The increasing demand for clean and renewable energy has encouraged the development of sustainable transportation systems. This project presents the design and development of a wind-based sustainable electric vehicle (EV) that generates electrical power while the vehicle is in motion. The system utilizes a vertical axis wind turbine mounted on the vehicle to capture airflow produced during vehicle movement. The turbine drives a dynamo, which converts mechanical energy from wind into electrical energy. The generated electrical power is passed through a charging circuit and stored in a rechargeable battery for later use. A PIC microcontroller acts as the central control unit of the system. It continuously monitors the generated voltage from the dynamo and the battery voltage using voltage sensors, ensuring efficient energy management and safe battery charging. The microcontroller also controls system operations and provides status information through an LCD display with driver and LED indicators. A crystal oscillator provides the clock signal required for accurate microcontroller operation, while a reset button is included to restart the system when necessary. The stored electrical energy is used to power two DC motors that drive the electric vehicle. Switches are provided to control the movement and operation of the motors. The proposed system demonstrates an innovative approach to utilizing wind energy generated during vehicle motion to partially recharge the battery, thereby improving the overall energy efficiency of the EV. This concept contributes to sustainable transportation by reducing dependency on external charging sources and promoting renewable energy utilization.  

Objectives:

  To design a wind-based energy generation system using a vertical axis wind turbine mounted on the electric vehicle.

  To convert wind energy into electrical energy using a dynamo when the vehicle is in motion.

  To store the generated electrical energy in a rechargeable battery through a suitable charging circuit.

  To monitor the generated voltage and battery status using voltage sensors and a PIC microcontroller.

  To control and manage the system operation using a PIC microcontroller as the central control unit.

  To display system information such as voltage level and battery condition using an LCD display and LED indicators.

  To operate the electric vehicle using DC motors powered by the stored electrical energy.

  To improve the efficiency of electric vehicles by utilizing wind energy generated during vehicle movement.

  To promote renewable and sustainable energy usage in transportation systems.    

The major building blocks of this project are:  

• Vertical axis Wind turbine.
• Charging Circuit.
• Rechargeable battery.
• Dynamo.
• Voltage sensors.
• PIC microcontroller.
• LCD display.
• Crystal oscillator
• Reset button.
• LED indicator.
• Switches.
• TWO DC motors for EV.

      Software’s used:  

1. PIC-C compiler for Embedded C programming.
2. PIC kit 2 programmer for dumping code into Microcontroller.
3. Express SCH for Circuit design.

     

Block Diagram:      

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