R. Seyezhai, the associate professor at the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at SSN Institutions, has created a cart that is powered by two alternative sources of energy — solar power and a battery.
In 2013, the young professor started working on the project, inspired by the theme of her PhD programme. Later on, she started guiding research students, one of them, A. Bharathi Sankar, assisted her in the project.
In fact, there was more help, offered unofficially. Her husband works with the Atomic Research Centre, and provided technical guidance to Seyezhai.
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She has developed a brushless DC motor for the cart.
“Having a DC motor reduces the cost of manufacturing; it is also low maintenance. A DC motor also increases a cart’s efficiency. With a brushless DC motor, a cart can travel up to a maximum speed of 40 kmph and do up to 70 kilometres on a single charge,” she explains.
“These carts find their use in airports, railway stations, hospitals, educational institutions with huge campuses, resorts and golf courses, where transportation aids are mandatory, she adds.
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To work on this project, Seyezhai had to stay back after regular college hours.
Seyezhai developed the prototype of the cart with the support and funding from her institution. “The project is currently awaiting MSME funding, after which we can take the product to the market. With the help of the incubation centre at the college, I hope to gain the support of government agencies and start-ups to market it,” she says. In the future, Seyezhai plans to have the existing battery replaced with the objective of increasing the speed of charging. “I am working on another project — a solar-powered and battery-operated trolley for the disabled,” she says.