President
of India Flags off The DTU Passenger Solar Car
The President
of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, today 5
September 2012) flagged off the DTU Passenger Solar Car at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The Solar Passenger Car has been designed and developed by a team of Delhi
Technological University (DTU).
The DTU Solar Car is code named 'Solaris' and is one
of the most innovative projects of the Delhi Technological University, which
was formerly called the Delhi College of Engineering.
The team comprises of an interdisciplinary
group of under-graduate students headed by Shri Dhiraj Mishra of the
Electronics and Communication Engineering Department of DTU. With a top speed
of 120 km/hr, the solar car is a zero carbon emission, completely eco-friendly
car and has a sedan shape with a seating capacity of 2 and option of adding 3
seats more. The body is made of special grade Matt Fibre in order to keep the
solar car light in weight and performance oriented. Flexible modules of Mono
crystalline solar silicon cells of 21.4% efficiency have been pasted all over
the top of the body in order to entrap maximum solar energy. In all, 800 W is
generated from the solar modules.
Described as "India's most efficient solar
passenger car", the vehicle will represent India at the Sasol Solar
Challenge being held in South Africa from September 15 to 29.
Solar cars from across
the world will participate in this Solar Challenge which will cover 4200 km
along the coastline of South Africa.
Speaking on the occasion Prof. P.B. Sharma, Vice Chancellor of DTU said that the future of automobiles in India lies in solar power and hybrid vehicles. He stated that DTU is firmly committed to empower India’s solar powered vehicles and solar power generation systems.
In Delhi, the solar passenger car will run on Rajpath
and then circle India Gate to pay tribute to martyrs of the nation before being
shipped off for the competition in South Africa, a Rashtrapati Bhavan release
said.
