World Solar Challenge
The World Solar Challenge is a race for solar vehicles on public roads, held for the first time in 1987, spanning around 3,000 kilometers across Australia from Darwin in the north to Adelaide on the south coast. It is considered to be the toughest test of its kind in the world. The teams mostly come from universities , some also from schools, or come from companies, especially in the automotive and electricity industries .
The main goals of the competition are the promotion and public presentation of research and development on solar vehicles . The start is made in several categories, whereby the vehicles must meet requirements for solar panel size, minimum mass, battery capacity, roadworthiness, etc.
The regulations, which were revised in 2006, steered the development towards everyday solutions for road traffic.
history
In 1982 Hans Tholstrup and Larry Perkins managed to cross Australia from west to east in their self-made solar car "Quiet Achiever". The performance inspired her to encourage others to explore the limits of sun-powered companions as well. With the help of the South Australian Tourism Commission as the first sponsor , the first World Solar Challenge was organized in 1987.
Since then, the World Solar Challenge has taken place on the Stuart Highway on public, non-cordoned roads. The traffic rules apply, including the speed limit of 130 km / h in the north and 110 km / h in the south.
The previous record was set at the 2005 WSC by the Nuon Solar Team from the University of Delft . It took 29 hours and 11 minutes to cover the distance of 3,021 kilometers at an average speed of 102.75 km / h.
With the change in the regulations in 2006, there was for the first time a division into the classes "Challenger" as the main competition with now more stringent requirements and "Adventure" for vehicles according to the old regulations. In 2013, the “Cruiser” was added as the third class.
The 15th World Solar Challenge took place from October 13th to 20th, 2019.
Vehicle rules
Since 2006, the World Solar Challenge has issued rules for each race that the vehicles have to meet, separated by class. The most important for the racing strategy relate to the traction accumulator and the solar module.
The original regulations allowed solar cells up to eight square meters . This has been true for the “Adventure Class” since 2006, while the area for the “Challenge Class” was reduced to six square meters and at the same time an upright driver's seat position was stipulated, which means that the average speed decreased from the 2007 Challenge. In addition, due to the increasing power density, the weight of the accumulator was reduced every year so that about 5 kWh were available. In 2009 it was 25 kg, in 2011 it was 21 kg and in 2015 it was 20 kg. In 2011, the area of gallium arsenide cells was halved to six square meters, so that many teams switched to silicon cells. Furthermore, the rules for electrical and mechanical safety have been tightened every year.
In 2013, the "Cruiser Class" and the "Evolution Class" were newly introduced, on the one hand to enable larger solar vehicles with several passengers to start ("Cruiser"), which can recharge mains electricity several times in order to cover the distance within the racing time. On the other hand, should the first time vehicles can participate without being designed out primarily on one of the solar vehicle categories and its regulations, but "demonstrate significant reduction in pollution" one ( English "to demonstrate a significant reduction in environmental impact").
In 2017, the “Challenger”, “Cruiser” and “Adventure” classes were announced again, some with even more stringent rules. The single-seat, four-wheeled “Challenger” vehicles were allowed to be a maximum of five meters long and 2.2 meters wide, and the solar field was only four square meters in size. The changed dimensions allowed more creative freedom, the smaller solar field required further increased efficiency. Compared to previous years, most vehicles were smaller and narrower and, due to the regulations, visibility for drivers was significantly improved. Vehicles of the less crowded, also four-wheeled "cruiser" class had to carry one or more passengers; In addition to the payload, energy consumption and practicality were included in the assessment. The "Adventure" class was valid for vehicles from the previous year, which had been adjusted in terms of safety and were participating out of competition, as well as for participants in the other classes who did not reach the checkpoints on time.
The respective driver's weight is to be raised to a unit load of 80 kilograms using counterweights.
Race sequence
The race runs daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is neutralized overnight. In order to reach a sufficiently practicable rest area, there is a time window of ten minutes from 5 p.m., the use of which is measured and offset by a corresponding delay in the start clearance from 8 a.m. Immediately after stopping, it is customary to align the solar panel as at right angles as possible to the sun's rays until it gets dark , in order to continue charging the vehicle battery as effectively as possible and to enable a start with the battery that is as charged as possible, which is fed during the race from the mostly horizontal panels as well as through recuperation .
An important success factor is the determination of the best possible driving speed depending on the weather forecast, route profile, battery and other technical vehicle condition. Naturally, when the sun is lower in the morning and in the evening, you usually need additional energy from the battery, while when the sun is high in midday and the weather is good, you can use solar power that is not required to recharge the battery.
On the way, the race will be interrupted for 30 minutes in almost all towns, which serves logistical purposes and the media. While journalists are filming, taking photos and asking questions, the teams can change drivers and get food.
Each team is accompanied by an official of the World Solar Challenge who monitors compliance with the rules, including measuring the driver's weight compensation and the use of the time window and approving the start with a corresponding delay.
