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Solar Car is a type of electric vehicle that runs on the energy produced by sunlight.The alternative mean of resources is in great demand in the world as carbon emissions increase continuously. Solar Car make use of absolutely no fuels to run by directly converting sunlight into electricity.
- Solar Car is also known as solar vehicle.
- The PV cells present in them absorb sunlight with full efficiency by the incident rays falling upon them.
- It consists of a rechargeable battery that stores energy using regenerative braking.
- It uses the combination of technology used in aerospace, automotive and alternative energy.
- Solar Car’s primary motive is to reduce pollution drastically.
- With the advent of time, solar cars have proved to be a very important aspect of the advancement of technology.
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Key Terms: Solar Car, Solar Vehicle, Carbon Emission, PV Cell, Pollution, Rechargeable Battery, Solar Energy, Solar Cells, Motor
What is a Solar Car?
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A solar car is basically an electric vehicle, also known as a solar vehicle, which is fueled by direct solar energy. The usage of these vehicles can be extensively found in race tracks, the automobile industry, roads, and aerospace.
- Solar Cars charge themselves up from sunlight significantly.
- These cars even get completely discharged with the help of solar cells present in them.
- The first-ever solar car was introduced by General Motors employee William G. Cobb.
- The model was in the form of a 15-inch vehicle.
- Solar cars are designed keeping in mind the maximum utilization of efficiency.
With increasing pollution, they have proven to be environment saviors by making ample use of sunlight. This also minimizes the monetary expenses.
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Parts of a Solar Car
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The parts or materials required to prepare a solar car and its procedure are as follows:
Solar Panel
Solar Panels are the important part used for the preparation of solar car. It is used to convert sunlight into electricity.
Motor
Motors are used to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy. The motor helps in the movement of the wheels of a car.
Power Trackers
Power trackers are devices that are used to track the position of the sun. It will direct the solar energy toward the battery for storage.
Four Wheels
Wheels help in managing the direction and speed of the vehicle.
Charging System
Solar Cars are equipped with a charging system which will help recharge the battery from an external source.
Battery Pack
The packs are used to store extra energy created by the solar panels installed on the rooftop.
Brake
It is another important of a solar car that will help in slowing and stopping of the vehicle.
Tyres
Tyres are an important part of the solar car, without which the car is not able to provide traction and support to the car.
Suspension System
With the help of a suspension system, the solar car moves smoothly by absorbing vibrations and shocks from the road.
Solar Car
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Solar Car Working
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The working of a solar car is as follows:
- The first and foremost step is to connect the powerhouse.
- Powerhouse is the DC motor’s wires directly connected to the wheels of the car.
- These motor connected to the wheel acts as gear.
- Now, take a cardboard and cut it in the shape of a rectangle.
- Leave some space for the gear.
- The wheels consisting of the gear will go straight inside the tub.
- Connect the wheels to the shaft. You can adjust the wheels and shaft as suitable.
- Attach the solar panel at an angle where it is perpendicular to the top of the cardboard.
- The panel must be in a slanting position at all times.
- Solder and connect the DC motor to the panel and place the car with ample sunlight.
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Uses of Solar Car
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The various uses of solar car are as follows:
- Solar Cars are beneficial in places where fuel-based vehicles are not allowed.
- It is used in places where fossil fuels are quite expensive.
- Solar Cars can be used in racing competitions.
- These cars are converted into lightweight vehicles.
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Advantages of a Solar Car
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The advantages of using a solar car are as follows:
Eco-friendly
Solar cars are very eco-friendly in nature as they possess zero emission levels. This is mainly because they don't burn fuels or any kind of non-renewable resources. In this way, they do not emit greenhouse gases or any toxic pollutants.
Reduce noise pollution
These cars have electric motors which produce negligible noise, thereby preventing noise pollution. They are quiet as compared to other vehicles which are supplied with fuels.
Saves fuel cost
As they don't run on fuel, solar cars save a whole lot of fuel expenses. Their maintenance is low in comparison with conventional vehicles running on petrol and diesel.
Energy availability
The main source of power in a solar car comes from the sun. The solar panels store this light energy for future use in the form of horsepower for cars.
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Driving comfort
Being made up of lightweight compounds, solar cars run effortlessly faster.
Disadvantages of Solar Car
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The disadvantages of using a solar car are as follows:
Space & design issues
The structure and design of a solar car have proved to be a major issue. They take up a lot of areas for the panels to be mounted properly. Also, there is space for only two passengers.
Nature and efficiency
Solar cars have a very low resistance to wind. The PV cells present in the panel are only able to absorb 15 to 30% of the sunlight, depending on the material it is made of, and convert it into electricity. Thereby, a lot of energy goes to waste.
Expensive cost
Solar cars make use of batteries, which are very costly. They also have to be replaced frequently, which creates a financial burden.
Practicality
Solar cars come without proper safety features for the driver. Standard things are missing in these cars, like wiper blades, brakes, headlights, and rearview mirrors. There is also the absence of a steering wheel and proper suspension, which creates a major flaw in it.
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Things to Remember
- Solar Cars are solar vehicles that absorb 20-30% of the sunlight.
- It will convert sun energy into electricity by making use of the photovoltaic or PV cells present in them.
- PV cells are made of silicon and provide the most efficient as compared to other semiconducting materials.
- The usage of solar cars is increasingly found in race tracks, aerospace, and the automobile industry.
- Solar Car is advantageous in comparison to fuel-using vehicles; hence, it is very reliable.
- They lessen the pollution by emitting zero-emission gases.
- Being made of electric motors and lightweight components, they are easier to drive and prevent any disturbance caused by noise.
