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World Solar Challenge Beginning

Posted by michael on from the spin-long-light-from-the-glory-of-the-sun dept.

Stuart Bowden writes: "Today (Sunday at 8:00am Central Australian time) is the start of the 2001 World solar Challenge, a sort of alternative Cannonball Run in which the solar cars cost up to $10 million. Over the next five days or so thirty three solar powered cars will race 3000km across the Australia desert powered only by sunlight. The official site is at WSC and there is extra gossip, pictures and information at our site at the University of NSW. We'll be doing the web upgrades on the road by begging connections at roadside diners and the occasional satellite phone. The big problem is keeping up with solar cars that don't stop for fuel." Our previous story had more links.

5 of 102 comments (clear)

  1. Why the interest in Solar? by LibertarianCrackSmok · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Why is everyone so interested in Solar power? Solar power is not gonna be the alternative fuel of the future, it just doesn't make enough power for pratical use. Fuel Cells and Hydrogen is the way to go. Go here for more info on fuel cells

    1. Re:Why the interest in Solar? by Man+of+E · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Competitions of the same type in fuel cells would be difficult to do because (a) fuel cells require tons of research and (b) they're prohivitively expensive. Also, people can basically design their own solar arrays for this type of race, which makes it pretty fun, and it would be hard to find an analogue for fuel cells. So it's not that everyone is interested just in Solar - in fact, lots of people are working on fuel cells as well. Right now, neither solar cells or fuel cells are really usable for full-scale practical use, but wait a few years and some organization will likely humor you with a fuel cell race.

      Of course, by that time you'll likely have read an article on portable nuclear power on Sciam earlier that day and wonder why everybody is so interested in fuel cells, when nuclear is clearly the way to go...

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      Ceci n'est pas une sig
  2. The paradox of solar-powered cars by vlad_petric · · Score: 3, Insightful

    In order to be acceptable from a consumer's point of view, such a car would have to have batteries ... Even in a desert you still wouldn't want to be limited to day-only driving.

    Batteries on the other hand are very heavy. They account for more than 50% of the weight of a regular electric car. The energy required to move the batteries makes such a solar-powered car infeasible.

    As mentioned in another post, most of the teams only improved on aerodynamics & weight. So, I'm asking: what's the point of this competition ?

    The Raven.

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    The Raven

  3. Why not a competition? by KingPrad · · Score: 2, Insightful
    The point of the competition is not the solar power aspect, but the engineering of the project as a whole, the balancing cost and performance. It gives college students hands-on experience building and designing, gives companies and universities media exposure, and is fun.

    Learning and fun have always been the reasons for any competition. What did you expect was the reason?

    KingPrad

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    Stop the Slashdot Effect! Don't read the articles!
  4. Today, yes. Tomorrow... by burbilog · · Score: 2, Insightful
    A few problems with using solar cars for regular transport: 1. Solar Cars are expen$ive. You would have to shell out a couple hundred thousand dollars for a solar car.

    Mass production will bring costs down.

    3. They would be uncomfortable to drive. Most solar cars adopt a low profile for better aerodynamics. This makes it so the driver has to lie down.

    Who knows? May be it's best position for the driver? Also when you lie down you can't get a whip spine trauma, can't fly through windshield, etc. It's a erognomics designer's task to make such posture comfortable.

    Also, it would only be a 1 seater.

    Why? If this thing can go 130 mph with one seat, it could go 100 mph with two seats, one behind another. Second seat will _not_ increase drag coefficient, only weight and vehicle length. Solar challenge rules limit solar cell area to the certain number, but you don't have to limit it when you build commuter vehicle. Second passenger compartment will increase vehicle power enough to compensate passenger's weight.

    To meet current restrictions, it would have to have things like metal crumple zones

    No. With weight about 200 kg and three wheels it will fall under "motorcycle" regulations in most countries, AFAIK at least in U.S. and Russia. Also it doesn't need _metal_ crumble zones for crash with another solar vehicle -- plastic crumble zones will do the trick for 200 kg cars. Your crumble zones in your car will never protect you in the crash against 18-wheeler, why mandate crumble zones against the same weight difference? Hell, there are tons of motorbikes rowing around the globe with NO airbags, crumble zones, seat belts and other measures, why these are not mandated to such ridiculous restrictions first?

    With all of this, the clear answer for future automobiles is either hybrid gas/electric, or hydrogen fuel cells powered by hydrogen from clean nuclear power plants.

    With hydrogen energy storage you'll depend on country economics and political situation in the world, like you do with petroleum. And with anti-nuclear craze you can't expect enough new power plants. We are still far, far away from building hydrogen supply stations everywhere, since we still do not have good hydrogen storage. And solar vehicle doesn't need these stations at all...

    It's possible to build usable solar car today. But public will never buy it because they want luxury and "safety" and they are willing to pay $$ for petroleum.