Racing
Racing has been eventful (please see the blog)
Atmospheric conditions all down the Stuart Highway have been poor for solar power with most of the distance experiencing cloud cover and smoke haze. Often this has been extreme to the point of the field being held up for several hours at a control point while authorities assessed the fire danger further south. As a consequence most teams spent time being trailered
As we crossed the boarder with the SolarSpirit in the trailer heavy showers and thunder and lightning engulfed us
The few lead vehicles which were able to run ahead of the weather reached Adelaide in very good time
Follow this link for placings and World Solar Challenge information
Scrutineering at Darwin Show grounds and Hidden Valley race track
Over two days our team went through scrutineering of the whole vehicle and passed very well
Two days of track work at the race track showed up some technical issues which required several late nights in addition to gruelling work trackside to get the best possible performance from our combination of technology
The young drivers and support crew worked tirelessly and have gelled as a good smoothe team
Our race manager Gerry has been kept exceptionally busy with media calls starting a 6am and rolling on through the day, alongside the regular duties of keeping the team on the move.
The cooks from Sport and Rec have kept us well fed and watered, esential to our wellbeing and ability to meet the challenges
Networking with other teams has been fruitful and fulfilling. The students are appreciating these opportunities to swap stories and info with their peers from around the globe
Track training proves successful
Our friends at Bolivar have provided access to secure good quality roads for training and testing the vehicle. The race crew and supporters had a series of excellent test and training circuits followed by solo practice for the race drivers.
Students and staff in multiple disciplines have worked closely to complete components and test systems in preparation for training on the track
Semester 1, 2011 students in Mechanical Engineering developed their skills and produced the Kevlar race shell and fittings for the tilt hatch.
Electronics students have worked on battery assembly, power management system, controls and dash, also as parts of their curriculum.
Sport and Recreation students are doing project work which contributes to the race team functions in logistics, catering and event management
Most Recent Newsleter
May 2011
Lead article:
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Evolution in shell construction
the construction team learned valuable lessons during the build of the fibreglass shell for solar spirit in 2010. The entire process required innovative problem solving skills which resulted in the successful first cast mould. This gave us the confidence to consider constructing another shell made from Kevlar with the intent of increased structural strength along with reduced weight.
Both of these benefits will increase the efficiency of the vehicle for the Darwin -Adelaide World Solar Challenge. As a result 2nd term Mech Eng pre voc students are now completing the fabrication of the Kevlar racing shell which will be fitted with the cells. The next step will be to prep the shell for attaching to the chassis.
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Previous newsletters
Nov 2010 - Engineering students and staff have produced the fibreglass mould and the test body shell in recent weeks through the pre-vocation program. This is now being fitted out to snap onto the rolling chassis and provides the patterns for creating the Kevlar racing shell.
The vehicle was shown off on Dec 10th for key Sponsors and staff at a small function held at Regency Campus. The racing colors are great but you'll have to stay tuned for a preview.
Media Library
Please take some time to browse through our Media Releases for Solar Spirit Australia. More media releases can be found to the right.
In the News
Sunshine drives a project further
September 2009 News Ltd Boomer Magazine
Solar Car Blog
results
Mon, 31 Oct 2011 07:25:14 +0000World Solar Challenge results are not final, being subject to a protest. This is not likely to affect SolarSpirit’s placing of 32 out of 37. The results for our team are resoundingly possitive; no breakdowns, safe journey, great student outcomes, extremely positive press and encouraging peer reviews.
View full articleMore testing
Sun, 23 Oct 2011 00:02:59 +0000SolarSpirit Friday 18th Nov 2011 Staff and students of TAFE SA had improved the solar car in recent weeks. Testing on the Port Wakefield Road this Friday centered around the suitability of running the second motor. Three of our World Solar Challenge drivers were available for the testing. In addition we had the media crew from LMU and several marketing [...]
View full article
