World Solar Challenge
Encyclopedia
Solar car racing
Solar car racing refers to competitive races of electric vehicles which are powered by solar energy obtained from solar panels on the surface of the car . The first solar car race was the Tour de Sol in 1985 which led to several similar races in Europe, USA and Australia...
which covers 3021 km (1,877.2 mi) through the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Outback
Outback
The Outback is the vast, remote, arid area of Australia, term colloquially can refer to any lands outside the main urban areas. The term "the outback" is generally used to refer to locations that are comparatively more remote than those areas named "the bush".-Overview:The outback is home to a...
, from Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
.
The race attracts teams from around the world, most of which are fielded by universities
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
or corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
s although some are fielded by high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s. The race has a 20-year history spanning nine races, with the inaugural event taking place in 1987.
Objective
The objective of this competition is to promote research on solar-powered carsSolar vehicle
A solar vehicle is an electric vehicle powered completely or significantly by direct solar energy. Usually, photovoltaic cells contained in solar panels convert the sun's energy directly into electric energy. The term "solar vehicle" usually implies that solar energy is used to power all or part...
. Teams from universities and enterprises participate. In 2005, 22 teams from 11 countries entered the primary race category.
Racing strategy
Efficient balancing of power resources and power consumption is the key to success during the race. 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 (normal) 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 the batteries as much as possible in periods of daylight when the car is not racing. To capture as much solar-energy as possible, the solar panels are generally directed such that these are perpendicular to the incident sun rays. Often the whole car is tilted for this purpose.
Important rules
- As the race is over public roads, the cars have to adhere to the normal traffic regulations; however, there is a special note in the official regulations remarking on the tendency of drivers to take advantage of a favourable road camber in order to capture the maximum amount of solar energy. After midday when the sun is in the west, it would be advantageous to drive on the right side of the highway, provided, of course, there is no traffic in opposite direction.
- A minimum of 2 and maximum 4 drivers have to be registered. If the weight of a driver (including clothes) is less than 80 kg (176.4 lb), ballast will be added to make up the difference.
- Driving time is between 8:00 and 17:00 (from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). In order to select a suitable place for the overnight stop (alongside the highway) it is possible to extend the driving period for a maximum of 10 minutes, which extra driving time will be compensated by a starting time delay the next day.
- At various points along the route there are checkpoints where every car has to pause for 30 minutes. Only limited maintenance tasks (no repairs) are allowed during these compulsory stops.
- The capacity of the batteries is limited to a mass for each chemistry (such as Lithium Ion) equivalent to approximately 5 kWh maximum. At the start of the race, the batteries may be fully charged. Batteries may not be replaced during the competition, except in the situation of a breakdown. However, in that case a penalty time will apply.
- Except for the maximum outer dimensions, there are no further restrictions on the design and construction of the car.
- The deceleration of the dual braking system must be at least 3.8 m/s² (149.6 in/s²).
Rule evolution
By 2005, several teams were handicapped by the South Australian speed limit of 110 km/h (68.4 mph), as well as the difficulties of support crews keeping up with 130 km/h (81 mph) race vehicles. It was generally agreed that the challenge of building a solar vehicle capable of crossing Australia at vehicular speeds had been met and exceeded. A new challenge was set: to build a new generation of solar car, which, with little modification, could be the basis for a practical proposition for sustainable transport2007 race
Entrants to the 2007 race chose between racing in the Adventure and Challenge classes. Challenge class cars were restricted to 6 square meters of solar collectors (a 25% reduction), driver access and egress were required to be unaided, seating position upright, steering controlled with a steering wheel, and many new safety requirements were added. Competitors also had to adhere to the new 130 km/h (80.8 mph) speed limit across the Northern TerritoryNorthern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
portion of the Stuart Highway
Stuart Highway
The Stuart Highway is one of Australia's major highways. It is a segment of Australia's Highway 1 extending from Darwin, Northern Territory, in the north, via Tennant Creek and Alice Springs, to Port Augusta, South Australia, in the south—a distance of...
.
The 2007 event again featured a range of supplementary classes, including the Greenfleet class, which features a range of non-solar energy-efficient vehicles exhibiting their fuel efficiency.
Panasonic
Panasonic
Panasonic is an international brand name for Japanese electric products manufacturer Panasonic Corporation, which was formerly known as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd...
was the primary sponsor of the 2007 World Solar Challenge which ran from October 21 to 28, 2007.
2009 race
For the challenge class several new rules were adopted, including the use of profiled tyres. Battery weight limits depend on secondary cell chemistries so that competitors have similar energy storage capabilities.History
The idea for the competition originates from Danish-born adventurer Hans Tholstrup. He was the first to circumnavigate the Australian continent in a 16 feet (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 the 4052 km (2,517.8 mi) between Sydney and Perth in 20 days. That was the precursor of the World Solar Challenge.After the 4th race, he sold the rights to the state of South Australia and leadership of the race was assumed by Chris Selwood.