Winners list
From 1987 to 1999 the World Solar Challenge took place every three years, thereafter every two years, i.e. in every odd calendar year:
| year | class | 1st rank | 2nd rank | 3rd rank | Winner speed Ø |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | - | General Motors (USA) with "SunRaycer" | Ford (AUS) with "Sunchacer" | Engineering School Biel (CH) with "Spirit of Biel / Bienne I" | 66.9 km / h |
| 1990 | - | Engineering School Biel (CH) with "Spirit of Biel / Bienne II" | Honda (J) with "Dream" | University of Michigan (USA) with "Sunrunner" | 65.2 km / h |
| 1993 | - | Honda (J) with "Dream" | Engineering School Biel (CH) with "Spirit of Biel / Bienne III" | Kyocera Corporation (J) with "Son of Sun" | 85.0 km / h |
| 1996 | - | Honda (J) with "Dream" | Universities in Biel / Bienne (CH) with sCHooler | Aisin Seiki (J) with "Aisol III" | 89.8 km / h |
| 1999 | - | Aurora Vehicle Association (AUS) with "Aurora" | Queen's University (CA) with "Radiance" | University of Queensland (AUS) with "Sunshark" | 73.0 km / h |
| 2001 | - | University of Delft Nuon Solar Team (NL) with "Nuna 1" | Aurora Vehicle Association (AUS) with "Aurora" | University of Michigan (USA) with "M-pulse" | 91.8 km / h |
| 2003 | - | University of Delft Nuon Solar Team (NL) with "Nuna 2" | Aurora Vehicle Association (AUS) with "Aurora" | MIT Solar Electric Team (USA) with "Tesseract" | 97.0 km / h |
| 2005 | - | University of Delft Nuon Solar Team (NL) with "Nuna 3" | Aurora Vehicle Association (AUS) with "Aurora" | University of Michigan (USA) with "Momentum" | 102.8 km / h |
| 2007 | Challenge | University of Delft Nuon Solar Team (NL) with "Nuna 4" | Umicore Solar Team (B) with "Umicar Infinity" | Aurora Vehicle Association Inc (AUS) with "Aurora 101" | 90.87 km / h |
| Adventure | Ashiya University Solar Car Project (J) with "TIGA" | National Kaohsiung University (Taiwan) with "Apollo-V" | Aviva Southern Aurora (AUS) with "Aviva Southern Aurora" | 93.57 km / h | |
| 2009 | Challenge | Tokai University (J) with "Tokai Challenger" | University of Delft Nuon Solar Team (NL) with "Nuna 5" | University of Michigan Solar Car Team (USA) with "Infinium" | 100.54 km / h |
| Adventure | OSU Solar Car Project (J) with "OSU Model S '" | Aurora Vehicle Association (AUS) with "Southern Aurora" | Goko High School (J) with "GoKo" | 86.27 km / h | |
| 2011 | Tokai University (J) with "Tokai Challenger" | University of Delft Nuon Solar Team (NL) with "Nuna 6" | University of Michigan (USA) with "Quantum" | 91.5 km / h | |
| 2013 | Challenge | University of Delft Nuon Solar Team (NL) with "Nuna 7" | Tokai University (J) with "Tokai Challenger" | Solar Team Twente (NL) | 90.71 km / h |
| Adventure | Aurora Vehicle Association (AUS) with "Aurora Evolution" | Antakari (CHI) | 86.27 km / h | ||
| Cruiser | Solar Team Eindhoven (NL) with " Stella " | University BO SolarCar Team (D) with " PowerCore SunCruiser " | UNSW Solar Racing Team - Sunswift with "Eve" | 75-78 km / h (winner 9,093 passenger kilometers) | |
| 2015 | Challenge | University of Delft Nuon Solar Team (NL) with "Nuna 8" | Solar Team Twente with "Red One" (NL) | Tokai University (J) | 91.75 km / h |
| Cruiser | Solar Team Eindhoven (NL) with "Stella Lux" | Kogakuin Solar Team (J) with "Owl" | University BO SolarCar Team (D) with "ThyssenKrupp SunRiser" | Score: 97.27 (6044 passenger kilometers) | |
| 2017 | Challenge | Nuon Solar Team (NL) with "Nuna 9" | University of Michigan Solar Car Team (USA) with "Novum" | Punch Powertrain Solar Team (B) with "Punch Two" | 81.2 km / h |
| Cruiser | Solar Team Eindhoven (NL) with "Stella Vie" | University BO SolarCar-Team (D) with "thyssenkrupp blue.cruiser" | Clenergy Team Arrow (AUS) with "Arrow STF" | 69 km / h, 10197 P km, 45.7 kWh, Efficiency Score 80 | |
| Adventure | Mississippi Choctaw High School Solar Car Team (USA) with "Tushka Hashi III" | NWU Solar (ZA) with "Naledi" | Principia Solar Car (USA) with "Ra X" | ||
| 2019 | Challenge | ||||
| Cruiser | |||||
| Adventure |
Others
- After the race in 2011, the SolarWorld GT started its first solar-powered circumnavigation of the world. Since the car was partly transported on the trailer during the race, it drove the route from Darwin to Adelaide again a year later at the end of the circumnavigation of the world.
- The race participation of a high school from Hawaii was the subject of the American feature film Race the Sun in 1996 (original title: Race the Sun ), in which James Belushi , Halle Berry and Casey Affleck played the leading roles.
- In 1996, a solar-powered airship from the University of Stuttgart took part in the competition as an escort vehicle. However, the airship crashed in a thorn bush after the radio control no longer worked.
Web links
- World Solar Challenge Website (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ History. Organizer website. worldsolarChallenge.org, accessed April 10, 2020 .
- ↑ Honor roll. Organizer website. worldsolarChallenge.org, accessed April 10, 2020 .
- ↑ 2013 World Solar Challenge Event Classes ( Memento from March 1, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Overview of the class division 2017 on the web portal of the organizer worldsolarchallenge.org, accessed on October 7, 2017 (English).
- ↑ Stuttgarter Nachrichten (December 20, 1996): Headwind for Lotte: Solarzeppelin did not reach the destination in Adelaide.
- ↑ Stuttgarter Nachrichten (October 23, 1999): Lotte caught on the run again: Stuttgart solar airship in Leipzig on the wrong track.