CCTU unveils Ghana’s first noiseless solar-powered tricycle
The Engineering, Design and Innovation Centre (EDIC) of the Cape Coast Technical University (CCTU) has unveiled Ghana’s first noiseless solar-powered tricycle.
The environmentally friendly innovation in mechanical engineering, supported by the Energy Commission was aimed at developing an energy-efficient solar-powered tricycle suitable for transport across the country to reduce fuel consumption.
The soundless solar-powered trike comes with an electric charging system integrated with a power supply from solar and a special energy storage system as an alternative to reducing the harmful emissions from commercial tricycles.
It has free Wi-fi, four 3D printed seatbelts, structured designs, no key but an on and off button to start or off the trike.
Before the solar-powered innovation, the University had also unveiled a state-of-the-art auto wash machine in 2019, a noiseless food trolley in 2020 and a briquette making machine that recycles agro-waste into environmentally friendly charcoal.
All the innovations were to complement efforts towards reducing carbon emissions and waste of wood resources while promoting environmental excellence to reduce the dire effects of climate change.
Unveiling the feat achieved by students of the Mechanical Engineering Department, at a ceremony at CCTU, Dr Kwame Anane-Fenin, Head of the Department, said the move was hinged on the University’s commitment to lead innovation and entrepreneurial drive with high-quality education, research and clean energy technologies.
That drive birthed the Department’s commitment to promoting creativity in science and technology to build mechanical systems that had business value, foster problem-solving, project-based learning and knowledge transfer, he said.
Dr Anane-Fenin said Ghana’s current power grid was incapable of meeting the increased energy demand associated with electric vehicles.
The University was, therefore, motivated by the provision of renewable energy-based charging options for the transport sector to meet the high population of electric vehicles in future.
For that matter, the long-term aim of the innovation was to transfer the technology into developing autonomous e-vehicles that could be applied in the agricultural sector, for security surveillance and also diseases or pandemic control.
Global trends show a tilt towards sustainable technologies that seek to eliminate or minimize high emissions, reduce air pollution and dependency on fossil fuels within the transport industry.
Right Reverend Professor Joshua Danso Owusu-Sekyere, Vice-Chancellor of CCTU, expressed gratitude to the Energy Commission for believing in and supporting the University.
He hailed the array of mechanical geniuses at the Department for the several innovations and reiterated their commitment to make the University an industrialisation hub.
Mrs Justina Marigold Assan, Central Regional Minister, who unveiled the trike, pledged the Regional Coordinating Council’s support for CCTU to help Industrialise and create jobs for the nation.
Source: GNA