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98-927: Sunswift Racing is the solar car racing team of the University of New South Wales in Sydney , Australia. The team currently holds a number of world records and is best known for its participation in the World Solar Challenge (WSC). Since its founding in 1996 by Byron Kennedy, the Sunswift team has built a total of 7 cars, the most recent of which is Sunswift 7 . The team primarily consists of undergraduate students from various disciplines including business, engineering and industrial design. Despite its team members being largely engaged in full-time study, Sunswift has remained competitive in all participated solar car challenges, earning prestige and recognition on

196-449: A Halbach array configuration for the neodymium-iron-boron magnets, and Litz wire for the windings. Cheaper alternatives are asynchronous AC or brushed DC motors. The mechanical systems are designed to keep friction and weight to a minimum while maintaining strength and stiffness. Designers normally use aluminium, titanium and composites to provide a structure that meets strength and stiffness requirements whilst being fairly light. Steel

294-634: A car or boat. This event is currently held at ScienceWorks ( Melbourne ) in October each year. The first event was held in 1986. The goal of the challenge is to provide students with an experience of what it is like to work in STEM and to understand what can be achieved with renewable technology . Junior Solar Sprint was created in the 1980s by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to teach younger children about

392-684: A cell encapsulation technique which allowed the moulding of solar panels to the curved shape of the car. BP "Saturn" cells, laminated using epoxy resins and fibreglass Power output ~1 kilowatt (1.3 hp) The original Sunswift vehicle was purchased from the Aurora Vehicle Association in 1996. The car, Aurora Q1 , was significantly upgraded and improved by the UNSW SRT and renamed Sunswift , under team leader Byron Kennedy. A new motor and controller, roll cage, chassis and batteries were added. Sunswift I then went on to race in

490-605: A four-wheeled, multi-seat car, the BoCruiser (in 2009), in 2013 a radically new "Cruiser Class" was introduced, stimulating the technological development of practically usable, and ideally road-legal, multi-seater solar vehicles. Since its inception, Solar Team Eindhoven's four- and five-seat Stella solar cars from Eindhoven University of Technology (Netherlands) won the Cruiser Class in all four events so far. Remarkable technological progress has been achieved since

588-413: A large equation (approximately 100 terms). Using the power equation as the arbiter, vehicle designers can compare various car designs and evaluate the comparative performance over a given route. Combined with CAE and systems modeling, the power equation can be a useful tool in solar car design. The directional orientation of a solar car race route affects the apparent position of the sun in the sky during

686-404: A race day, which in turn affects the energy input to the vehicle. This is significant to designers, who seek to maximize energy input to a panel of solar cells (often called an "array" of cells) by designing the array to point directly toward the sun for as long as possible during the race day. Thus, a south-north race car designer might increase the car's total energy input by using solar cells on

784-422: A result of this, the vehicle competed in the 2017 World Solar Challenge and placed third in practicality. In December 2018, the team had driven from Perth to set a Guinness World Record for the lowest energy consumption while driving across Australia in an electric car. VIolet was then further tested and refined for reliability and efficiency, leading to an all-time highest Sunswift ranking of 2nd Place Overall in

882-582: A single battery charge. This particular record was overseen by the Confederation of Australian Motorsport on behalf of the FIA and is not exclusive to solar-powered cars but to any electric car, and so during the attempt, the solar panels were disconnected from the electrical systems. The previous record of 73 kilometres per hour (45 mph) - which had been set in 1988 - was broken by the team with an average speed of 107 kilometres per hour (66 mph) over

980-512: A typical day on the WSC. Some cars have employed free-standing or integrated sails to harness wind energy. Races including the WSC and ASC , consider wind energy to be solar energy, so their race regulations allow this practice. Aerodynamic drag is the main source of losses on a solar race car. The aerodynamic drag of a vehicle is the product of the frontal area and its C d . For most solar cars

1078-413: A variety of solar cell technologies; most often polycrystalline silicon, mono-crystalline silicon, or gallium arsenide. The cells are wired together into strings while strings are often wired together to form a panel. Panels normally have voltages close to the nominal battery voltage. The main aim is to get as much cell area in as small a space as possible. Designers encapsulate the cells to protect them from

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1176-612: A variety of university and corporate teams. Corporate teams participate in the races to give their design teams experience of working with both alternative energy sources and advanced materials. University teams participate in order to give their students experience in designing high technology cars and working with environmental and advanced materials technology. These races are often sponsored by government or educational agencies, and businesses such as Toyota keen to promote renewable energy sources. The cars require intensive support teams similar in size to professional motor racing teams. This

