THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Collecting and processing e-waste, a major urban pollutant, and getting rid of it has always been a daunting task. Intending to reduce the e-waste generated in the automobile industry, Jino Joy Joseph, a former research scholar from the College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram, under the guidance of S Ushakumari, professor and head of the Department of Electrical Engineering, has developed a motorless electric vehicle.
The motorless electric vehicle which was developed as part of Jino’s research project comprises a geared electric bike controlled by an electronic circuit. “Initially, I had made a motorised vehicle but later I considered exploring further. The motorless electric vehicle is cost-effective and pollution-free. The idea was developed upon seeing the huge amount of e-waste accumulated in the automobile industry which is extremely difficult to process,” said Jino.
Innovative drive technology has been employed, replacing the current petrol engine, with a motorless power plant working on magnetic energy. The vehicle is as powerful as a conventional petrol engine-powered bike. This indigenous technology requires only very few electronic components. Vehicles currently on roads, including multi-cylinder ones, can be modified into a cost-effective motorless geared electric vehicle.
“As part of the research, two types of vehicles were designed and developed -- a motorised and motorless vehicle. In the electric vehicle, petrol is replaced with electrical energy which is environment-friendly and economical. Motors used in two-wheelers are usually costly, so we thought of going motorless, making it more economical,” said Ushakumari, who assisted Jino in the project.
The college had applied for patenting the vehicle in 2017 and 2019. It is believed that this technology has great commercial implementation potential. Several research projects on electric vehicle technology are presently progressing at the college with financial support from the Central and state governments. “The project will be patented soon,” said Ushakumari.