drop causing the available power to drop. The car will then slow down or stop
depending on the magnitude of load increase or light reduction. The car will
remain in this condition until the panel output increases or the load is reduced.
Changing drive ratio ie. a lower ratio will reduce the motor load and restore
balance.
This description above is for a motor connected directly to a solar panel.
To get maximum performance from the car it is essential that ALL the available power
from the panel is used all the time, but this requires exactly the correct gear ratio for the
conditions prevailing at every instant. To achieve this would require an infinitely
variable gear ratio constantly changing to match panel output to motor load. To achieve
this mechanically is not yet practical for a model car. The only practical mechanical
option is to be able to change gear ratios and choose the correct ratio for the conditions
prevailing at the start of the race.
The Electronics systems now available operate in a way that gives very similar results to
an infinitely variable gear box as suggested above. Losses within the electronics make it
slightly less efficient than the exactly correct gear ratio but its ability to instantly
maximise energy transfer from the panel to the motor for the entire duration of the race
more than makes up for this