1274-454: Is a small canopy in the middle of a curved wing-like array, entirely covered in cells, with 3 wheels. Before, the cockroach style with a smooth nose fairing into the panel was more successful. At lower speeds, with less powerful arrays, other configurations are viable and easier to construct, e.g. covering available surfaces of existing electric vehicles with solar cells or fastening solar canopies above them. The electrical system controls all of

1372-417: Is controlled. Here tactical decisions are made based on information from the solar car and environmental information about the weather and terrain. Behind the mission control there might be one or more other vehicles carrying replacement drivers and maintenance support as well as supplies and camping equipment for the entire team. This race features a field of competitors from around the world who race to cross

1470-476: Is especially the case with the World Solar Challenge where sections of the race run through very remote country. The solar car will travel escorted by a small caravan of support cars. In a long distance race each solar car will be preceded by a lead car that can identify problems or obstacles ahead of the race car. Behind the solar car there will be a mission control vehicle from which the race pace

1568-734: Is held each year on the Saturday closest to the summer solstice in Wenatchee, Washington, USA. The world record for this event is 29.5 seconds set by the South Whidbey High School team on June 23, 2007. Solar vehicle technology can be applied on a small scale, which makes it ideal for educational purposes in the STEM areas. Some events are: The Victorian Model Solar Vehicle Challenge is an engineering competition undertaken by students across Victoria , year 1 to Year 12. Students design and construct their own vehicle, be it

1666-776: Is the double wishbone suspension . The rear suspension is often a trailing-arm suspension as found in motorcycles. Solar cars are required to meet rigorous standards for brakes. Disc brakes are the most commonly used due to their good braking ability and ability to adjust. Mechanical and hydraulic brakes are both widely used. The brake pads or shoes are typically designed to retract to minimize brake drag, on leading cars. Steering systems for solar cars also vary. The major design factors for steering systems are efficiency, reliability and precision alignment to minimize tire wear and power loss. The popularity of solar car racing has led to some tire manufacturers designing tires for solar vehicles. This has increased overall safety and performance. All

1764-471: Is used for some suspension parts on many cars. Solar cars usually have three wheels, but some have four. Three-wheelers usually have two front wheels and one rear wheel: the front wheels steer and the rear wheel follows. Four-wheel vehicles are set up like normal cars or similarly to three-wheeled vehicles with the two rear wheels close together. Solar cars have a wide range of suspensions because of varying bodies and chassis. The most common front suspension

1862-523: The Australian continent . The 30th Anniversary race of the World Solar Challenge was held in October 2017. Major regulation changes were released in June 2006 for this race to increase safety, to build a new generation of solar car, which with little modification could be the basis for a practical proposition for sustainable transport and intended to slow down cars in the main event, which could easily exceed

1960-920: The Belgian Punch Powertrain Solar Team's Umicar Infinity placed second. The Adventure Class was added this year, run under the old rules, and won by Japanese Ashiya team's Tiga . The Japanese Ashiya team's Tiga won the Adventure Class, run under the old rules, with an average speed of 93.53 km/h (58.12 mph). The 2009 WSC was won by the " Tokai Challenger ", built by the Tokai University Solar Car Team in Japan with an average speed of 100.54 km/h (62.47 mph). The longtime reigning champion Nuon Solar Team's Nuna 5 finished in second place. The Sunswift IV built by students at

2058-833: The Delft University of Technology from the Netherlands . The Tokai Challenger , built by the Tokai University of Japan, was able to win 2009 and 2011. In the most recent editions (2019 & 2023), the Belgian Innoptus Solar Team formerly known as the Agoria Solar Team from KU Leuven University won. Starting in 2007, the WSC has multiple classes. After the German team of Bochum University of Applied Sciences competed with

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2156-600: The General Motors led, highly experimental, single-seat Sunraycer prototype first won the WSC with an average speed of 66.9 km/h (41.6 mph). Once competing cars became steadily more capable to match or exceed legal maximum speeds on the Australian highway, the challenge rules were consistently made more demanding and challenging — for instance after Honda 's Dream car first won with an average speed exceeding 55 mph (88.5 km/h) in 1996. In 2005

2254-532: The University of Michigan on the last day of the event to take home the bronze. The Adventure Class was won by the Houston High School solar car team from Houston , Mississippi , United States. The 2017 WSC was held on 8–15 October, featuring the same classes as 2015. The Dutch NUON team won again in the Challenger class, which concluded on 2017-10-12, and in the Cruiser Class, the winner

