Pune: Combining their classroom knowledge with creativity, a team of students from the Sinhgad College of Engineering, Vadgaon, has built a solar-powered vehicle called Infiniti.
Infiniti was put together by team Hyperion at a cost of over Rs 2.50 lakh. The team and the vehicle will now compete in a competition in Gujarat between March 18 and 22. Supporting the students in the project were Dynamist Motor Sports and Imperial Society of Innovative Engineers (ISIE).
Pranav Jaju, a third-year mechanical engineering student of the college, said, “Thirty-two students, from various academic levels of our college, came together to design, analyse and build this solar vehicle called Infiniti. Our vision was to change the polluted environment using our own creativity and engineering skills. The main objective of the project was to promote the use of solar energy — something which is abundantly available in our country — to provide an economically-viable mode of transport.”
The team was led by Jaju and guided by faculty members Kanse Patil, Ashok Korane and Umesh Yadav.
“The entire team was divided into various departments such as design, solar and transmission, suspension, steering, braking and manufacturing. While designing a good solar vehicle, the main focus is on the power system, which includes the motor, battery and the solar array,” said Amey Pawade, a team member.
The first version of the vehicle — Infiniti 1.0 — had competed and secured the runners-up position at the Sinhgad Solar Vehicle Championship (SSVC) held last year in Pandharpur. About 16 teams from across India and one from Rwanda in Africa had participated.
“Motivated by the initial success, the entire team set to work, spending numerous hours on research and in the workshop. The team created the current version of the vehicle — Infiniti 2.0 — with a project cost of over Rs 2.50 lakh,” said Patil.
Infiniti 2.0 is now set to compete in the National Solar Vehicle Challenge, organized by Dynamist Motor Sports, at Mahesana in Gujarat. The competition starts on March 18.
Team Hyperion will also participate in the Electric Solar Vehicle Championships to be held at Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh from March 26.
