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A Solar Race Around the World

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the alvin-and-the-chipmunks-did-this dept.

garzpacho writes "In Switzerland, two teams are vying to be the first to circle the globe in a solar powered vehicle--one team in a boat, the other in an airplane. The boat, a two person trimaran, is the brainchild of PlanetSolar, who hopes to circumnavigate the world In 80 days. Solar Impulse is fielding the single-pilot plane, which will be capable of taking off under its own power and flying all night. Both groups hope to bring greater attention to solar power, which they believe is more appropriate for alternative transportation than for automobiles."

9 of 139 comments (clear)

  1. Re:solar panels by slittle · · Score: 2, Informative

    That's pretty much what the summary quoted: "more appropriate for alternative transportation than for automobiles."

    --
    Opportunity knocks. Karma hunts you down.
  2. links in engilsh by mikesd81 · · Score: 3, Informative

    If you want the links in english instead of having to click on the little EN..

    http://www.solar-impulse.com/scripts/page7655.html

    http://www.planetsolar.org/planetsolar.en.shtml

    --
    That which does not kill me only postpones the inevitable.
  3. Re:Solar-powered circumnavigation? Already done. by MustardMan · · Score: 2, Informative

    The earth rotates because angular momentum is conserved - its orbit has nothing to do with it. It was spinning when it formed so it'sa gonna keep spinnin 'till something big enough comes along to stop it.

  4. Re:Why fly at night? by CosmeticLobotamy · · Score: 3, Informative

    If you left in the morning and landed at night, you'd only need around 400-ish mph (1000 gets you constant time, 500 gets you 12 hours behind, assume a couple more than that of daylight). But still, that's a hell of a solar plane. The article might say if it can do that, but reading is hard and I don't wanna.

  5. Re:Staying up with the sun is hard by Beryllium+Sphere(tm) · · Score: 2, Informative

    Helios

  6. Re:Sailboat? by MichaelSmith · · Score: 2, Informative
    Wouldn't it be cheaper, faster, and more efficent to just use a sailboat instead of a solar-powered craft?

    But not more reliable. Solar panels could be installed inside a hard shell of (say) lexan and easily survive a hurricane.

    Sails and masts are likely to be damaged by the wind.

    --
    http://michaelsmith.id.au
  7. Re:The only thing they forget is by loki1978 · · Score: 1, Informative

    That is an urban legend: Solar panel on houses, for example, redeem their production costs after about 2 years (at most, depending on quality of the solar cells)

    --
    According to prophecy
  8. Re:My bet goes with the boat by piquadratCH · · Score: 2, Informative
    Didja take a look at that website about the solarplane? All kinds of mumbo about "pushing the envelope", and by the language, it's pretty clear that anything resembling construction is a *long* way off.
    You know, the guy behind Solar Impulse is Bertrand Piccard, the first man to travel around the world nonstop in a balloon, and AFAIK the only one to date (together with his copilot Brian Jones, of course). So he knows what he talks about when he talks about pushing the envelope. Oh, and he got 15 million Swiss Francs (abous $12 million USD) from Omega yesterday, with a commitment to more if necessary, so that should help, too.
  9. Re:Solar-powered circumnavigation? Already done. by noth(a)nk.you · · Score: 2, Informative
    "... tides, which exist because of the moon."

    FYI, the Sun also has an effect on the tide, though apparently only about half that of the moon.

    Source: Second paragraph of Tide.

    [/nitpicking]