Análise do processo da aplicação de energia solar para alimentar o climatizador em um veículo automotivo

Abstract

In this bachelor’s thesis, a study on the application of photovoltaic energy in an automotive vehicle is proposed. The Project was developed during the author’s internship at Volvo do Brasil, located in Curitiba, Brazil, with the aim of understanding how solar energy can contribute to the automotive industry and promote sustainability. Initially, a flexible solar panel and a solar charge controller were used, with the application of photovoltaic energy directly to the main batteries of the test truck. Subsequently, the project took the next step, which was the application of solar energy to the vehicle’s air conditioner. In this phase, auxiliary batteries were used, and a control system was developed to switch a relay when the auxiliary batteries charged by solar energy reached suficiente voltage. Not all teste were conducted as expected due to the limited time available for the test vehicle. However, as a result, the application of solar energy to the vehicle contributed to maintaining the state of the main truck batteries at a high voltage level. With that, there was less demand on the alternator and reduced strain on the engine. Thus, bringing advantages when compared to a vehicle without a solar panel.