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Solar Spirit

The Solar Spirit project started soon after the 2007 World Solar Challenge. At least 18 months of research and planning has focused on achieving maximum efficiencies for the innovative solar electric vehicle.

• Maximum energy from the sun is required to have a truly competitive solar car.
• Find the most efficient Solar Cells we can afford to purchase.
• Achieve maximum efficiency: Motor, Regeneration of electricity when braking, energy storage.
• Lightest possible weight of any WSC solar vehicle (for lowest possible rolling resistance).
• The best aerodynamic and smallest frontal projection area allowable by the new rules.
• Design the solar car to drive like a standard vehicle, (the start of our EV research).

The dominant factors of a solar car performance are:

1. The lowest running resistance
2. The lowest aerodynamic drag
   The C_D (drag coefficient) x A (frontal projected area) is crucial to maximise performance
3. The amount of energy captured from the sun
4. The efficient use and recapture of energy
5. The team strategy and cohesive team effort.

The Solar Spirit team is using space age Triangular Advanced Solar Cells (TASC triple junction Gallium Arsenide solar Cells from Spectrolab, a Boeing company). Each of the 26,348 TASC cells will be mounted on 60 + 1 (6 square meters) specially designed circuit boards (manufactured by Entech as part of their sponsorship). The circuit boards will be mounted on a lightweight aluminium frame (donated by Capral) made into a flat "Stalled" wing, which can be tilted for maximum power from the sun most of the time.

The chassis is made of aircraft grade carbon composite material. Cobham Aviation Services Australia has generously donated time and Aircraft quality "Fiberlam" material. The 3.6m x 8.3 meter bare chassis, mabe by Cobham, only weighs 18kg. The material is ten times the strength of steel of the same weight. The technology has enabled us to possibly have the lightest solar car ever designed for a World Solar Challenge.

The CSIRO Kit motor is 98% efficient, capable of driving the solar car at over 130 kilometres per hour, using only about 1600Watts of energy. (With the low drag, weight and good aerodynamics). The motor can be used as a generator when slowing down, to convert the kinetic energy into electrical energy and store it into the batteries. In fact, the braking / cruise control system is designed to use regen as much as possible, before the actual hydraulic brakes come on.

Plans for the new solar car "Solar Spirit"

Build the Solar Spirit ready for training program starting in August 2009.

Complete with Telemetry data logging equipment, tilting array to get more power from the sun, and an extra seat used only for training purposes.

Capable to travel from Darwin to Adelaide at average of 100Km/Hr by the power of the sun.

Technical Information