RENOVATED DESIGN OF SOLAR PUSH-PULL TRICYCLE FOR HANDICAPPED PEOPLE

Abstract

In order to improve the quality of life for handicapped people, push-pull tricycle is designed to transform into solar tricycle. It has a 24 V – 250 W electric motor on the front wheel installed which is powered by two 12 V – 30 Ah storage batteries and a bracket with four 12 V – 55 W solar panels. The bracket with solar panels also works as a hood to cover the driver. The transmission has been modified from hard to sliding link so that when the tricycle runs by electrical power, the push-pull motion of the steering wheel does not move according to the front wheel. The solar tricycle operates in one of three modes: only by the electric engine when traveling on flat roads, by combining electricity and hands in case of uphill or weak power, using the push–pull function when running out of power or moving short distances. Tests and calculations show that the tricycle can cover a distance of 24.7 km by only relying on the batteries or 48 km by mixing batteries with solar panels on a
sunny day. Single unit production cost is 10 million VND and mass production is about 7 million VND. Compared to other tricycles for people with disabilities, this model has the advantages in both operation and price.