Solar Powered Reverse Trike

SOLAR POWERED REVERSE TRIKE
Designed and built in just 18 days at the University of Engineering and Technology Lahore in Pakistan,  7 x 3.5 x 4.5 ft (2.13 x 1.06 x 1.37 meter), 132 pound (60 kg) low-rider features a custom built, t-shaped aluminum framework at the front of the vehicle, and the back part of an old bicycle frame at the rear, joined just behind the seating area to shock absorbers. The reverse three-wheeler - with two wheels at the front and one at the rear - also has a 40 watt photovoltaic canopy above the rider that charges the onboard 12v/80Ah dry cell solar battery.

An eco-friendly vehicle that uses solar energy as its source of input. A solar panel is used to charge the battery and the battery drives the dc motor.
Its a vehicle that uses reverse trike configuration, i-e two front wheels and a single wheel on the rear side. Steering is done with the help of front wheels. It also consists of a solar panel, Battery and a dc motor.

COMPONENTS:

Chassis
Solar Panel
Motor
Battery
Steering Mechanism
Chain and sprocket mechanism
Charging circuit

CONFIGURATION:

Length: 7ft
Width: 3.5ft
Height: 4.5ft
Weight: aprox~ 60kg
Motor: 24Volts DC, 17Amp
Battery: 12Volts, 80AH
Materials: Aluminum, Steel and Cast Iron

Material Quantity Cost (Rupees)
Aluminum Sections
(2’’ x 1’’) 12ft length
2 ...................................................2500
Aluminum Plates 2 .......................500
Steering Parts (hinges) 2 ...........150
Solar Panel 1 .............................12000
DC Motor 1 .................................7500
Battery 1 .....................................8000
Tire set 3 ....................................2400
Brake set 1 ................................100
Iron Plates 7’’ x 4’’ 2 .................300
Iron Plate 3’’ x 3’’ 2 ......................150
U shaped Iron Sections 4 ..........500
Aluminum Sections for Solar Panel length 6.5ft 2 .............600
Sprockets 2 .....................500
Handle 1 ..................100
Seat 1 .......................550
Cycle Chain 1 ..........................400
Chassis Rear Section 1 .....................1000
Nuts bolts washers and miscellaneous - ............2120
Labor Cost - ....................................7300
TOTAL COST - 46670/- Rupees (APPROX ~550 USD)

Please vote for my Instructable (you can see the image for "VOTE NOW!" on the top left of this page)

Step 1: 3D Design of the Vehicle

First of all i made the 3D design of the vehicle in Solid Edge v20. Below are the picture of the vehicle.
This was a vital step in fabrication of the vehicle. So without considering any other thing i made the 3D Model of the Vehicle to give a proper look!....

Step 2: Chassis Fabrication

After the 3D design of the vehicle was completed i stated the fabrication of the Chassis. I used Aluminum rectangular Sections 2"x1", thickness 2mm for chassis main body. For welding the aluminum rods together i used the Argon welding!..... It took around 4hours to get welded with exact dimensions.

Step 3: Bicycle Rear Section

I used a rear section of the bicyle to hold the rear wheels.... which was later used to drive the vehicle!

Step 4: Front and Rear Chassis Assembly

Next step was to assemble the fabricated front part of the chassis with the rear section taken from a used bicycle! U-shaped bar was used to hold the parts together!.... then comes the shock absorber which was attached to two angle iron bars....

Step 5: Wheels Mounting

Next step was to mount the wheels on the vehicle....

Step 6: Steering Mechanism

Since this a reverse trike so front two tires were to be used for steering ...... so i used T-joint mechanism to steer the wheels!....

Step 7: Motor and Battery Placing

A small frame was made to support both the motor and the battery, using angle irons....

Step 8: Solar Panel Mounting

To mount the solar panel on the top of the vehicle a frame was to be designed as in 3D model.... so finally it was welded on the base of the chassis

Step 9: Charge Controller Circuit Diagram

Purpose of the charge controller circuit is to cutoff the supply from the solar panel when the battery is fully charged to avoid over charging... and to start charging when battery voltage drops off a certain value... in my case the max. allowed voltage is 13.7volts and min is 13volts.

Step 10: Solaron! Ready in ~550USD "RESULTS"

And finally an other addition to Green Technology! and after series of experiments i conclude the following results

RESULTS

1. It can go upto 30kmph max. speed.
2. Covers a max distance of 70km in one full charge (without panel)
3. No air and sound pollution.
4. Renewable energy source, no external power required.
5. Automatically charges the battery.

Please vote for my Instructable (you can see the image for "VOTE NOW!" on the top left of this page) and also share with others.....hope you enjoyed reading it as much as i enjoyed making it...
Farrukh Khan
B.Sc Mechanical Engineer
University of Engineering and Technology Lahore Pakistan

If you are planning to built your own and you need any kind of information, contact me at: [phone]