The race was held every three years until 1999 when it was switched to every two years.
- The first race was run in 1987 when the winning entry, GM's SunraycerSunraycerThe Sunraycer was a solar powered race car designed to compete in the world's first race featuring solar-powered cars. This race is now called the World Solar Challenge. The Sunraycer, a joint collaboration between General Motors, AeroVironment, and Hughes Aircraft, won the first race in 1987 by a...
won with an average speed of 67 km/h (41.6 mph). Ford AustraliaFord AustraliaFord Australia is the Australian subsidiary of Ford Motor Company and was founded in Geelong, Victoria, in 1925 as an outpost of Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited. At that time, Ford Canada was a separate company from Ford USA...
's "Sunchaser" was second and "Spirit of Biel" was third. The "Solar ResourceSolar ResourceThe Solar Resource was an Australian entry in the inaugural World Solar Challenge race—then known as the Pentax World Solar Challenge race—in 1987....
", which came in 7th overall, was first in the Private Entry category. - In 1990 the race was won by the "Spirit of Biel", built by Biel School of Engineering and Architecture in SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
followed by HondaHondais a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
in second place and University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan Solar Car TeamThe University of Michigan Solar Car Team is a 501 non-profit organization at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. It is the most successful solar car team in North America, having won the North American Solar Challenge six times and is currently the defending three time Champion...
in third. Video coverage here. - In 1993 the race was won by HondaHondais a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
. Video coverage here. - In 1996 the race was won by HondaHondais a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
for a second time. - Finally in 1999 a "home" team, the AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n "Aurora", took the prize. - In 2001 the NunaNunaNuna is the name of a series of manned solar powered vehicles that won the World solar challenge in Australia four times in a row, in 2001 , 2003 , 2005 and 2007...
of the Delft University of TechnologyDelft University of TechnologyDelft University of Technology , also known as TU Delft, is the largest and oldest Dutch public technical university, located in Delft, Netherlands...
from the NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, participating for the first time, was the fastest. - In 2003 the Nuna 2, the successor to the winner of 2001 won again, with an average speed of 97 km/h (60.3 mph).
- In 2005 the Nuna team scored a hat-trickHat-trickA hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
with their third victory in a row; their Nuna 3 won with a record average speed of 102.75 km/h (63.85 mph). Aurora finished in second place followed by the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan Solar Car TeamThe University of Michigan Solar Car Team is a 501 non-profit organization at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. It is the most successful solar car team in North America, having won the North American Solar Challenge six times and is currently the defending three time Champion...
in third. - In 2007 the Dutch Nuon Solar team scored their fourth successive victory with Nuna 4 in the challenge class averaging 90.07 km/h (55.97 mph) under the new rules, while the Ashiya team with their car Tiga won the race in the adventure class under the old rules with an average speed of 93.53 km/h (58.12 mph).
- In 2009 the race was won by the "Tokai ChallengerTokai ChallengerTokai Challenger is a solar car from the Japanese Tokai University. The Tokai Challenger became the winner of the 2011 and 2009 World Solar Challenge, a race for solar cars across Australia...
", built by the Tokai UniversityTokai Universityis a private university in Tokyo, Japan. It was established in 1943 by Shigeyoshi Matsumae, who had formerly been the engineering president of the Ministry of Communications...
Solar Car Team in JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The Dutch Nuon Solar Team's Nuna 5Nuna 5The Nuna 5 is the newest in the Nuna series solar-powered racing car built by the Dutch Nuon Solar Team.In October 2009, Nuna 5 ran second, in a field of twenty-five, in the World Solar Challenge in Australia....
finished in second place followed by the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan Solar Car TeamThe University of Michigan Solar Car Team is a 501 non-profit organization at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. It is the most successful solar car team in North America, having won the North American Solar Challenge six times and is currently the defending three time Champion...