2352-564: The University of New South Wales , Australia was the winner of the Silicon-based Solar Cell Class, while Japan's Osaka Sangyo University 's OSU Model S won the Adventure class. In the 2011 WSC Tokai University took their second title with an updated " Tokai Challenger " averaging 91.54 km/h (56.88 mph), and finishing just an hour before Nuna 6 of the Delft University of Technology . The challenge

2450-566: The aerospace , bicycle , alternative energy and automotive industries. Unlike most race cars, solar cars are designed with severe energy constraints imposed by the race regulations. These rules limit the energy used to only that collected from solar radiation , albeit starting with a fully charged battery pack. Some vehicle classes also allow human power input. As a result, optimizing the design to account for aerodynamic drag, vehicle weight, rolling resistance and electrical efficiency are paramount. A usual design for today's successful vehicles

2548-481: The 1996 World Solar Challenge. The car was still a competitive entry despite its age, placing 9th out of over 46 entries. The experience gained from racing Sunswift I inspired the development of Sunswift II starting in 1997. Solar car racing The two most notable solar car distance (overland) races are the World Solar Challenge and the American Solar Challenge . They are contested by

2646-539: The 2005 WSC the top finishers were the same for the third consecutive event as Nuon's Nuna 3 won with a record average speed of 102.75 km/h (63.85 mph), and Aurora was the runner-up. The 2007 WSC saw the Dutch Nuon Solar team score their fourth successive victory with Nuna 4 in the Challenge Class, averaging 90.07 km/h (55.97 mph) under the new, more restrictive rules, while

2744-613: The 2019 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge and finishing first across the line in Adelaide. Width: 2.2 metres (7 ft 2 in) Height: 1.2 metres (3 ft 11 in) The design and construction of eVe began in early 2012 and was completed within 18 months in time for the 2013 World Solar Challenge . The car cost approximately $ 500,000 and was built to compete in the new Cruiser Class in the WSC. This class focused on more practical solar cars with passenger seats, greater safety and more efficient batteries. To reflect its focus on practicality,

2842-425: The 2023 World Solar Challenge, Cruiser Class. An on-road score of 109.4, practicality score of 83.3%, and a final score of 91.1 was achieved. They placed first for both the on-road score and practicality score. VIolet is the sixth vehicle designed and manufactured by Sunswift. It was the second vehicle manufactured by Sunswift that is built to compete in the Cruiser Class. Design of VIolet began in 2016 and manufacture

2940-400: The 4,052 km (2,518 mi) between Sydney , New South Wales and Perth , Western Australia in 20 days. That was the precursor of the WSC. After the 4th event, he sold the rights to the state of South Australia and leadership of the event was assumed by Chris Selwood. The event was held every three years until 1999 when it was switched to every two years. The first edition of

3038-426: The 500 kilometres (310 mi) distance. Guinness World Records recognize a land speed record for vehicles powered only by solar panels. This record is currently held by the University of New South Wales with the car Sunswift IV . Its 25-kilogram (55 lb) battery was removed so the vehicle was powered only by its solar panels. The record of 88.8 kilometres per hour (55.2 mph) was set on 7 January 2011 at

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3136-409: The Australian continent in a 16-foot (4.9 m) open boat. At a later stage in his life he became involved in various competitions with fuel-saving cars and trucks. Already in the 1980s, he became aware of the necessity to explore sustainable energy as a replacement for the limited available fossil fuel. Sponsored by BP, he designed the world's first solar car, called The Quiet Achiever , and traversed

3234-589: The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge Cruiser Class. The design began in 2020, with intentions of running in the cancelled 2021 World Solar Challenge. In December 2022, Sunswift achieved a Guinness World Record for the Fastest EV over 1,000 km (621 mi) on a single charge. It achieved this in 11 hours and 52.08 minutes, at an average speed of almost 85 km/h (53 mph). In October 2023, Sunswift won

3332-519: The Cruiser class, Solar Team Eindhoven won their fourth consecutive title. Despite multiple incidents on the road, Team Sonnenwagen Aachen managed to beat other teams and finished in 6th position. Several teams had mishaps. Vattenfall was leading when their car Nuna X caught fire. The driver was uninjured, but the vehicle was destroyed. It was the first no-finish for that team in 20 years. Others were badly affected by strong winds. Dutch team Twente

3430-421: The Cruiser division was won by UNSW Sunswift with a score of 91.1. Uniquely, no Cruisers were able to finish the race this year. Many of the leading teams faced trouble during the competition. Dutch team Top Dutch raced on a perovskite-tandem solar array damaged from testing in the month leading up to race. Michigan experienced electrical issues during qualifying and had to start last. German team Sonnenwagen

