SolarMobil Manipal
SolarMobil Manipal is the official Solar Car student team of Manipal University, Manipal. The team was founded in 2011 by a group of engineering students of Manipal Institute of Technology. SolarMobil is a student project aimed at research & development of solar powered electric vehicle.
Till date SolarMobil Manipal has developed two projects; Freyr1 - a single seater solar race car and SERVe (Solar Electric Road Vehicle), which is India's first institutional solar electric vehicle prototype.
History
Since the early 1980s, various institutions around the world have focused on the research & development of Solar Cars. Started in 2011, SolarMobil Manipal is the third Indian Solar Car Team. The SolarMobil team consists of a group of undergraduate students pursuing multiple disciplines of engineering at Manipal Institute of Technology. SolarMobil Manipal was formed with a vision of becoming a center for research & development on solar vehicles. The team is working towards developing practical solar passenger vehicle prototypes.
The project is supported and has been supported in the past by Manipal Institute of Technology, Tata Power Solar, Element14 and other technology partners.
The Team
The team comprises thirty undergraduate students - Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors from Mechanical, Electrical and Electronics, Electronics & Communication, Instrumentation & Control, Mechatronics, Industrial Production and Automobile Engineering. The team is supported by the faculty of Manipal Institute of Technology.
The team has three separate departments - Mechanical, Electrical & Management working on various aspects of the project.
Projects
The team has developed two projects till date Freyr1 and SERVe. They are currently working on a third, unnamed project.
FREYR-1
The debut car was named FREYR-1, a 3–wheel 1 seat race car to participate in Solar challenges across the world. The most notable features of this car were its lightweight space frame chassis, the custom-made suspension system and its ability to drive directly on solar power using a high-power-efficiency drive train.
Achievement
The team was awarded the consolation award at the Manipal University Innovation Day in 2013.
Technical specifications:-
Structure | •Chromoly 4130 steel tubular spaceframe chassis |
---|---|
Body shell | •Fibre reinforced plastic |
Suspension | •Front – double wishbone coil over suspension unequal length non parallel arms |
Rear | •Swing arm mono shock |
Steering | •Rack and pinion with zero bump steer geometry |
Brakes | •Dual circuit hydraulic disk brakes with parking brake on rear |
Motor | •SCM 150 nugenaxial flux brushless DC HUB 10 hp motor |
Battery pack | •LiFePO4
•(Lithium iron phosphate) cells 6.5 kwh with custom-made battery management system |
Solar panels | •Mono crystalline cells total output 950 watts
•Custom-made wiring hardness and telemetry system |
SERVe
Dubbed Solar Electric Road Vehicle (SERVe), it is a two-seater car and claims to be able to achieve a speed of up to 60 km/h, and cruising speed 30 km/h. SERVe is said to be India's first passenger solar electric vehicle prototype.
Technical specifications
Body Work | •Fiber Glass reinforced Plastic
•Aerodynamic design and good Aesthetics |
---|---|
Chassis | •Steel Space frame |
Suspension systems | •Push rod-Rear double wishbone-Front |
Brake system | •Hydraulic line system |
Motor | •Permanent magnet DC motor |
Solar Panels | •Custom made by Tata Power Solar |
Data Acquisition & Telemetry | •Single Board Computer
•Controller Area Network •Smart 7" LCD Display |
Li-Ion Battery Pack | •High Energy Density
•Range of 115–150 km |
References
- http://gearjunction.in/news/interview-with-solar-car-inventors-mit-students/
- http://auto.ndtv.com/news/indian-students-build-a-solar-car-for-international-competition-585472
- http://www.electricautosport.com/2014/06/indian-students-build-energy-positive-two-seater-car/
- http://www.solarracing.org/teams/asia/solarmobil-manipal/
- http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/152901-engineering-students-build-indias-1st-solar-powered-vehicle.html
- http://www.solarwindhydroenergy.com/2014/08/solarmobil-solar-car-by-manipal.html
- http://www.solarchallenge.co.za/index.php/teams/146-solarmobil-manipal
- http://www.globalsolartechnology.com/solar/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14611:solarmobil-manipal-to-participate-in-sasol-solar-challenge-2014-in-south-africa&catid=8:india-news&Itemid=29
- http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/Team-of-Engineering-Students-Unveils-Solar-powered-Car/2015/04/23/article2778443.ece
- http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2015-04-22/auto/61417566_1_tata-power-solar-solar-panels-solar-car
- http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/education/manipal-univ-team-builds-solarpowered-car/article7130243.ece
- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/Engineering-students-shine-on-road-build-solar-powered-car/articleshow/47021417.cms
- http://www.tata.com/company/releasesinside/Tata-Power-Solar-and-Manipal-University-unveil-SERVe-a-solar-car-prototype-aimed-at-commercial-usage