2020-05-30 01:40:22 +00:00
|
|
|
Title: Solar Car
|
|
|
|
Date: 2013-04-27
|
|
|
|
Category: Projects
|
|
|
|
Summary: About my time volunteering with the University of Calgary Solar Car Team, where I designed a maximum power point tracker.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I joined the University of Calgary Solar Car Team in my first semester for a
|
|
|
|
chance to learn things, gain practical experience, and meet people that share my
|
|
|
|
interests. The car was the top Canadian team in a 3000 km race from Darwin to
|
|
|
|
Adelaide, Australia in 2011. We met up at a shop on campus every Saturday
|
|
|
|
morning to work on the new Generation IV of the solar car.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
![the MPPT device, a printed circuit board with components]({static}/images/solar-car/solar1.jpg)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
## The Helianthus MPPT
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I was in charge of designing and assembling the MPPTs (maximum power point
|
|
|
|
trackers) for the new generation solar car. An MPPT extracts as much power out
|
|
|
|
of the solar cells as possible. The solar array operates less efficiently
|
|
|
|
without them. The Generation IV car, Schulich Delta (pictured below) uses seven
|
|
|
|
of them: one per section of solar cells with similar lighting conditions. Andrei
|
|
|
|
and I designed the MPPT above.
|
|
|
|
|
2020-11-21 01:25:18 +00:00
|
|
|
![a photo of the solar car from the side]({static}/images/solar-car/solar2.jpg)
|