Development of an Electric Vehicle Prototype and a Hybrid Charging System
Keywords:
Electric Vehicle Drive System, Solar Energy Charging System, AC/DC Charging SystemAbstract
This research article aims to develop of an Electric Vehicle Prototype and a Hybrid Charging System, consisting of a solar energy charging system and a residential electricity charging system, and to evaluate the performance of the developed prototype electric vehicle. The propulsion system consists of a brushless DC motor rated at 24V with a power output of 600W. The motor is powered by two 12V, 40Ah batteries connected in series to provide a 24V power supply for the electric drive system. The DC charging system utilizes one solar panel with a power rating of 85W and a current output of 3.5A. Meanwhile, the AC charging system employs an AC-to-DC voltage conversion circuit through a step-down transformer rated at 18V. The experimental results of the dual-mode charging system showed that the voltage generated from the solar panel ranged from 18–19V, with the maximum voltage of 19V recorded between 12:00–13:00, corresponding to the highest light intensity of 9,616 Lux. This resulted in a continuous increase in the battery voltage level for the electric drive system. In addition, the test of the residential electricity charging system revealed that the voltage at the terminals of the two series-connected batteries gradually increased until reaching 24 V, which corresponded to the rated voltage of the propulsion system. The research results demonstrate that the developed prototype electric vehicle with a dual-mode charging system can reduce limitations associated with power sources for electric vehicle propulsion systems and provide greater flexibility in energy management by supporting both renewable solar energy and residential electrical power sources.
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