Control scheme for electrical drive of solar powered vehicles

The developments in the automotive electrical systems necessitate the design and development of effective control strategies for electrical drives. The objective of this paper is to design a control scheme for the electrical drive of a conventional auto rickshaw model to be driven by an electric actuator system, which is powered by an electric source. The source is a set of lead-acid batteries which are charged by solar photo voltaic panels. The control of the vehicle is obtained by the motor control system which comprises an armature voltage pulse width modulation (PWM) control. The PWM is in turn controlled by an ATmega8 micro-controller. Rheostatic braking is employed apart from the hydraulic brake system available. The parameters are continuously monitored and displayed using the instrumentation and display system. Critical parameters are monitored, and autonomous corrective actions are taken to ensure the safe operation of the vehicle.