.
In 1977, Alabama University professor Ed Passereni built the Bluebird solar car,
which was a prototype full scale vehicle. The Bluebird was supposed to move from power
created by the photovoltaic cells only without the use of a battery. The Bluebird was
exhibited in the Knoxville, TN 1982 World's Fair.

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Between 1977 and 1980 (the exact dates are not known for sure), at Tokyo Denki
University, professor Masaharu Fujita first created a solar bicycle, then a 4-wheel solar car.
The car was actually two solar bicycles put together.

In 1979 Englishman Alain Freeman invented

a solar car (pictured right). He road
registered the same vehicle in 1980. The
Freeman solar car was a 3-wheeler with a
solar panel on the roof.

At the engineering department at Tel Aviv University in Israel, Arye Braunstein and
his colleagues created a solar car in 1980 (pictured below). The solar car had a solar panel on
the hood and on the roof of the Citicar comprised of 432 cells creating 400 watts of peak
power. The solar car used 8 batteries of 6 volts each to store the photovoltaic energy.

The 1,320 pound solar Citicar is said by

the engineering department to have been
able to reach up to 40 mph with a
maximum range of 50 miles.

In 1981 Hans Tholstrup and Larry Perkins built a solar powered racecar. In 1982, the
pair became the first to cross a continent in a solar car, from Perth to Sydney, Australia.
Tholstrup is the creator of the World Solar Challenge in Australia.
In 1984, Greg Johanson and Joel Davidson invented the Sunrunner solar race car. The
Sunrunner set the official Guinness world record in Bellflower, California of 24.7 mph. In the
Mojave Desert of California and final top speed of 41 mph was officially recorded for a
"Solely Solar Powered Vehicle" (did not use a battery). The 1986 Guinness Book of World
Records publicized these official records.
The GM Sunraycer in 1987 completed a 1,866 mile trip with an average speed of 42
mph. Since this time there have been many solar cars invented at universities for
competitions such as the Shell Eco Marathon. There is also a commercially available solar car

VOCATIONAL ENGLISH | groups 9

called the Venturi Astrolab. Time will only tell how far the solar car makes it with today's and
tomorrow's technology.

The important parts of

Car

Solar

The important part is solar array. The solar

array consists of hundreds of photovoltaic solar cells
converting sunlight into electricity. In order to
construct an array, PV cells are placed together to
form modules which are placed together to form an
array.The larger arrays in use can produce over 2
kilowatts (2.6 hp).

The solar array can be mounted in several

ways:
horizontal.
This
most
common arrangement gives
most overall power during
most of the day in low
latitudes or higher latitude
summers and offers little interaction with the wind. Horizontal arrays can
be integrated or be in the form of a free canopy.

vertical. This arrangement is sometimes found in free standing or

integrated sails to harness wind energy. Useful solar power is limited to
mornings, evenings, or winters and when the vehicle is pointing in the
right direction.

adjustable. Free solar arrays can often be tilted around the axis of travel
in order to increase power when the sun is low and well to the side. An
alternative is to tilt the whole vehicle when parked. Two-axis adjustment is
only found on marine vehicles, where the aerodynamic resistance is of less
importance than with road vehicles.

integrated. Some vehicles cover every available surface with solar cells.
Some of the cells will be at an optimal angle whereas others will be
shaded.

trailer. Solar trailers are especially useful for retrofitting existing vehicles
with little stability, e.g. bicycles. Some trailers also include the batteries
and others also the drive motor.

remote. By mounting the solar array at a stationary location instead of

the vehicle, power can be maximised and resistance minimized. The

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virtual grid-connection however involves more electrical losses than with

true solar vehicles and the battery must be larger.

The choice of solar array geometry involves an optimization between power output,
aerodynamic resistance and vehicle mass, as well as practical considerations. For example, a
free horizontal canopy gives 2-3 times the surface area of a vehicle with integrated cells but
offers better cooling of the cells and shading of the riders. There are also thin flexible solar
arrays in development.
Solar arrays on solar cars are mounted and encapsulated very differently from
stationary solar arrays. Solar arrays on solar cars are usually mounted using industrial grade
double-sided adhesive tape right onto the car's body. The arrays are encapsulated using thin
layers of Tedlar.
Some solar cars use gallium arsenide solar cells,, with efficiencies around thirty
percent. Other solar cars use silicon solar cells, with efficiencies around twenty percent.

Positives and negatives impact of Solar Car

positives:

Renewable Energy

No Pollution

No Increasing Prices

Idle For Remote Locations Or Anywhere

Reduces The Use Of Fossil Fuel

Negatives:

Expensive To Install

Solar Power Can Not Be Used At Night

Weather Can Affect The Power Output

Shady And Tree Covered Areas Also Do Not Have Great Power Output

GROUP 9 X4 :

VOCATIONAL ENGLISH | groups 9

DENAWATI JUNIA
MEILANI
RIYAD MAULANA
SEPTO PRIYO SAMBODO

VOCATIONAL ENGLISH | groups 9