I'm also curious how they plan to keep solar cars from mixing with general traffic; there has been at least one fatal accident involving a solar car (which came apart like paper mache) a few months ago when a solar vehicle was being tested.
The rules of this race and the World Solar Challenge are similar. (I believe this is deliberate, so a car built for one race can race in the other.) The cars are required to have escort vehicles at all times in the World Solar Challenge. I should imagine the American race would be the same.
Honestly, what was wrong with an enduro race on a closed race circuit? At least then it would be more controllable, and emergency/rescue crews would be barely a minute or two from any participant. There are numerous reasons we do our racing OFF public roads...
Racing on the roads gives vastly more public exposure to the technology. The public, at least in outback Australia and Japan, are facinated by the cars. Taking a few hybrids along means people also see the practical application of some of the technology and can even take a hybrid for a drive! None of that would happen on a closed circuit. There are circuit races as well, such as the Dream Cup, but they serve a quite different type of racing.
It's more of a competition about making a car that won't break down than about speed.
That's an excellent point. By far the hardest part of any solar race is getting the car, along with the telemetry, escort vehicles and, of course, team, reliable. It is imperative that a complete, reliable, package is presented at the race. Getting equipment, electronics in particular, to work well in a car is very hard. Trust me; ``Everything changes when it's actually in the car.''
Does anyone know if the times the race takes are getting shorter each year? In other words, is the technology actually getting better each year?
I can't speak for the American race but in the World Solar Challenge the seventh team in 2001 came in quicker than the top place in 1999.[1] So yes, the technology is improving and so are the teams.
[1] This improvement in timing was also affected by the race taking place later in the year.
Actually, the rules for solar races almost always place a limit on the $/watt for the cells, so that competitors can't "buy" the win.
The biggest solar car race of them all, the World Solar Challenge (WSC), doesn't. The rules for 2001 are available online for you to check. I am told this years rules won't change in that respect. One of the best parts of the WSC in previous years has been that the rules are so open. Unfortunately, now that the technology is maturing top teams `buying a win' is becoming a problem. It would be a pity to see solar racing go the way I am told American motor sport has gone.
As they ate, they saw seven or eight of the cars go by, with chase cars etc. She said they were all very aerodynamic-looking, and she wondered if they'd be picked up by high winds.
As it turns out they aren't picked up by the wind that much at all! (Which is good.:-) Heavy vehicles, particularly coaches, with their low sides, are much more of a concern. Road trains (like a semi-trailer with four carridges) can sometimes be a bit scary but not too much of a problem. I've never heard of the main canopy of a solar car even lift, let alone fly off. If they did it would indicate poor aerodynamics.
--
Tom Rowlands
(Sorry I can't sign this)
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.
The problem with allowing everyone to go and do entirely their own thing is that eventually it boils down a contest of money. Whoever has the most money, generally speaking, wins. Fortunately solar racing has up until this year, or maybe last, been relatively immune to these problems thanks to both very immature technology and a sensible, but non-draconian, set of rules. The rules for the World Solar Challenge are extremely flexible compared to those for any other car race. The aim of the race is first and foremost to showcase solar and high-efficiency technologies and, as you say, to encourage innovation. There is much innovation to be had with the existing rules.
--
Tom Rowlands
(Sorry I can't sign this)
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.
I had the privilege, along with a few other enthusiastic first years, of being informally tutored by tridge. I still regard him as the best lecturer/tutor/university-person I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. He was always quite happy to explain anything, even to lowly first years that weren't even in his unit (he took Operating Systems in that year) and who had no right to rock up to his office, unannounced, and ask long boring questions. Rather than complaining he `didn't have time for it' and `why didn't we go read a textbook' he'd suggest we go and have a cup of (black, strong) coffee in the staff common room and explain patiently making the whole topic sound interesting.
In fact, thinking about it now I kinda wish I'd got his autograph... Oh well.:-)
not yet. These cars are actually nothing like the cars we drive yet. There are several obstacles to overcome before they become in widespread use
snip
3) The maximum speed of most cars (which is actually rapidly improving) is barely high enough for the highway.
Your other points are solid but... Our car has been `unofficially' clocked at 139 km/h (about 85 m/h) and can quite happily hold 120 km/h (about 73 m/h). Sunswift (the car referred to in the posting) is a good bit better than ours. There are no races where it is in our advantage to hold such speeds, but the cars can perform where necessary!
Wouldn't it be easier to cross a continent where it is thin, like crossing America at the level of Panama?
It's a shorter route, yes. However, it wouldn't have the nostalgic value (of doing the same route as Hans). The same team (perhaps with a slightly different set of people) competed in the World Solar Challenge last year which is from north to south as you describe.
