Nuna 3 wins World Solar Cup for the 3rd Time

jberends writes "The Dutch TU Delft team wins for the third time in a row the World Solar Challenge in Australia. The average speed of Nuna 3 was 102.75 km/h over the 3021 km strech which is the first time that an average speed above 100 km/h is achieved in the Challenge. It is also the first time in the history of the race that a team wins 3 times in a row."

Comments

Great!

[Donniedarkness]

Well, not only did the Dutch set a new record...the record they beat was their own! According to their official webpage, though, the Nuna 3 has a top speed of about 160 km/h!

History

[MyLongNickName]

I was amazed to see that this race has been run since 1987. In the first race, the average speed was about 67 kph (41 mph, I think). The last race was completed in excess of 105kph. About a 50% improvement.

Does anyone with more info than the web site know what has accounted for the improvement? Are we just seeing lighter materials? More efficient solar sails? More efficient transfer of solar energy to kinetic?

Just curious :)

Re:History

[Anonymous Coward]

Having worked on a solar car in the past (1996), I would say that the improvements have been incremental, but across a large number of components. Some major ones off the top of my head:

1. The 'best' shell back in my days were the ones that sort of looked like a fish. A round front that tapered to a flat (mammallian-like) tail. These days the best shell is a flat rectangle with a little bubble for the drivers head. Not only is this aerodynamically more efficient, but it exposes a greater portion of the cars solar cells to the sun at any given time, and a more uniform power output across all sun conditions.

2. Solar cells are better. Maybe from about 20% efficiency to 25-30% efficiency for the best cells.

3. Weight reduction: fiberglass monococ shells now made with carbon fiber; replacement of metal components with composites where possible. Aluminum wiring instead of copper.

4. Efficienct DC hub motors: These have come a long way in the past 15 years.

5. Battery technology: Hasn't advance too far, but still lighter more enegy dense packs are always being developed. I don't know what is state-of-the art these days...

Re:History

[photonic]

I have been following the Dutch team for some time since I happen to work at the same university. Based on what I've read in the university newspaper and their website some key factors to the success are:

• Best grade solar cells: triple junction cells which are normally only used in satellites, efficiency around 25%. Probably only the top 3 cars can afford this.
• High efficiency electronics: maximum power point trackers and brushless motors, both with efficiencies over 95%. Most teams use this.
• Low weight (less than 200 kg): judging from the pictures the car is a load bearing carbon frame, which is much lighter than a tube frame with a shell as used by most other teams. Low weight obviously saves energy when going uphill and it is said to save a lot of flat tires.
• Aerodynamics: the design was heavily optimized and tested in a windtunnel. With side-wind, for example, the design works a little bit like a sailing boat. One of their advisors is world famous for his designs of glider wings.
• Lot of testing and preparation: they did first aid courses, skid courses, test drives on the local race track (the local formula 1 driver did some laps), they have been in Australia for more than a month before the race to test on the road, ....
• Good facilities/advisors: TUDelft is a technical university with (among others) faculties of aerospace, electrical and mechanical engineering. One of the advisors was former astronout Wubbo Ockels.
• A lot of money to pay the things above: they got a huge sponsorship deal with a big local electricity company. Budget per race is probably around 1MEuro. Part of the money comes from the university itself, which has paid back big time in PR value.
• Hard work: as I understood the whole team (~11 persons) took a one year brake from their studies.

Actually 105 km/hr

[karvind]

On the second day the Nuna 3 covered 835 km, at an avarage speed of 105 km/hr, which is also single-day record for the World Solar Challenge.

Not without flemish women

[laurensv]

Yes, but not without our 2 lovely Flemish girls: Anne-Marie and Veronique.
Although Laura isn't half bad either.

I'm amazed

[Harlow_B_Ashur]

Being from Delft those guys were lucky to even recognize what sunlight looks like, let alone design an auto that runs off it.

Re:Proud to be Dutch

[scotch]

What are you up to, two times?

