Purdue Univ team implements new solar car design
By Tim O’Connor Senior Writer / 6 March 2007
source: Purdue Univ Exponent
http://www.purdueexponent.org/index.php?module=article&story_id=4690
Countless hours of work, $200,000 and a multidisciplinary team will soon produce better ways to harness the power of the sun. The Purdue Solar Racing team is working on a brand new car in preparation for the 2008 North American Solar Challenge, a cross-country race. The car will cost about $200,000, twice as much as the 2005 model it’s replacing. Despite the budget increase, Purdue’s car will still have trouble competing with rivals like Michigan and Stanford that can afford more efficient and more expensive solar cells.
The current car can do about 40 mph on the highway using only solar power, much slower than top competitors’ vehicles. “With space-grade solar cells, we could cruise on the highway at 60 to 65 mph without drawing energy from our battery pack,” said Warren Santner, president of the Solar Racing Team.
The team is partially funded by the University, but 90 percent of its budget comes from corporate sponsors. Because it has been some time since the last car was built, the group lacked personnel for fundraising. Only recently did they find a few members to devote their time to sponsors.
“It’s kind of like starting all over again,” said Josh Franklin, a senior in the School of Management. Although Santner said a good design can achieve some pretty amazing results in terms of speed, it’s the look of the new car that might be the most innovative. Past solar cars have restricted the driver to a reclined position more akin to a luge than a car.
The new car, however, will be 2 feet taller than previous models, allowing the driver to sit in a more upright position. Santner said this was done so that spectators can better envision how solar car technology may transition into future consumer vehicles.
All this work is being done in an equipment-littered, multi-room garage in the Service Building where the Solar Race team makes its home. The team is working on the digital design of the car, which they hope to complete by the end of the semester. Fabrication will begin in the fall and will take almost a full academic year to complete.
“Basically, (once fabrication begins), when you’re not in class or asleep, you’ll be here,” said Eleanor Coyle, a sophomore in the School of Materials Science Engineering.