Solar driven car

[Bindlestick]

Hey! I was thinking of making a solar driven car from this solar panel:
http://www.wholesalesolar.com/products.folder/module-folder/Helios/9T6-410.html

I have 410 wattage, and outputs 366 watt at it's highest efficiency. It gives 8 amps.

I was thinking of using a DC brush motor, but it needs to be strong and drag 200 pounds.

Any tips on what motor to use?

//B

 

[audioguru2]

At noon on a sunny day with the sun directly facing the solar panel your "car" (wheelchair?) will be creeping along with only about half of one horsepower.
When it is morning or afternoon then the power will be less.
Cloudy? Then It might not move.

 

[Bindlestick]

Well I was thinking of making a boxcar with only a battery, solar panel as roof, steering and two gears with a bicycle chain.

And I was thinking of only driving when it was sunny.

How do you calculate how much power you need from the cells? I was thinking of driving from direct sunlight.

 

[audioguru2]

Your "car" will probably need at least 4 times as much power to go slowly towards the wind or up a small hill.
Some countries have extremely small little cars like this one:

View attachment 41890

 

[Bindlestick]

Hm, so how much does it take to power a starter motor? From a car?

 

[audioguru2]

A starter motor uses A LOT of power.
It is not designed to run continuously, it is designed to start an engine in a couple of seconds.

 

[Hero999]

Yes you'll burn a starter motor out by running it continuously.

 

[Bindlestick]

So what motor would be the best? I have seen brushed and brush-less DC motors which seem to work nicely. But do they have enough power? And do they use lots of power as well?

 

[audioguru2]

There are many electric scooters creeping along roads today. There are also many electric wheelchairs.
There are also a few VERY expensive electric cars.

 

[Bindlestick]

Alright. Yes I checked scooter motors and they take about 2400 watts to power them. 24 volt, 100 watt.

But that's 6 solar panels and the span of it will be 6 meters. Can it really be so hard to make a effective solar car which runs on direct sunlight?

 

[audioguru2]

Alright. Yes I checked scooter motors and they take about 2400 watts to power them. 24 volt, 100 watt.

But that's 6 solar panels and the span of it will be 6 meters. Can it really be so hard to make a effective solar car which runs on direct sunlight?

You answered your own question. It seems to be impossible unless it is a lightweight little toy car.

 

[Bindlestick]

Well yes. I need a motor of at least 9 hp, and that's 9000 watts after some research. But this car:


Seems to just need about max 3 by 4 meters span of solar-panels to run at efficient speed. My point Im making here is just that it seems reasonable to make a solar-powered car. They have made it, and therefore I should too. But what motor do they use if they only have 12 m^2 of solar-panels?

Low-friction wheels I see, which is good for the power-output but other than that. I dont see how it's working.

 

[audioguru2]

The silly looking "car" cost $100,000.00 to make.

 

[Bindlestick]

Yup.

 

[remonx6]

Need solar Invention need more solar products.....

 

[remonx6]

Nice presentation thats awesome.

 

[roughbrosseo]

You can check RBI solar solar modules.

 

[roughbrosseo]

Yes you'll burn a starter motor out by running it continuously.