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The Battalion
Page 5 * Tuesday, December 9, 2003
Harnessing the power of the sun
Texas A&M Solar Motorsports Team designing solar car from the ground up
By Amelia Williamson
THE BATTALION
In the summer of 2005, the Texas A&M Solar Motorsports Team
II race across the United States in a car it designed and built, pow-
d by nothing but the sun.
The solar motorsports team was created in 1993 and was origi-
lly part of the electrical engineering department and the engineer-
technology department as part of the curriculum for engineering
dents. The team is now part of the aerospace engineering depart-
nt and is open to anyone who wants to join.
“The main reason the team was created was to introduce students
[ ces andciii real world engineering beyond the classroom,” said Josh Seifert, a
Iphomore electrical engineering major and team manager.
The team allows students to apply what they leant in class toward
designing and building an actual solar car to race.
“Being on the team provides me with an opportunity to get
nds-on experience in my major,” said Dave Casey, a sophomore
Trical engineering major and one of the team’s two chief electri-
engineers. “It also provides me with a sub-
ntial challenge.”
The solar motorsports team designs and
|ilds a new solar car every two years to par-
ipate in a biennial nationwide race. A solar
jjiar is similar to an electric car but is solely
wered by the sun. The car consists of a
array with hundreds to thousands of
lividual solar cells, Seifert said. When sun-
t hits the array, it creates energy that is
|ed to power the car. The car also contains
jtteries that store the energy collected from
; sun and are used for reserve power.
The team starts from scratch and builds the
Itire solar car based on designs created by
mbers of the team.
| “Everything on the car that we have the abil-
to design or make, we do,” Seifert said.
While designing and building the car, stu-
tits must take into account cost, reliability,
ability, the shape and weight of the car and system integration,
Seifert said.
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The team completely
designs the car—all the
way from the shape down
to the guts inside. This
includes building the...
battery pack that stores the
solar energy.
— Jonathan Rice
sophomore electrical engineering
major
rown out
er side,
n Oct. 7
“The team completely designs the car — all the way from the
pe down to the guts inside,” said sophomore electrical engineer-
major and solar motorsports team member Jonathan Rice. “This
ludes building the shell and frame of the car, as well as the battery
kk that stores the solar energy.”
The team manager organizes the team’s activities
and watches over the team to make sure everyone is
on track and all is running smoothly. The team also
has directors who focus on certain aspects of the car,
such as the logistics, electronics, mechanics and
solar array. All other members of the team work on
parts of the car and contribute to the general
design and construction.
The solar motorsports team has already begun
work on its solar car for 2005, which is named
Columbia in honor of the Space Shuttle
Columbia. Over the years, the team has
learned that small oversights can cause
major problems when designing any
thing from a solar car to a space shuttle,
and one must work diligently to make
quality parts and avoid making errors,
Seifert said.
The team meets every other week to
discuss the progress made on each of the
parts of the car.
“We hold regular on-
campus meetings that
lean more toward
administrative issues,”
Casey said. “Smaller
groups that work on specific
projects meet just about
everywhere, including our
shop in an old aircraft hanger
at the A&M Riverside cam
pus, where the car is actu
ally built.”
Much of the car is still
in the design stage, but it is
scheduled to be completed and ready to race in the
American Solar Challenge in July 2005. More
than 30 universities from around the world will
compete in the race. The path for the 2005 race
has not yet been decided, but the last two races
have been along Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles, which is 2,300
miles, Seifert said. The team’s solar car will travel on common roads,
highways and interstates with the normal flow of traffic. The top speed
reached by one of the team’s solar cars was 84 miles per hour, but the
average speed during the race is between 55 miles per hour and 65
miles per hour.
Large companies, such as Vought Aircraft, Shell and Reliant Energy,
as well as some indi
viduals, contribute fund
ing to the solar motorsports team to help the team
get the supplies it needs to build its solar car.
“The team gets all its money from corporations and individuals
that sponsor the team,” Seifert said. “It takes around $10,000 to build
a new car as well as many material donations.”
The solar motorsports team brings together students from dif
ferent majors at A&M to work toward a common goal. Everyone
from freshmen to graduate students can join the team and work on
the solar car.
“Anyone, regardless of major or year, who is motivated and
ready to learn can tackle any design or construction issue for the
car,” said Seifert.
For more information about joining the team, contact Josh Seifert
at jseifert@tamu.edu.
Texas A&M University
Department of Food Services
will Open the Following Locations
to Students for Finals Study:
Complimentary Coffee
Sterling C. Evans Library £- West Campus Library
Open Thursday December 11,200$
and
Sunday December 14,200$ - Tuesday December 16,200$
JgL pm - I’.OOavn
Complimentary coffee
provided by Sterling C. Evans Library and
department of Food Services
Hullabaloo! Food Court
Open Thursday December 11,2003
and
Monday December 15 200$ - Tuesday December 16,200$
\ 0:00 am - 8:00 pm (regular hours)
Coffee from 4:00 pm - S:00 pm
Rumours Coffee House £- Peli
Open Thursday Pecember 11,2003
and
Sunday Pecember 14,2003 - Tuesday Pecember 16,2003
7:00 am - 2:00 am (regular hours)
Coffee from 8:00 pm - 2:00 am
Late Hours at Food Services' Locations
Commons, Puncan 6- Sbisa Pining Centers
Open Thursday Pecember 11,2003
and
Sunday Pecember 14,2003 - Tuesday Pecember 16,2003
8:00 pm - 2:00 am
Complimentary coffee 8 beverages
provided by the department of Food Services
Poor Yorictt Coffee House
Open Thursday Pecember 11,2003 and
Monday Pecember 15,2003 and Tuesday Pecember 16,2003
7:30 am -12 Midnight
and
Sunday Pecember 14,2003
4:00 pm -12 Midnight
Pancake Study Night
Sunday Pecember 14,2003
10:00 pm -12:00 Midnight
Carnes 8- Prizes!
Stone Willyi Pizza
Open Thursday Pecember 11,2003 £
Monday Pecember 15,2003 £ Tuesday Pecember 16,2003
11:00 am -1:00 am (regular hours)
and
Sunday Pecember 14,2003
5:00 pm -1:00 am (regular hours)
Thank' vow for diAwnw with/ ufr!
Our Mission is to provide outstanding customer sen-ice
by being committed to excellence and quality in food and senices.
Commons & Underground C-Stores
Open Thursday Pecember 11,2003
and
Sunday Pecember 14,2003 - Tuesday Pecember 16,2003
7:30 am -12:00 Midnight (regular hours)
Open for your school supply needs!
Life Savor Coffee Par
Open Thursday Pecember 11,2003 £
7’30 am -12 Midnight
and
Sunday, Pecember 14,2003
4:00 pm -12 Midnight
and
Monday, Pecember 15,2003 8- Tuesday Pecember 16,2003
7:30 am -10:00 pm
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
★ ★ ★ ★ ★