Slashdot Mirror
I'm also curious how they plan to keep solar cars from mixing with general traffic; there has been at least one fatal accident involving a solar car (which came apart like paper mache) a few months ago when a solar vehicle was being tested.
The rules of this race and the World Solar Challenge are similar. (I believe this is deliberate, so a car built for one race can race in the other.) The cars are required to have escort vehicles at all times in the World Solar Challenge. I should imagine the American race would be the same.
Honestly, what was wrong with an enduro race on a closed race circuit? At least then it would be more controllable, and emergency/rescue crews would be barely a minute or two from any participant. There are numerous reasons we do our racing OFF public roads...
Racing on the roads gives vastly more public exposure to the technology. The public, at least in outback Australia and Japan, are facinated by the cars. Taking a few hybrids along means people also see the practical application of some of the technology and can even take a hybrid for a drive! None of that would happen on a closed circuit. There are circuit races as well, such as the Dream Cup, but they serve a quite different type of racing.--
Tom Rowlands
(Sorry, I can't sign this.)
It's more of a competition about making a car that won't break down than about speed.
That's an excellent point. By far the hardest part of any solar race is getting the car, along with the telemetry, escort vehicles and, of course, team, reliable. It is imperative that a complete, reliable, package is presented at the race. Getting equipment, electronics in particular, to work well in a car is very hard. Trust me; ``Everything changes when it's actually in the car.''
Tom Rowlands(Sorry, I can't sign this.)
Does anyone know if the times the race takes are getting shorter each year? In other words, is the technology actually getting better each year?
I can't speak for the American race but in the World Solar Challenge the seventh team in 2001 came in quicker than the top place in 1999.[1] So yes, the technology is improving and so are the teams.
[1] This improvement in timing was also affected by the race taking place later in the year.
Tom Rowlands(Sorry, I can't sign this.)
Actually, the rules for solar races almost always place a limit on the $/watt for the cells, so that competitors can't "buy" the win.
The biggest solar car race of them all, the World Solar Challenge (WSC), doesn't. The rules for 2001 are available online for you to check. I am told this years rules won't change in that respect. One of the best parts of the WSC in previous years has been that the rules are so open. Unfortunately, now that the technology is maturing top teams `buying a win' is becoming a problem. It would be a pity to see solar racing go the way I am told American motor sport has gone.
Tom Rowlands(Sorry, I can't sign this).
As they ate, they saw seven or eight of the cars go by, with chase cars etc. She said they were all very aerodynamic-looking, and she wondered if they'd be picked up by high winds.
As it turns out they aren't picked up by the wind that much at all! (Which is good.--
Tom Rowlands
(Sorry I can't sign this)
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.
The problem with allowing everyone to go and do entirely their own thing is that eventually it boils down a contest of money. Whoever has the most money, generally speaking, wins. Fortunately solar racing has up until this year, or maybe last, been relatively immune to these problems thanks to both very immature technology and a sensible, but non-draconian, set of rules. The rules for the World Solar Challenge are extremely flexible compared to those for any other car race. The aim of the race is first and foremost to showcase solar and high-efficiency technologies and, as you say, to encourage innovation. There is much innovation to be had with the existing rules.--
Tom Rowlands
(Sorry I can't sign this)
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.)
I had the privilege, along with a few other enthusiastic first years, of being informally tutored by tridge. I still regard him as the best lecturer/tutor/university-person I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. He was always quite happy to explain anything, even to lowly first years that weren't even in his unit (he took Operating Systems in that year) and who had no right to rock up to his office, unannounced, and ask long boring questions. Rather than complaining he `didn't have time for it' and `why didn't we go read a textbook' he'd suggest we go and have a cup of (black, strong) coffee in the staff common room and explain patiently making the whole topic sound interesting.
:-)
In fact, thinking about it now I kinda wish I'd got his autograph... Oh well.
--
Tom Rowlands
(Sorry, I can't sign this.)
Your other points are solid but... Our car has been `unofficially' clocked at 139 km/h (about 85 m/h) and can quite happily hold 120 km/h (about 73 m/h). Sunswift (the car referred to in the posting) is a good bit better than ours. There are no races where it is in our advantage to hold such speeds, but the cars can perform where necessary!
Tom Rowlands
(Sorry, I can't sign this.)
It's a shorter route, yes. However, it wouldn't have the nostalgic value (of doing the same route as Hans). The same team (perhaps with a slightly different set of people) competed in the World Solar Challenge last year which is from north to south as you describe.
Tom Rowlands
(Sorry, I can't sign this.)