Bush's New Energy Policy: Solar Power

[digitaldc]

Bush's New Energy Policy: Solar Power
(Press) Washington, DC
September 28, 2005

President Bush announced today a bold initiative to help the world's energy crisis. Bush recently read in a newspaper that a Dutch solar-powered car, named the Nuna 3, won the World Solar Challenge in Australia topping a hearty 102 km/h. President Bush was so impressed by the the performance of the solar-powered Nuna 3 vehicle, that he has announced that he is redirecting all energy research funding to study how to power vehicles on solar energy and soon have all major automobile manufacturers produce solar vehicles that will be give off little or no emissions. "It's just the smart and prudent thing to do. I know in Texas we get a lot of sun, and now we can put it to work." Bush stated.

He said it is due time for the United States, and soon the world, to free itself from dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuels. The promise of the "unlimited resource of solar power" has emboldened him to take this courageous initiative. Many industry leaders were shocked by this sudden announcement, but have agreed to participate fully in implementing this new solar technology. "The future for travel is bright, indeed." Bush quipped.

....and then I woke up.

Re:Rules for next year's competition

[pe1rxq]

Your comparisson is flawed...
SUVs are normally used to drive ONE ass (or at most a few) around. Those Locomotives are pulling entire trains with assess or freight.
So the total amount of pollution/work is a lot better for them than for your SUV.
About the only justification for a SUV is either having a pet elefant to feed or having an incredibly big ass in which case you indeed have better things to worry about.

Jeroen

Here's a shot of the Winning Team

[Roofus]

Winning shot Notice the several guys attempting to moon the cameramen. Real classy group =)

Heres the context link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/4289958.stm . It's picture #2.

winning features of the top 4 cars

[cbc1920]

In case anyone didn't know, the true reason for yet another record-breaking win comes down to a single factor: solar array power. The Nuna cars, ever since 2001, have all had first quality satellite grade solar arrays. They have also been the only car with a sponsor (ESA) that could afford these incredibly expensive cells, which have a list price on the order of 2 million dollars. Every other team has settled for "factory second" solar cells with 25-40% less power at less than 1/10th the cost. While Nuna's array power is likely in excess of 2500 watts, the rest of the top 3 have less than 1900W. Nuna has yet to innovate in aerodynamics, vehicle dynamics, or construction techniques. This is just another example of a good business plan and the right contacts prevailing over true engineering excellence. Nuna has done a great job in getting their whole country behind them with tremendous media coverage. To see some excellent designs, check out the next top 3 teams: Aurora, Michigan, and TIGA. Aurora has placed 2nd in the last 3 challenges, usually only an hour behind Nuna but with 30% less array power. They boast an incredibly light car, very good aerodynamics, and a unique carbon fiber tubular suspension/frame that is truly unique. Tiga is the top Japanese team and is the best solar car around a closed track. At under 550lbs (with driver) they are the lightest car in the race. The car handles like a BMW and runs just as fast. Michigan is the top American car and boasts arguably the best aerodynamics of all the cars. Their car is only 10" thick at the midsection and uses sweeping wheel covers to sail through crosswinds. They were also the 3rd best car on the track during the race qualifier, an engineering feat in itself, as a thin car presents a number of suspension/frame and dynamic challenges.

Re:Fuel cell rather than battery?

[Ungrounded Lightning]

The vanadium oxidation-state fuel cell looks like a better candidate than the hydrogen/oxygen/water cycle. Seems to be under development currently.

The problem with solar cars is that the amount of sunlight striking them isn't adequate: A square yard is only getting about 1 1/3 HP worth of power in direct noon sunlight, BEFORE conversion inefficiencies (which lose maybe 4/5 of it just for starters).

Now you CAN get to freeway speeds with an ultrastreamlined vehicle, on a nearly level surface, running under the clear skys and on the dry pavement of the driest continent on the planet. But that's not going to haul loads up mountain passes in a forest, or do much of ANYTHING in northern lattitude, perpetually-cloudy, often wet or snow-covered places like Washington, Oregon, Michigan, Wisconsin, ...

Solar powered cars - with the solar cells ON the car - are an interesting toy. They might advance some parts of vehicle technology significantly, and possibly lead to practical stored-power alternative-energy powered vehicles. But don't expect a sun-car as practical transportation in the future.

If self-collecting sun powered vehicles were practical I'd think evolution would already have produced sun-powered ambulatory beings above the level of the flatworm/algae symbiosis.

Re:Damn metric nazis...

[wiredlogic]

102 kilometers = 63.3798616 miles

Yeah. That last 0.0000616 miles is a real bitch.