3528-649: The Dutch Nuna team were the first to beat an average speed of 100 km/h (62 mph). The 2017 Cruiser class winner, the five-seat Stella Vie vehicle, was able to carry an average of 3.4 occupants at an average speed of 69 km/h (43 mph). Like its two predecessors, the vehicle was successfully road registered by the Dutch team, further emphasizing the great progress in real-world compliance and practicality that has been achieved. The WSC held its 30th anniversary event on 8–15 October 2017. The objective of

3626-581: The FIA. Late in September, all entrants will take off from Pretoria and make their way to Cape Town, then drive along the coast to Durban, before climbing the escarpment on their way back to the finish line in Pretoria 11 days later. The event has (in both 2008 and 2010) been endorsed by International Solarcar Federation (ISF), Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), World Wildlife Fund (WWF) making it

3724-576: The Solar Car Challenge typically includes a cross-country race or a track event, depending on the year. The event draws teams from across the United States and occasionally international participants, fostering a spirit of friendly competition and collaboration. Beyond the race itself, the Solar Car Challenge provides extensive educational resources, workshops, and mentorship to help students succeed. This competition not only highlights

3822-547: The South Australian Government confirmed the cancellation of the 2021 staging of the event. While the COVID-19 pandemic was not explicitly cited as the reason, the "complexities of international border closures" affecting Australia at the time appear to be the primary reason for the event's cancellation. The same statement also noted the next event would take place in October 2023 - at least 962 days from

3920-599: The World Solar Challenge was run in 1987 when the winning entry, GM 's Sunraycer won with an average speed of 67 km/h (42 mph). Ford Australia 's "Sunchaser" came in second. The " Solar Resource ", which came in 7th overall, was first in the Private Entry category. The 1990 WSC was won by the "Spirit of Biel", built by Biel School of Engineering and Architecture in Switzerland followed by Honda in second place. Video coverage here. The 1993 WSC

4018-929: The World Solar Challenge) first completed this journey in The Quiet Achiever in under 20 days in 1983. This vehicle is in the collection of the National Museum of Australia in Canberra . The record was beaten by Dick Smith and the Aurora Solar Vehicle Association racing in the Aurora Q1 The current record was set in 2007 by the UNSW Solar Racing Team with their car Sunswift III mk2 Solar cars combine technology used in

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4116-415: The batteries as much as possible in periods of daylight when the car is not driving. To capture as much solar energy as possible, the solar panels are generally directed such that these are perpendicular to the incident sun rays. Sometimes the whole solar array is tilted for this purpose. The idea for the competition originates from Danish-born adventurer Hans Tholstrup . He was the first to circumnavigate

4214-445: The batteries can be completely recharged in 10 hours using a standard household power socket or in under 7 hours using a commercial power socket. In terms of cost and efficiency, for every 100 km the solar car would cost approximately $ 0.20 compared to the average $ 15 for conventional petrol powered cars. In July 2014 The Sunswift team broke an FIA World Record which was overseen by the Confederation of Australian Motorsport , for

4312-424: The battery at the same time, instead of just using conventional mechanical brakes. Lastly, the energy that was once in the sunlight shining on the car, reaches the electric motors which operate on the principles of electromagnetism to turn that electrical energy into rotational energy that spins the wheels and drives the car forward. Sunswift 7 (SR7) is the third vehicle manufactured by Sunswift designed to compete in

4410-403: The challenge is to promote the innovation of solar-powered cars . It is a design competition at its core, and every team/car that successfully crosses the finish line is considered successful. Teams from universities and enterprises participate. In 2015, 43 teams from 23 countries competed in the challenge. Efficient balancing of power resources and power consumption is the key to success during

4508-399: The challenge. At any moment in time, the optimal driving speed depends on the weather forecast and the remaining capacity of the batteries. The team members in the escort cars will continuously remotely retrieve data from the solar car about its condition and use these data as input for prior developed computer programs to work out the best driving strategy. It is equally important to charge

4606-498: The creation of the Cruiser Class by racing more practical solar cars in previous WSC events. The Australian team, the University of New South Wales solar racing team Sunswift was the fastest competitor to complete the route, but was awarded third place overall after points were awarded for 'practicality' and for carrying passengers. In the Challenger Class, the Dutch team from Delft University of Technology took back

4704-410: The current into the motor controllers which converts it into a form that can be used to power the electric motor. Motor controllers are also used to manage things like speed regulation, cruise control and regenerative braking . Regenerative braking is using the existing motors as generators by converting the rotational energy of the wheels back into electrical energy, slowing the car down and recharging

