Solar Powered Vehicles

The intense solar energy released by the sun has sustained life on earth for years by influencing food supply and environmental conditions. Individuals concerned with reducing the carbon footprint of transport can switch to using vehicles powered by renewable energy from the sun. Solar vehicles are electrical cars that source their energy form the sun and standby battery using solar panels. The panels use photovoltaic cells to produce electrical energy from the sun?s rays. For the most part, these vehicles have remained experimental model cars used for demonstration and publicity purposes.?

At present, most solar vehicles are designed for speed and endurance of the power supply system. They make use of sturdy light weight materials like titanium to form their body structure and use a wide range of energy storage cells such as nickel cadmium, lead acid and lithium ion batteries. Solar cars make use of powerful but energy efficient electrical motors and high ratio gear system to propel the vehicle to great speeds over long distances. In addition, most solar powered vehicles frequently have two steering wheels in front and on rear support wheel. But it is not unusual to find those with four or more wheels. Solar panels can be setup in several ways to output over two kilowatts of electricity that generates over two horse powers driving force. They can be mounted horizontally on top of the solar vehicle or they can be integrated with other systems that make them adjustable to optimal solar conditions.

Vehicles powered by solar are silent, produce less emission, are relatively fast and can travel over long distances. Mainstream vehicle manufactures have started experimenting with solar energy for powering some nonessential electrical sub system such as the air condition and cooling fans. Solar vehicles chances of continued existence have greatly improved as researchers continue to release more practical and dependable electric motors, control systems, battery power and advanced electronics.

There are still a number of issues that need to be resolved before solar power becomes a cost-effective and reliable alternative vehicle fuel for the masses. This is largely because solar cars use costly parts, which makes them uneconomical for mass production due to the high risk of venture failure. Another short-term engineering limitation that makes it impossible to use solar energy is the large surface area required by the panels to generate adequate power that can dependably propel the vehicle over long periods.

However, this does not mean that enthusiasts are unable to develop solar vehicles that can perform as good as conventional gasoline powered automobiles. Some solar powered vehicles like the SolarWorld 1 can reach speeds of eighty miles per hour while on highway cruise mode. Another solar project car named solartaxi uses long lasting battery technology that enables it to go for up to four hundred kilometers when fully charged. It also has a reasonable speed limit of ninety miles per hour and has covered fifty thousand kilometers in eighteen months while going around the world passing through forty countries.?

A Look at Solar Powered Vehicles

Solar power is not a new concept by any means. It has been used for many years in such things as calculators and even by swimming pools for heating the water. But the use of solar power for automobiles is still a relatively new method of study. Solar power is a natural means of energy that is given off everyday. If it could somehow be utilized in the proper way, it may prove to be an efficient source of power. The race to discover the best fuel alternative is on as science continues to seek a better way.

Solar power is really nothing more than the energy that is given off by the sun. The key is finding the right means of trapping it and making it useful for other purposes. Solar powered grids are often used to attract the sunlight and absorb the sun’s energy. It can then be transmitted to the object that needs to be powered.

It may come as a surprise to some consumers to learn that science has been studying solar powered vehicle options for years already. Many solar powered cars are very small and not ideal for today’s market. But with increasing amounts of study this possibility might become a reality sooner than we think. Scientists have even been racing their solar powered creations in order to see how they hold up.

Solar powered options have been considered for today’s current vehicles. Mazda once created a sunroof that was solar powered. It was designed to keep the inside of the car warm when it was not running and the temperature outside grew cold. These innovations are just a hint of what might be right around the corner.

One of the most obvious concerns regarding a solar powered car is what one would do if the clouds cover the sun. Normally, that would result in the loss of power and the car would come to a stop. And that certainly is not realistic in rush hour morning traffic. To fix this problem, a backup battery is included to automatically take over when the sun is absent.

For using a solar powered car, the energy from the sun would have to be diverted to both the backup battery as well as running the car. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be enough energy to cover both facets. This could be seen as a serious disadvantage of a solar powered car.

Another drawback of using solar power as a fuel alternative is that it has to be converted after it comes from the sun. It just cannot be done direct. This might include added costs just to obtain the energy needed to power both the car and backup battery.

