Slashdot Mirror
American Solar Challenge 2003 Starts
Ryan Kingsbury writes "The world's longest solar car race kicked off to a sunny start today in Chicago! The American Solar Challenge, which is only held every two years, runs 11 gruelling days along historic Route 66. Race updates can be found at the official site. One big surprise was that last year's winner (University of Michigan) didn't make it through prerace qualifications. This will certainly give some lower budget teams a chance at gold. Details of qualifications can be found here."
If prize was set at 1000000$, 10000000$, or even more money, contest winners will likely build SUPER sun vehicles that can over-take 4-wheel ram rods and pollutant S.U.V.s.
I suggest you read Slashdot
i'm no electrical engineer, but i'm guessing they would most likely being using very sensative panels, ones manufactured for "less the perfect" lighting conditions. Back that with a decent series of capaciters and priority based distribution, they wouldn't have any problems.
your sins into me, oh my beautiful one.
I support renewable power and all (Use an iSUN battery charger for my portable Electronics), but think of all the non-renewable time and energy devoted to this type of event. Materials fabrication, student time spent, assembly. The fleet of gas powered cars following around for support of each of these. Research is important, but can't this be a little counter productive?
In fact, the team makes a huge effort to reach out to non-engineering students, and we usually have excellent turnout.
I am a part of my university's solar car program, but, unfortunately, we couldn't get our body made in time for the rayce. I did, however, make the 10 hour drive to see the cars in Chicago. If anyone is near where 'scrutineering' is in 2 years, they should definetely go see it.
I helped out with getting various information on different teams' cars, and some of the prices for the things are a bit ridiculous. My university's car is costing less than $150,000, which I thought was pricey until some teams told me that their cars cost 1.5 Million (Queens) or 875,000 (Waterloo).
I think most people think that the rayce is about showing people that we could have cars that run off of solar power, but that is entirely the wrong idea. The cars are made to show solar powers' abilities... if it can power a car, maybe it could do other things too (who woulda thought?)
I wish I could've gone on the rayce, but seeing all the cars was cool enough. I just hope our car makes it in time for Formula Sun next year! (Formula Sun Grand Prix is a track race every year)
http://www.formulasun.org
I think my principles are reachin' an all time low
The problem I have for this race is that it allows for very little innovation. Storage of energy via flywheels overnight is prohibited, you are limited on how many batteries you can store, what type you can use, and how you use them. You are prohibited to use any solar nighttime charging, star-light or IR charging, or any other innovative way to charge during off time, as your battery box has to be removed at the end of the day and impounded. You are also limited of which type of solar cell you can use. New processes for solar cells have been invented and are in current commercial production that make it much more efficient per sq foot, but you are limited to using old cut-wafer solar cells that have been around for many years. There is one company making contueous ribbon cells (the 'wafer sheet' is drawn from a solid chunk into a ribbon similar like fiber optic glass is drawn into a string from a solid rod) that would be much better suited to the dimension of a car, but you cant use any of that modern technology. This race if more of a contest of who can make the lightest car body and go the furthest on X amps of battery and solar cells, rather than who can make the best solar technology automobile.
Not to mention the race is held only every 2 years, how could there be a last years winner anyway?
Quite frankly, you'll never see untested technology being used in these sorts of endevors. Its far more profitable to start a company to research, develop, promote, produce and sell these sorts of technologies.
I beg to differ. Lake Tuggeranong College used a prototype CSIRO motor during two of their three World Solar Challenge (a similar race heald in Australia). sUNSWift built their own cells (litterally; if you've ever seen solar cells being built this is a huge achievement) and developed their own technique for sealing the cells in composites (i.e. encapsulation). Both these teams developed their own aerodynamics, at least some of their own electronics, own telemetry software and a myriad of other non-trivial engineering tasks. The whole is made up of many smaller parts. What makes these projects special is that they all join together into something terribly nice.
--Tom Rowlands
(Sorry, I can't sign this.)
The MIT teams evolution is similar if less extreme. The current car is a moderately streamlined high-deck-and-bubble job with its wheels unshrouded. The 1999 car has a similar body but shrouded wheels.
In fact, more or less streamlined high-deck-and-bubble designs seem to be the theme of this years race. These vehicles look hugely vulnerable to crosswinds.
I'm old enough to remember when discussions on Slashdot were well informed.