4802-444: The date of announcement, and resulting in a four-year gap between events. Registered teams should receive a full refund of all fees. The 2023 World Solar Challenge was held from October 22-29. At the beginning of the race, 31 teams were participating, with 23 in the Challenger division and 8 in the Cruiser division. The Challenger division was won by defending champions Innoptus (formerly Agoria) with an average speed of 88.2km/h, and

4900-585: The drive from Perth to Sydney in 5.5 days. In September, the team successfully completed the WSC in ninth place overall, and was also awarded the CSIRO technical innovation award, out of an initial field of 41 international entrants. The same year, the Sunswift team was awarded the 2007 Engineers Australia Engineering Excellence Award for Education and Training. Between 1997 and 2003, the team developed, refined and raced four versions of UNSW Sunswift II. In 2000-2001,

4998-477: The electrical system. The maximum power tracker adjusts the operating point of the solar array to the voltage that produces the most power for the given conditions, e.g. temperature. The battery manager protects the batteries from overcharging. The motor controller controls the desired motor power. Many controllers allow regenerative braking, i.e. power is fed back into the battery during deceleration. Some solar cars have complex data acquisition systems that monitor

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5096-434: The electromagnetic energy of the sun into electrical energy, through the use of photovoltaic cells, and then converting that electrical energy into mechanical energy to drive the car, through the use of some form of electric motor. Maximum power point trackers act as an interface between the solar array and the battery, while motor controllers act as an interface between the battery and the electric motors As sunlight shines on

5194-399: The end of 2019, the organization struggled with funding and decided to cancel the race. A few months later they declared bankruptcy. Solar drag races are another form of solar racing. Unlike long distance solar races, solar dragsters do not use any batteries or pre-charged energy storage devices . Racers go head-to-head over a straight quarter kilometer distance. Currently, a solar drag race

5292-589: The entire project took approximately 18 months and $ 250,000 to complete. On 7 January 2011, at the Royal Australian Navy airbase, HMAS  Albatross , IVy broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest solar powered vehicle. Australian racing driver Barton Mawer brought IVy to a top speed of 88.5 kilometres per hour (55.0 mph), beating the previous record of 22 years by over 10 kilometres per hour (6.2 mph). The rules of

5390-512: The exception of a four-year gap between the 2019 and 2023 events, owing to the cancellation of the 2021 event, the World Solar Challenge is typically held every two years. The course is over 3,022 kilometres (1,878 miles) through the Australian Outback , from Darwin , Northern Territory , to Adelaide , South Australia . The event was created to foster the development of solar-powered vehicles . The WSC attracts teams from around

5488-585: The fastest electric vehicle capable of travelling 500 kilometres (310 mi) on a single battery charge. The team beat the previous record 73 kilometres per hour (45 mph) – set in 1988 – with an average speed of 107 kilometres per hour (66 mph) over the 500-kilometre (310 mi) distance, which was done at the Australian Automotive Research Centre in Victoria. This record was not an exclusive Solar car record, but

5586-636: The first Solar Race to receive endorsement from these 3 organizations. The last race took place in 2016. Sasol confirmed their support of the South Africa Solar Challenge, by taking naming rights to the event, so that for the duration of their sponsorship, the event was known as the Sasol Solar Challenge, South Africa. The Carrera Solar Atacama is the first solar-powered car race of its kind in Latin America;

5684-450: The frontal area is 0.75 to 1.3 m . While C d as low as 0.10 have been reported, 0.13 is more typical. This needs a great deal of attention to detail. The vehicle's mass is also a significant factor. A light vehicle generates less rolling resistance and will need smaller lighter brakes and other suspension components. This is the virtuous circle when designing lightweight vehicles. Rolling resistance can be minimized by using

5782-570: The importance and challenges of using renewable energy . The project also teaches students how the engineering process is applied, and how solar panels , transmission , and aerodynamics can be used in practice. The FIA recognise a land speed record for vehicles powered only by solar panels. The current record was set by the Solar Team Twente , of the University of Twente with their car SolUTra. The record of 37.757 km/h

5880-439: The inaugural Cruiser Class winner with their vehicle Stella . The American Solar Challenge, previously known as the 'North American Solar Challenge' and 'Sunrayce', features mostly collegiate teams racing in timed intervals in the United States and Canada. The annual Formula Sun Grand Prix track race is used as a qualifier for ASC. The American Solar Challenge was sponsored in part by several small sponsors. However, funding

5978-650: The last 6 times it has been held. The Solar Car Challenge is an annual event that fosters education and innovation in renewable energy by engaging high school students in the design, engineering, and racing of solar-powered vehicles. Founded in 1989 by Dr. Lehman Marks, the challenge has grown to become a premier educational program, combining science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) principles with hands-on experience. Participants are tasked with building and racing solar cars, allowing them to apply theoretical knowledge to practical problems while promoting sustainable technology and teamwork. Held over several days,

