This year's American Solar Challenge race will consist of two parts - a track race as a qualifying event on a track southwest of Dallas and a road race from Tulsa, Oklahoma to Chicago, Illinois. So far, nineteen colleges have entered the international competition which includes two teams from Canada, two from Germany and one from Taiwan.
The Formula Sun Grand Prix of Solar Power
The qualifying event for this year's road race is the Formula Sun Grand Prix, held on the track of a private club. Though the solar cars can rival the club member's custom-made cars in price - upwards of $400,000, a solar vehicle's top speed is only a little over 70 miles per hour.
The Road to the Prize at the American Solar Challenge
In a competition where each milestone deserves celebration, bringing a working prototype to the race is not just the beginning, but the end of a long process. Each team must raise their own funds, design the car based on the rules, become "street legal" in their state or country and provide documentation of the design for review during "scrutineering". Teams jockey for a spot in line for review by meeting ASC deadlines during the building process.
Scrutinizing the Race Car's Design
The first four days of the week long day event are reserved for "scrutineering", the last three for racing. A team of scientists and engineers, some former solar car racers, inspect the car's electronics and mechanical systems for compliance to the rules and safety. On the track, dynamic testing for handling and breaking occurs.
Prototype Solar Cells and Batteries
Solar energy is collected by the cells embedded in the shell and transferred to the batteries on board. Due to the fragile nature of these batteries, each driver must be able to throw open the vehicle's canopy and exit within 10 seconds. EMS and a fire truck are on hand during the race.
Three Days of Racing on the Track
The rays in rayce are very important for after the initial charging of the batteries, the car must run on solar power for the rest of the event. Racing is done during daylight hours only.
Solar Cells and Cloudy Days
This gives new meaning to a 'cloudy day' for if there is no sun, the car runs on battery power only. Once the batteries are drained, the car stops dead. Does it take more power to run the car at a higher speed? Yes! So it is a trade-off of speed versus distance, and the track race is about the number of laps over a specified time period. For one lap during the race, each team runs their car at top speed to get a time for the fastest lap or "hot lap". Teams monitor the data from the car transmitted wirelessly and advise the driver on these conditions.
At the end of the day, the shells are removed from the cars and mounted on stilts to face the setting sun to charge the batteries.
This Year's International Racing Competition
The precursor to the 1,100 mile road race, The Formula Sun Grand Prix, will be held in June on a professional race track in Texas. College teams will bring their cars to the track to qualify for the road race the following week.
Although each team hopes their entry will win, they're all wishing for bright, sunny days.
Candice Kramer - As a content creator, Candee has investigated various forms of writing resulting in two feature length scripts. One, a comedy, placed in ...
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