in third. The first Australian car across the line was Sunswift IV built by students at the University of New South WalesUniversity of New South WalesThe University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
which came in fourth overall and was the first silicon-based cell car to finish.Race Year Class Vehicle Number Winner Team Country Total racetime (hrs:min) Average Speed (km/h) 1. 1987 23 Sunraycer SunraycerThe Sunraycer was a solar powered race car designed to compete in the world's first race featuring solar-powered cars. This race is now called the World Solar Challenge. The Sunraycer, a joint collaboration between General Motors, AeroVironment, and Hughes Aircraft, won the first race in 1987 by a...General Motors General MotorsGeneral Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...United States of America 44:54 66.9 2. 1990 38 Spirit of Biel/Bienne II Engineering College of Biel Switzerland SwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....46:08 65.2 3. 1993 55 Dream Honda Hondais a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...Japan JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...35:28 85.0 4 1996 46 Dream Honda Japan JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...33:53 89.8 5. 1999 43 Aurora 101 Aurora Solar CarThe Aurora Vehicle Association is a group of volunteers who are dedicated to achieving and demonstrating extreme efficiency in transport. Aurora was started in 1980 by building high-fuel-efficiency petrol-powered vehicles. Between 1983 and 1985 Aurora held the world record for fuel economy at...Aurora Vehicle Association/RMIT University Australia AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...41:06 73.0 6. 2001 37 Alpha Centauri Team
(Nuna 1Nuna 1Nuna 1 was a car powered by solar-power, developed by students from the Delft University of Technology.The first Nuna Team was founded in 2000 by Ramon Martinez and Tim de Lange. The project was sponsored by Nuon. Thanks to this financial help the team was able to finish their first car: Nuna 1...
)TU Delft Netherlands NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...32:39 91.8 7. 2003 33 Nuon Solar Team
(Nuna 2Nuna 2Nuna 2 is the name of a solar powered vehicles that in 2003 won the World solar challenge in Australia for the second time in a row, after the Nuna 1 victory in 2001....
)TU Delft Netherlands 31:05 97.02 8. 2005 30 Nuon Solar Team
(Nuna 3Nuna 3The Nuna 3 is a solar car developed by Nuon Solar Team form the Delft University of Technology in 2004-2005 for the 2005 World Solar Challenge....
)TU Delft Netherlands 29:11 102.8 9. 2007 Challenge 23 Nuon Solar Team
(Nuna 4)TU Delft Netherlands 33:00 90.87 Adventure 18 TIGA Ashiya University Ashiya Universityis a private university in Ashiya, Hyōgo, Japan, founded in 1964.- External links :* in Japanese...Japan JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...32:03 93.57 10. 2009 Challenge 32 Tokai Challenger Tokai ChallengerTokai Challenger is a solar car from the Japanese Tokai University. The Tokai Challenger became the winner of the 2011 and 2009 World Solar Challenge, a race for solar cars across Australia...Tokai University Tokai Universityis a private university in Tokyo, Japan. It was established in 1943 by Shigeyoshi Matsumae, who had formerly been the engineering president of the Ministry of Communications...Japan 29:49 100.54 Challenge Class Silicon 25 Sunswift SunswiftThe UNSW Solar Racing Team is a solar car racing team from the University of New South Wales. The team has built four cars since 1996...
IVyUniversity of New South Wales University of New South WalesThe University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...Australia AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...39:18 76.28 Adventure 24 OSU Model S' Osaka Sangyo University Osaka Sangyo Universityis a private university in Daitō, Osaka, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1928, and it was chartered as a junior college in 1950. It became a four-year college in 1965. Osaka Sangyo University operated a satellite campus in Studio City, based on the former campus of Corvallis...Japan JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...34:45 86.27 11. 2011 Challenge 1 Tokai Challenger Tokai ChallengerTokai Challenger is a solar car from the Japanese Tokai University. The Tokai Challenger became the winner of the 2011 and 2009 World Solar Challenge, a race for solar cars across Australia...Tokai University Tokai Universityis a private university in Tokyo, Japan. It was established in 1943 by Shigeyoshi Matsumae, who had formerly been the engineering president of the Ministry of Communications...Japan 32:45 91.54
Other solar vehicle challenges
- North American Solar Challenge, a biennial US event that includes Canada since 2005
- The Solar Car Challenge, an annual event for High School students from the US and (to a lesser extent) other parts of the world, first held in 1995
- South African Solar ChallengeSouth African Solar ChallengeThe South African Solar Challenge is an alternative fuel vehicle auto racing challenge in South Africa, with classes for hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, solar vehicles, and biofuel-powered vehicles. The first challenge was run in 2008, and it will run every two years thereafter. The race...
, a biennial South African event that is to be held for the first time in 2008 - Victorian Model Solar Vehicle ChallengeVictorian Model Solar Vehicle ChallengeThe Victorian Model Solar Vehicle Challenge is a competition held annually at Scienceworks in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The challenge gives school age children a chance to design and build a car or boat, and more recently a Mars Rover, that operates solely on solar power. It is run by MSV,...
, an annual event in Australia for schoolchildren - The Cyprus Institute Solar Car Challenge 2010, is the first solar-vehicle race in Cyprus
External links
- Official site
- Images from Alice Springs, Australia - 2007
- An overview of all the competing teams in the 2011 WSC, including links to their websites, Youtube-, Facebook- and Twitter-accounts
- Helios http://www.helioscar.com is a French student association from Lille which design and make solar cars since 1992.