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6076-426: The latest in their series of cruiser cars. In the Challenger Class, the team from Delft University of Technology retained the title with Nuna 8 and an average speed of 91.75 km/h (57.01 mph), while their Dutch counterparts, the University of Twente , who led most of the challenge, finished just 8 minutes behind them in second place, making 2015 the closest finish in WSC history. Tokai University passed

6174-403: The light intensity which can change rapidly if some cells become shaded. The electricity then flows into the battery where it can be stored for later use such as to drive the car while there is no sunlight. Although the battery is primarily charged by the solar panels, it can also be externally charged by the conventionally generated electricity at your home or workplace. The battery then discharges

6272-545: The naval air base HMAS  Albatross in Nowra , breaking the record previously held by the General Motors car Sunraycer of 78.3 kilometres per hour (48.7 mph). The record takes place over a flying 500 metres (1,600 ft) stretch, and is the average of two runs in opposite directions. The Perth to Sydney Transcontinental record has held a certain allure in Solar Car Racing. Hans Tholstrup (the founder of

6370-419: The newer recruits, thus helping to continue the standard of excellence that has been embodied in the team since its founding in 1996. The Sunswift team also plays an active role in the local community by educating the general public about the advantages of solar versus conventionally powered vehicles. To this end, they regularly showcase the series of Sunswift cars at exhibitions and hold information days open to

6468-407: The only road legal solar cars in the world and the first to adhere to the strict Australian Design Rules . As with eVe, IVy was built to compete in the World Solar Challenge , specifically for the 2009 race. However, unlike eVe, IVy raced as part of the Challenger Class and Challenger Class Silicon, ending up finishing 4th overall despite being the first silicon powered car across the line. Overall,

6566-414: The potential of solar energy but also inspires the next generation of engineers, scientists, and environmentally-conscious citizens. The South African Solar Challenge is a biennial, two-week solar-powered car race through the length and breadth of South Africa. The first challenge in 2008 proved that this event can attract the interest of the public, and that it has the necessary international backing from

6664-409: The power entering and leaving the system. The battery pack stores surplus solar energy produced when the vehicle is stationary or travelling slowly or downhill. Solar cars use a range of batteries including lead-acid batteries , nickel-metal hydride batteries ( NiMH ), nickel-cadmium batteries ( NiCd ), lithium ion batteries and lithium polymer batteries . Power electronics may be used to optimize

6762-430: The public. In addition, Sunswift also visits schools in order to teach and inspire young children about implementing solar power technology whilst demonstrating how it can be a fun and effective method of powering a car. All solar cars have at least five main parts to their power system: the solar array , maximum power point tracker (MPPT), battery , motor controller and electric motor . These cars rely on converting

6860-556: The race covers 2,600 km (1,600 mi) from Santiago to Arica in the north of Chile. The race's founder, La Ruta Solar, claims it is the most extreme of the vehicular races due to the high levels of solar radiation, up to 8.5 kWh/m /day, encountered while traversing the Atacama Desert, as well as challenging participating teams to climb 3,500 m (11,500 ft) above sea level. After the 2018 race, La Ruta Solar organized its next edition for 2020, but it never came to be. In

6958-421: The record required that IVy be powered solely by the sun and with the entire battery pack removed, the car weighed only 140 kilograms (310 lb). Sunswift III was designed for the 2005 WSC. Mechanical problems caused a crash before the race, and the car completed the course unofficially. In 2006, the mechanics were improved. In January 2007, Jaycar Sunswift III broke the world transcontinental record, completing

7056-400: The right tires, inflated to the right pressure, correctly aligned, and by minimizing the weight of the vehicle. The design of a solar car is governed by the following work equation: which can be usefully simplified to the performance equation for long-distance races, and values seen in practice. Briefly, the left-hand side represents the energy input into the car (batteries and power from

7154-399: The sides of the vehicle where the sun will strike them (or by creating a convex array coaxial with the vehicle's movement). In contrast, an east-west race alignment might reduce the benefit from having cells on the side of the vehicle, and thus might encourage design of a flat array. Because solar cars are often purpose-built, and because arrays do not usually move in relation to the rest of

7252-478: The solar array, it transfers energy to the electrons within the photovoltaic cells, thus allowing them to conduct electricity and causing a current to flow. This current then travels to the MPPTs which alter the load across the solar array in order to ensure that it is generating electricity as efficiently as possible. The MPPTs have to constantly monitor the output of the photovoltaic cells because that output depends on