The solar cars that are currently in use by science for study are nothing like today’s cars. You cannot get in them and they are very low to the ground. It is virtually improbable to see this get on the market. However, if the idea behind this model could be upgraded to fit the cars of today, it may be a worthy possibility.

Solar Powered Vehicles – Alternative Energy Sources

Copyright (c) 2008 Steven Magill

Years ago, no one ever thought that solar powered vehicles are even possible. There are solar-powered calculators or solar batteries that can run small devices but as for solar-powered car engines, many have remained skeptical until they finally saw actual vehicles that run on the energy of the sun created for exhibits in various science and technology fairs. These days, many are already considering on the possibility that, in the next couple of years, mass-market solar powered vehicles will be available to consumers in replacement for the ones that run on oil fuel.

These days, one can see solar powered vehicles in engineering demonstrations and solar car race events.

Cost-efficient

Solar-powered vehicles are, without a doubt, more cost-efficient than the typical cars that run on oil fuel. After all, these cars harness energy from something that is abundant ‘ the energy from the sun. So long as the sun shines, these cars should be able to run just as efficiently as any other type of vehicle. Because they run on solar power, these vehicles will also enjoy higher mileage and longer life spans according to most experts. Solar powered vehicles offer a lot of benefits to the potential consumers who would be willing to invest on such cars.

While solar powered vehicles are not yet practical day-to-day transportation devices, it’s only a matter of time before they actually get introduced into the market.

How they work

Solar powered vehicles literally run on the energy coming from the sun. They follow the same idea as that of other solar-powered devices such as calculators or batteries. The surface of the car has solar panels that collect solar energy. Photovoltaic cells installed in the vehicle work to convert this energy into electrical energy that the engine will need to run the car. In theory, solar powered vehicles will only run when the sun is present. However, numerous studies are now being conducted with regards to the creation of energy trapping components that will enable the car to store enough energy for it to run even at night.

Design

The design of solar powered vehicles is largely limited by solar batteries that are installed in it. Most cars that run on the sun’s energy are designed to be lightweight. Every component shouldn’t weigh as much as the ones that you would typically find in conventional cars. They do have practically the same basic parts that traditional vehicles have. You will find brakes and accelerators in them. Some even come with cruise control.

Challenges

With solar powered vehicles, the current challenge is to create a process or a mechanism that is capable of harnessing solar energy efficiently even on places with a relatively smaller surface area such as cars roofs. Solar cells are usually effective on buildings because they are always exposed to the sun’s heat. Cars will warrant more attention on this area to create efficient solar powered vehicles that can be used just like cars that run on oil fuel.

Industrial 12-Volt w/ Lighter Plug, Model 735X125 – Solar-powered system designed for heavily-used or stored vehicles and equipment such as cars, trucks, vans, RVs, construction and agricultural equipment. Eliminates sulphur from lead plates and trickle charges all 6- and 12-volt lead-acid batteries. Includes a plug that fits into the vehicle cigarette lighter socket.

• Prevents dead batteries by keeping batteries in like-new condition all the time
• Helps batteries charge faster and maintain greater reserve capacity
• Renews dead batteries suffering from sulfation buildup and helps bring them back to life
• Increases battery life span up to three times longer
• Prevents the normal loss of battery power on stored vehicles no matter how long they sit unused

Product Description
Solargizer is a proven, solar-powered electronic device that uses our revolutionary ReNew-IT Pulse Technology? to safely prevent the main cause of battery problems and failure: sulfation buildup on lead-acid battery plates. Used extensively by consumers and the U.S. Military worldwide for almost ten years, this technology has been scientifically proven by two major universities to make batteries work harder and last longer than you ever thought possible…. More >>

Industrial 12-Volt w/ Lighter Plug, Model 735X125 – Solar-powered system designed for heavily-used or stored vehicles and equipment such as cars, trucks, vans, RVs, construction and agricultural equipment. Eliminates sulphur from lead plates and trickle charges all 6- and 12-volt lead-acid batteries. Includes a plug that fits into the vehicle cigarette lighter socket.