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Sample Questions
Ques. What is solar energy? (3 marks)
Ans. Solar energy is a kind of renewable source of energy. It is in the form of heat which comes from the sun and is converted to electricity with the help of advanced technology. It is also used for the process of generating solar thermal energy and solar water heating. It serves as a promising source of electricity because of its large magnitude. This application is used widely in cooking, water treatment plants, ventilation, and heating.
Ques. What are solar cars? (3 marks)
Ans. Solar cars are generally electric vehicles that charge themselves up from sunlight with the help of solar cells present in them. They come with a rechargeable battery, which helps them to store this energy for future purposes. Here, sunlight is directly converted to electricity by the photovoltaic cells in the process. Solar cars are extensively used in car races, roads, and aerospace.
Ques. What are the uses of solar cars? (3 marks)
Ans. Solar cars serve multiple purposes in many fields like,
- Easily replaceable by fuel-running vehicles
- Commercialized four-wheelers
- Used because of its lightweight in areas where heavy machinery is avoided
- In space vehicles, fuel amounts to a lot of economic costs
Ques. Can solar cars run at night time? (2 marks)
Ans. Yes, solar cars can run at night time. This is because of the PV cells, which have already converted light energy into electricity and stored it for future purposes. However, as night arrives, their efficiency decreases as compared to daytime.
Ques. Name some advantages of solar cars? (3 marks)
Ans. Solar cars have a lot of advantages. Some of them are as follows,
- They do not burn fuels, which is why there is zero emission level and a complete absence of any harmful pollutants. They have electric motors which don't create any noise and run smoothly. This leads to the minimization of pollution.
- As solar cars are not driven by fuels or any non-renewable source, they save a lot of expenditure.
- Solar cars are a lot easier to drive as they are made of light-weighted compounds like aluminium.
Ques. What are the materials needed to make a solar car? (2 marks)
Ans. In order to make a solar car, it is very important to have a solar panel, a DC motor, hot glue, a soldering machine, a cardboard and craft knife, some steel wires, a motor mount, four wheels, a straw, and tubes. Proper steps must be followed to assemble these into an efficient solar car.
Ques. Do solar cells work while it's raining? (4 marks)
Ans. Solar cars use photovoltaic cells, which absorb sunlight directly or indirectly and convert them into electricity. Even though they work best in direct sunlight, the blockage of sunlight does not matter. During rain, there is still some light present, which is enough for the cells. They absorb this light and store it so as to charge the device. Later on, they use the electricity generated to run solar cars. The rain also proves helpful in washing away excessive dirt present on the panel.
Ques. How does a solar car run? (2 marks)
Ans. Solar cars run with the help of solar arrays. These arrays make use of different photovoltaic cells, which directly or indirectly absorb sunlight and convert it into electricity to run the car. The photons present in the light rays fall on the PV cells. This causes a disturbance among electrons, and they start moving. In this manner, an electric current is created.
Ques. What are the ways to fix a solar array? (3 marks)
Ans. The solar array can be fixed according to different types depending upon the need. Some of them are as follows,
- Horizontal - It can be fixed in this position, especially as it gives the maximum power and eliminates disturbance with the wind.
- Vertical - It can be placed in a vertical position and is usually devised in sails to harness wind energy.
- Adjustable - There are adjustable solar arrays that can tilt around their axis so as to capture maximum sunlight according to the movement of the sun.
Ques. Why should we not use solar cars? (4 marks)
Ans. Solar cars may be fancy, but they still suffer from some major cons. These include,
- Efficiency decreases in the absence of sunlight or when the battery dies down
- Require a large area to mount the solar panels
- Convert only 15-30% of the sunlight
- Batteries used in solar cars are very expensive
Ques. What is the difference between a solar car and a standard car? (5 marks)
Ans. The differences between solar cars and standard cars are as follows:
| Solar car | Standard car |
|---|---|
| Solar cars make use of direct or indirect sunlight to run. | The standard cars make use of ICE or Internal Combustion Engine. |
| They do not burn any kind of fuel but have rechargeable batteries. | They burn fuels like petrol, diesel, or gasoline to run. |
| There is a negligible amount of carbon emission. | There is the emission of carbons in plenty. |
| It eliminates pollution of noise as well as air. | It causes pollution by emitting toxic pollutants and noise. |
| They depend on photovoltaic cells to absorb sunlight. | They depend upon batteries that power up from non-conventional fuels to run. |
| Solar cars are not used for public transport. They are just used for demonstration and on race tracks. | These cars are sold commercially worldwide. |
Ques. What are photovoltaic cells? (3 marks)
Ans. Solar cars are dependent upon a solar power system, also known as the PV system or photovoltaic system. The sole function is to supply solar power by means of photovoltaics. Photovoltaic cells are known for converting sunlight into electricity. As the PV cells need to be light-permeable, they are made of silicon. Silicon, in its crystalline form, is known to be the most common material used in photovoltaic technology. It provides an efficiency of about 15-30%. Other preferred semiconducting materials include nitrogen, alloys of indium, and gallium.
Ques. What are the main features of the solar car? (3 marks)
Ans. The features of the solar car are as follows:
- Solar Cars use rechargeable batteries instead of gasoline.
- These cars are driven by either direct or indirect sunlight.
- Solar Cars eliminate air and noise pollution.
- It helps in the reduction of carbon emissions.
Ques. Explain sustainable energy? (2 marks)
Ans. Sustainable energy is an energy that is created to meet the needs of the present without altering the needs of the future. They take into consideration certain environmental issues like greenhouse gas emissions. There are four main types of sustainable energy, namely wind power, solar energy, hydroelectric and bioenergy.
Ques. Who made the first solar car in India? (1 mark)
Ans. Bilal Ahmed, a maths teacher from Srinagar in Kashmir, made the first solar car in India.
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