1 / 13

Solar Car Activity - Harnessing Sun's Power for Fun and Learning

Engage in a solar car building activity to understand solar energy conversion, electromagnetism, and Earth's radiative balance. Explore how solar cells work and compete to build the best solar-powered car in Thailand. Join this educational Asia-Pacific GLOBE Learning Expedition in Hua Hin.

colon
Download Presentation

Solar Car Activity - Harnessing Sun's Power for Fun and Learning

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Solar Car Activity David R. Brooks Institute for Earth Science Research and Education brooksdr@drexel.edu Asia-Pacific GLOBE Learning Expedition Hua Hin, Thailand, November 13-18, 2007

  2. Activities • What does the sun do? • What do solar cells do? • 3. Build a small car powered by a solar cell. • 4. Have a contest to see which car is the best.

  3. Earth’s Radiative Balance

  4. Distribution of Solar Energy

  5. The electromagnetic Spectrum

  6. What Does a Solar Cell Do? With no load ("open circuit"), the solar cell produces its maximum voltage. + V - With no load ("short circuit"), the solar cell produces its maximum current. + I - + With a load (resistance R) the solar cell produces power P=IV=V /R: 0.0395*3.88=0.15 W 3.88*3.88/100=0.15 W V 2 R I -

  7. Sunlight shines on the solar panel The solar panel converts sunlight to electrical energy.

  8. The motor converts electrical energy to mechanical energy... …which is transmitted through gears to the car’s wheels. Whenever there is enough sunlight, the car will move.

  9. This solar panel on this car can be adjusted so it faces the sun. The sun is in a different position in the sky at different times of the day and at different places. Solar cells do not store solar energy. When the solar panel is shaded, the wheels will not turn!

  10. Fortunately, our planet has “learned” how to store solar energy! The leaves in these trees and the grass underneath them are using photosynthesis to grow. All vegetation is basically stored sunlight! The paved street absorbs some solar energy and stores it as thermal energy. At night, the street will get cooler when its thermal energy is radiated back to the atmosphere.

  11. Now it’s time to put our cars to the test! While we wait for the start, we keep the solar panels in the shade.

  12. There they go! There is no “off” switch and the car keeps going in the sunlight.

  13. The winning team Khanomphitthaya School, Nakornsrithamarat (southern Thailand): Siriwan Khiankhap Kamonrat Rongmuang Maehopra Wittayakom School Chiang Mai (northern Thailand): Suparta Mahawan Wichuta Kuntaree Warunya Kampaeng Roong Aroon School, Bangkok (central Thailand): Thana Pongcharoenyong Phitchaya Chanakijseree Nuttaput Tantiverakul

More Related