Australian University Solar Racing Team breaks record for a solar powered vehicle
Sunswift shatters record by 3 days
16 January 2007: / source: Sunswift
http://www.sunswift.com/
Yesterday the UNSW Solar Racing Team rolled into Sydney after five and a half days on the road from Perth to Sydney. The team was welcomed at Circular Quay by a crowd of supporters and media. Representatives from the University of New South Wales and Gary Johnston of Jaycar Electronics congratulated the team on their tremendous achievement. After leaving Perth’s Scarborough Beach last Wednesday at 8:20am Jaycar Sunswift III arrived in the Sydney CBD at 1:20pm yesterday. Despite cloudy weather for the first two days of the record attempt the team was still able to push through and shatter the previous record by 3 days.
Media coverage of the record has been significant. All major Australian television networks were present at the finish and today the team has featured on breakfast television and radio as well as several major newspapers. Coverage has even extended beyond Australia’s borders with news services all around the world running with the story.
The team hopes their record will inspire the general public about what is possible if you start with a clean slate and the goal to make a vehicle as efficient as possible. Our vehicle, Jaycar Sunswift III, demonstrates that the future of transportation lies in innovative thought, advanced materials and renewable solar energy.
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26th January 2007
http://www.eemsonline.co.uk/news/26-01-07_11
Jaycar Sunswift III, a solar powered vehicle built by staff and students of the University Of New South Wales has broken the world record for the fastest solar powered road trip from Perth to Sydney by three days. The team, which includes 11 students, the solar car and three support vehicles, left Perth at 8am on Wednesday 10 January and for the next five and a half days traveled about 700 km (435 miles) per day, averaging speeds of between 70 and 80 kph (44 to 50 mph).
When the original record was set 25 years ago, the trip took 20 days. UNSW attributed the improvement to 10 years of research and development along with advances in solar technology, aerodynamic design and materials. The current solar array of UNSW Sunswift III produces a peak power output of about 1,800 watts. Four different solar arrays were built for the prior solar car UNSW Sunswift II. The maximum power output of these arrays ranged from 1,000 to 1,500 watts.
The car uses a 3 phase, 40 pole DC brushless motor that is built into one of the rear wheels of the car, eliminating any losses from having chains or other mechanisms to drive the wheel. It has an efficiency of about 98%. The motor is also capable of regenerative braking. The car uses a 6kWh lithium-polymer battery pack to store energy for when higher current is required by the motor. This is needed when it is cloudy or when the car is going uphill, and it is also used to even out the speed during the day. The battery pack stores enough energy to allow the car to travel about 500 km (310 miles) at 80 kph or 300 km (186 miles) at 100 kph (62 mph). The range depends on the speed of the car and the terrain.
Yael Augarten, project leader of the UNSW Solar Racing Team said, “We have demonstrated with Jaycar Sunswift III that the future of transport is not with 100-year-old technology, but rather with innovative thought, light materials, efficient electric drive and solar power.”