An Investigation into Conversion of a Fleet of Plug-in-Electric Golf Carts into Solar Powered Vehicles Using Fuzzy Logic Control

This paper presents an investigation factors that need to be considered in the design and selection of components for the conversion of a fleet of plug-in electric golf carts at Princess Nourah Bint Abdelrahman University, (PNU), Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), into solar power energy. Currently, the plug-in electric golf carts are powered by a set of deep-cycle lead-acid battery packs consisting of six units. Solar energy systems (photovoltaics and solar thermal) provide significant environmental benefits and opportunities over the traditional and conventional sources. Therefore, they can contribute positively to many aspects of the built environment and societies. There are many factors that affect the energy generated from the solar panel system. These include type and dimension of the solar panels, weight, speed, acceleration, and other characteristics of the used golf carts, and the energy efficiency of the solar energy system, as main factors that affect the green energy generated to operate the carts. The energy values needed to power the electric cart were calculated and optimized using traction energy calculation and optimized using a fuzzy logic analysis. The fuzzy logic system was developed to assess the impacts of varying dimensions of solar panel, vehicle speed, and weight on the energy generation. Initial calculations show that the replacement cost of the batteries can be up to approximately 75 percent of the operating cost. Together with the indirect cost benefits of achieving zero tail-pipe emission and the comfort of silent operation, the cost of operation using solar energy can be significant when compared with the cost of battery replacement. In order to achieve better efficiency, supercapacitors can be investigated to replace the conventional batteries. The use of fuzzy logic successfully facilitated the optimization of system operation conditions for best performance. In this study, fuzzy logic and calculated data were used as an optimization tool. Future work may be able to use fuzzy logic with experimental data to demonstrate feasibility of utilizing fuzzy logic systems to assess energy generation processes. Future investigations could also include investigation of other factors and methodologies, such as various types of batteries, supercapacitors, solar panels, and types of golf carts, together with different techniques of artificial intelligence to assess the optimum system specifications.

Production Scheduling for an Automotive Firm given Varying Demand and Capacity

Brakes India is a manufacturer of braking systems in India, with the largest market share. Axle Tech America (ATA) a US based manufacturer, is a supplier of quality, cost effective transaxles, for customers, who manufacture utility vehicles, tractors, lawn mowers, and golf carts. Brakes India supplied machined castings to M/S ATA. The Indian supplier provided six parts, monthly, over a period of four years. The study was aimed at developing a production schedule, that was optimal in normal times, and adapted to capacity contraction due to disruptions such as caused by the pandemic, and consequent lockdown of facilities.

Design of a Compressed Air Vehicle

Smart mobility solutions aid the growth of smart cities by creating a better quality of life and reducing its environmental footprint. Emissions from petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles are a major contributor to the deterioration of air quality around the world. In addition to this, rising fuel prices continue to take a heavy toll on the pockets of the working class. A favourable countermeasure to this predicament is the fabrication of a vehicle that takes advantage of the earth’s most abundant resource “Air” as an energy source. The compressed air vehicle is an eco-friendly vehicle which works on air. This research work aims at designing a cheaper, more efficient and aesthetically appealing automobile while efficiently running on this renewable energy. The car model has been designed using the software solid works and tested on ANSYS workbench followed by rigorous trials to ensure its optimal performance and safety. The designed car can reach speeds ranging from 10-20 km/h while being eco-friendly and sustainable at the same time. This vehicle can be used for short distance applications such as golf carts, mall taxis etc.

Brave New Road

This article discusses the future of autonomous cars and its impact on the society in the future. The engineering community is building a future and is focused on making autonomous vehicles safe, efficient, and attractive to use. Autonomous transport of goods will allow a complete reimagination of the future of the global supply chain. AARP’s interest is important for another reason: the elderly vote; and if they want self-driving cars, lawmakers will quickly tackle some of the thorniest policy hurdles—such as regulation, local traffic laws, and insurance. The future of autonomous cars is expected to change lives in both dramatic and subtle ways, but the ways that will be most interesting are the things that are forgotten, the things that the next generation deem useless and frivolous. Google's self-driving car is a street-legal vehicle; however, autonomous golf carts might be more practical. Experts believe that the most interesting changes that will be brought by autonomous cars will be the cultural shifts.