7350-467: The speed limit (110 km/h) in previous years. In 2013 the organisers of the event introduced the Cruiser Class to the World Solar Challenge, designed to encourage contestants to design a "practical" solar powered vehicle. This race requires that vehicles have four wheels and upright seating for passengers, and is judged on a number of factors including time, payload, passenger miles, and external energy use. The Dutch TU Eindhoven solar racing team were

7448-526: The string of cells, allowing current around the non-functioning cell(s). Another consideration is that the battery itself can force current backward through the array unless there are blocking diodes put at the end of each panel. The power produced by the solar array depends on the weather conditions, the position of the sun and the capacity of the array. At noon on a bright day, a good array can produce over 2 kilowatts (2.6 hp). A 6 m array of 20% cells will produce roughly 6 kW·h (22 kJ) of energy during

7546-407: The sun) and the right-hand side is the energy needed to drive the car along the race route (overcoming rolling resistance, aerodynamic drag, going uphill and accelerating). Everything in this equation can be estimated except v . The parameters include: Note 1 For the WSC the average panel power can be approximated as (7/9)×nominal power. Solving the long form of the equation for velocity results in

7644-523: The team also designed it to resemble a modern-day sports car, rather than the typical space aged style of most other solar vehicles. The car was the fastest vehicle in the Cruiser Class, achieving Line Honours and overall third place for the Cruiser class while also attaining the highest top speed of 128 kilometres per hour (80 mph). On a single charge of its batteries, eVe can travel up to 500 kilometres (310 mi) or over 800 kilometres (500 mi) if powered by its own solar cells. Once fully depleted,

7742-488: The team embarked on the TopCell project to manufacture buried contact solar cells to construct a new solar array. This makes the UNSW SRT the first and only team to have made their own solar cells. Along the way, the team achieved a new world record efficiency for this type of solar cell. The remaining cells on UNSW Sunswift II are the world's highest efficiency "PERL" silicon solar cells, made at UNSW. The team also pioneered

7840-627: The team from Western Sydney University out of the challenge. The driver of Agoria from Belgium escaped injury when their vehicle was "uprooted" at 100 km/h (62 mph) by severe winds, but still went on to win the Challenger class. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia the WSC closed entries three months earlier than normal, on 18 December 2020. They were then to "… review all current government measures relating to social distancing, density and contact tracing, international travel restrictions and isolation requirements." On 12 February 2021,

7938-451: The title with Nuna 7 and an average speed of 90.71 km/h (56.36 mph), while defending champions Tokai University finished second after an exciting close competition, which saw a 10–30 minute distance, though they drained the battery in final stint due to bad weather and finished some 3 hours later; an opposite situation of the previous challenge in 2011. The Adventure Class was won by Aurora's Aurora Evolution . The 2015 WSC

8036-423: The top teams now use wheel motors , eliminating belt or chain drives. Testing is essential to demonstrating vehicle reliability prior to a race. It is easy to spend a hundred thousand dollars to gain a two-hour advantage, and equally easy to lose two hours due to reliability issues. The solar array consists of hundreds (or thousands) of photovoltaic solar cells converting sunlight into electricity. Cars can use

8134-428: The vehicle (with notable exceptions), this race-route-driven, flat-panel versus convex design compromise is one of the most significant decisions that a solar car designer must make. World Solar Challenge The World Solar Challenge ( WSC ), since 2013 named Bridgestone World Solar Challenge , is an international event for solar powered cars driving 3000 kilometres through the Australian outback . With

8232-470: The weather and breakage. Designing a solar array is more than just stringing a bunch of cells together. A solar array acts like many very small batteries all hooked together in series. The total voltage produced is the sum of all cell voltages. The problem is that if a single cell is in shadow it acts like a diode , blocking the current for the entire string of cells. To design against this, array designers use by-pass diodes in parallel with smaller segments of

8330-499: The whole electrical system, while basic cars show battery voltage and motor current. In order to judge the range available with varying solar production and motive consumption, an ampere-hour meter multiplies battery current and rate, thus providing the remaining vehicle range at each moment in the given conditions. A wide variety of motor types have been used. The most efficient motors exceed 98% efficiency. These are brushless three-"phase" DC, electronically commutated, wheel motors, with

8428-524: The world stage as well as training young engineers to be on the cutting edge of their profession. A number of former Sunswift team members have moved on to establishing their own companies and others have attained highly sought-after positions in the workforce; for example, working as part of well-established racing teams such as those in Formula 1 . Some of these team members remain in contact with Sunswift even after graduation, and act as mentors or advisors to

