Evaluating the effect of optimizing solar energy against drag on a solar vehicle

• Main Author: Nur Shaheera Binti Mohamed Shuhaidi
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: Solar vehicle; PV panel; Drag force; CFD simulation

Utilizing renewable resources are getting more and more common to preserve the environment, with many advances in solar energy these past few decades. A solar vehicle is one of the green initiatives whereby with the help of the Photovoltaic panel, converts solar energy to electrical energy by absorbing the sun’s radiation. The conversion is maximum when the sun’s rays are perpendicular to the PV panel. However, typically solar vehicle has its panel fixed horizontally, which is not ideal as the sun position changes throughout the day. This study aims to optimize the absorption of solar energy by tilting the PV panel. This study also intends to investigate the drag force exerted on the vehicle due to the various inclination angle of the panel. For this study, a model test experimentation and CFD Simulation through ANSYS Fluent were done to get the drag force. It is crucial as the drag force results in losses for the power generation. Lastly, this paper also covers the validation if the optimization of solar energy is beneficial for implementation. It was done by comparing the net gain in power by tilting the PV panel at various angles from the power generated when flat-positioned. As a result, it is observed that the best angle of inclination is 10ᵒ with a limitation of the speed of the vehicle. The faster the vehicle, the higher the power loss due to drag force, resulting in the absence of net gain in power further.