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CHENNAI: A city student has designed a nine-seat car that uses three fuel sourcesâsolar power, a backup battery and petrol. R Dinesh Kumar of St Josephs College of Engineering says he has "addressed all major disadvantages in a regular hybrid vehicle."
"People in China, Japan and even Bangalore are working on hybrid car designs, but no one uses all three power sources," says the ME (applied electronics )student who decided to take advantage of the subsidy schemes announced by the Centre for electric and hybrid vehicles.
Dinesh, who came up with a three-way hybrid two-wheeler while doing his BE (ECE) two years ago,has now extended its application to a four wheeler that can pull a load of 6,000kg, six times more than a regular electric car. He has applied for patents for both the designs.
Hybrid cars in the market use a brushless DC motor. Mainly from China, these motors are use-and-throw models. Dineshs vehicle uses a regular coil-based motor that can be set right locally if it develops a fault. It can also be used 24 hours a day,unlike regular solar models, as it uses electricity and fuel as well. When it is parked,the solar energy can also be stored in the battery.
The fuel efficiency, says Dinesh, is much higher too. While regular hybrids can run for 80-100 km on a full battery, the one designed by Dinesh can run for 200km on full charge, with just two units of electricity at a cost of 20. Instead of an engine, the vehicle is fitted with a DC shunt motor, accommodating a normal gear system. "This will reduce the strain in climbing even a 45°slope," he says.
The vehicle has features, including alerts for short circuit or over-heating of the motor. If the problem is not addressed immediately, the vehicle switches off, ensuring safety of the passengers.
The engineer, who has modified a TATA Magic chassis at 7.5lakh,sayslarge-scale manufacturing can help bring it down to around 5 lakh. Dinesh says that the vehicle is for those who can afford a car but worry about fuel costs.
"People in China, Japan and even Bangalore are working on hybrid car designs, but no one uses all three power sources," says the ME (applied electronics )student who decided to take advantage of the subsidy schemes announced by the Centre for electric and hybrid vehicles.
Dinesh, who came up with a three-way hybrid two-wheeler while doing his BE (ECE) two years ago,has now extended its application to a four wheeler that can pull a load of 6,000kg, six times more than a regular electric car. He has applied for patents for both the designs.
Hybrid cars in the market use a brushless DC motor. Mainly from China, these motors are use-and-throw models. Dineshs vehicle uses a regular coil-based motor that can be set right locally if it develops a fault. It can also be used 24 hours a day,unlike regular solar models, as it uses electricity and fuel as well. When it is parked,the solar energy can also be stored in the battery.
The fuel efficiency, says Dinesh, is much higher too. While regular hybrids can run for 80-100 km on a full battery, the one designed by Dinesh can run for 200km on full charge, with just two units of electricity at a cost of 20. Instead of an engine, the vehicle is fitted with a DC shunt motor, accommodating a normal gear system. "This will reduce the strain in climbing even a 45°slope," he says.
The vehicle has features, including alerts for short circuit or over-heating of the motor. If the problem is not addressed immediately, the vehicle switches off, ensuring safety of the passengers.
The engineer, who has modified a TATA Magic chassis at 7.5lakh,sayslarge-scale manufacturing can help bring it down to around 5 lakh. Dinesh says that the vehicle is for those who can afford a car but worry about fuel costs.