8526-451: The world, most of which are fielded by universities or corporations , although some are fielded by high schools . It has a 32-year history spanning fifteen events, with the inaugural event taking place in 1987. Initially held once every three years, the event became biennial from the turn of the century. Since 2001 the WSC was won seven times out of ten efforts by the Nuna team and cars of

8624-410: Was blown off the road just outside of Port Agusta and had to withdraw due to new regulations. Tokai had to stop for several hours on Day 4 to repair their car after sustaining damage from crossing a cattle grid. Kogakuin had consistent problems with their MPPT charge controller, and reported in an Instagram post that their panels were generating less than half the power than they should have been. On

8722-753: Was completed in late 2017. In comparison to previous generations of Sunswift vehicles, VIolet is Sunswift's first four-seat, four-door vehicle with a 5-square-metre solar array consisting of 318 monocrystalline silicon cells with an approximate efficiency of 22%. VIolet was designed with a greater focus on practicality, with the aim of resembling a more comfortable family vehicle in comparison to previous generations of Sunswift vehicles. New features have been implemented in VIolet such as live monitoring and fault detection, entertainment systems, air conditioning, navigation, wifi, reverse camera, adjustable seating, parking sensors, front and back boot-space, and ergonomic dashboard. As

8820-508: Was cut near the end of 2005, and the NASC 2007 was cancelled. The North American solar racing community worked to find a solution, bringing in Toyota as a primary sponsor for a 2008 race. Toyota has since dropped the sponsorship. The last North American Solar Challenge was run 2016, from Brecksville, OH to Hot Springs, SD. The race was won by the University of Michigan . Michigan has won the race

8918-578: Was held on 15–25 October with the same classes as the 2013 challenge. In the Cruiser Class, the winner was once again Solar Team Eindhoven's Stella Lux from Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands with an average speed of 76.73 km/h (47.68 mph), while the second place team was Kogakuin University from Japan who was the first to cross the finish line, but did not receive as many points for passenger-kilometers and practicality. Bochum took 3rd place this year with

9016-433: Was leading the journey at 100 km/h (62 mph), when their car was forced off the road by winds and rolled over. The driver was taken to hospital. Within 30 minutes team Sonnenwagen Aachen was also blown off the road north of Coober Pedy , the driver was not hurt. An 80 km/h (50 mph) speed limit was then imposed by event officials, lifted when conditions improved. The day before, wind damage to solar panels put

9114-599: Was marred by delays caused by wildfires . The 2013 WSC featured the introduction of the Cruiser Class, which comprised more 'practical' solar cars with 2–4 occupants. The inaugural winner was Solar Team Eindhoven's Stella from Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands with an average speed of 74.52 km/h (46.30 mph), while second place was taken by the PowerCore SunCruiser vehicle from team Hochschule Bochum in Germany, who inspired

9212-479: Was once again Solar Team Eindhoven, from the Netherlands as well. The 2019 WSC was held from 13 to 20 October. 53 teams from 24 countries entered the competition, featuring the same three classes, Challenger (30 teams), Cruiser (23 teams) and Adventure. In the Challenger class, Agoria Solar Team (formerly Punch Powertrain) won for the first time. Tokai University Solar Car Team finished in second place. In

9310-472: Was open to any Electric vehicle weighing under 500 kilograms (1,100 lb). Consequently, for this record the Solar cells were disconnected from the electrical systems, and the car was allowed to only run on its lithium-ion battery pack. The team is currently progressing with eVe's road legality status and plans to officially register eVe as Australia's first road legal Solar car . This would make eVe one of

9408-492: Was set in 2005. The record takes place over a flying 1000m run, and is the average speed of 2 runs in opposite directions. In July, 2014, a group of Australian students from the UNSW Sunswift solar racing team at the University of New South Wales broke a world record in their solar car, for the fastest electric car weighing less than 500 kilograms (1,100 lb) and capable of travelling 500 kilometres (310 mi) on

9506-489: Was the runner-up in the most closely contested WSC so far. The SunRayce class of American teams was won by Massachusetts Institute of Technology . The 2001 WSC was won by Nuna of the Delft University of Technology from the Netherlands , participating for the first time. Aurora took second place. In the 2003 WSC Nuna 2 , the successor to the winner of 2001 won again, with an average speed of 97 km/h (60 mph), while Aurora took second place again. In

9604-527: Was won by the Honda Dream , and Biel School of Engineering and Architecture took second. Video coverage here. In the 1996 WSC, the Honda Dream and Biel School of Engineering and Architecture once again placed first and second overall, respectively. The 1999 WSC was finally won by a "home" team, the Australian Aurora team's Aurora 101 took the prize while Queen's University

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