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Detroit, 12:45 AM
Wed Nov 11
30 posts in the last 24 hours
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09/02/09
As far the car, I can't tell if it's coming or going, especially since the top shot looks just like the rear of a Beetle.
09/02/09
Along side us in our shop, was the Solar Powered Car Team. The solar car might, on a completely full charge, hit 40 or 45 mph for a very short time and I’m sure that was a scary proposition. The thing was shaped like a large wing/teardrop and very light considering its size. I heard more than one say it was extremely scary to be passed by a car on the road in the thing, because it was unstable when buffeted by the wind. The drivers also were extremely hot while driving, because the car was nearly completely closed for streamlining purposes. This sun powered car handled as one would expect a vehicle to handle that used bicycle wheels, only that the added weight and flimsy build made it far worse than any bicycle.
Many (if not all) of the guys on the solar powered team had very liberal inclinations, and so were trying to prove the viability of the solar car. Several of the solar guys went out of their way to ignore us and our wicked ways, except when they needed our superior fabrication skills. Every now and then though, you would see one of them dreamily looking at our car with a longing look of regret, perhaps wishing to switch to the darkside (literally and figuratively), because they knew in their heart of hearts that the solar powered car sucked.
09/02/09
On my solar car team, we had way more gearheads than tree-huggers. I think it was viewed by most as a real engineering challenge, not as an eco-ego thing.
09/02/09
Our auto shop classes would change your oil, brakes, align the front end.
Damn, I'm old.
09/02/09
09/02/09
09/02/09
The funny thing, at our school, it's the other way around. The solar car team is all of the hard core engineering and fabrication guys, while the FSAE guys flounder about and sometimes don't finish their car in time for competition. Pure solar vehicles will never be practical for consumer use. Who the hell cares? It's a real engineering challenge and a fantastic experience. Where else would I get to play with bleeding-edge technology?
You can have your toy race car, where the rules had to explicitly force teams to re-design part of the car each year.
09/02/09
They're awesome : )
09/02/09
The Formula Team on the other hand was not allowed to enter the same car each year, which always meant there was a redesign in the works (actually a school could enter the same car, but there was a big points deduction). Formula SAE requirement to build a new car every year kept our shop hopping, what with designers designing, welders welding, machine tools turning, body forming, sheet aluminum bending and eating pizza a midnight, made for good interesting times.
09/02/09
We design and build a new car 100% from scratch every two years (including all of the electronic systems. Nothing off the shelf here, folks!), it keeps our shop moving the same way.
09/02/09
09/02/09
09/02/09
09/02/09
How fast does it go?
Who gets to drive?
J/K
09/02/09
2. The fastest
+1
09/02/09
09/02/09
09/02/09
I still see separate chassis structure, which is somewhat lame. Don't talk to me about saving ounces of paint until the batteries and solar cells are load bearing.
Honestly, I'd drive it to work, so long as I could keep the RX-7 and DR-Z for the weekends.
09/02/09
09/02/09
COTD: Conformo of the day.
Lots of motorcycles put fuel in their frames, so the structural gas tank is moot. Batteries are big plastic boxes. I don't see too much reason that the box could not be tweaked to serve as chassis structure.
Also, designing solar cells capable of supporting structural loads is the kind of thing that is right up a university's alley.
I guess I just expect too much out of research institutions. The reason I didn't get into FSAE at Waterloo was because the team captain told me flat out there was nothing to be gained from opening up the engine and reducing rotating/reciprocating mass.
09/02/09
When I see gigantic batt packs like in the Volt, I see opportunity to at least make the damned battery support its own weight.
09/02/09
09/02/09
09/02/09
Kinda the same argument I got from said FSAE captain: "The rules give you a restrictor plate, why would we waste time opening the engine?"
Which is why I spent my undergrad years designing and building my own stuff instead.
09/02/09
Unlike other entries, this one also doesn't seem to demand you be a miniaturized elf to either clamber in, or to fit comfortably once ensconced. Unless it's pictured life-size, I might fit in there. I'm not a big guy, but I'm not tiny, either.
Damn Panera and their tasty, tasty sandwiches.
So, the size limits on the panels: do those apply only to the total footprint of the car? Or is there a gross limit on total area of power collection devices? Because if it's the first, then it could be workable to actually build a car with more than one meter of height, and gain back the increased drag in increased collection area.
Oooh, the side view is so pretty. I do like competent streamlining.
09/02/09
So are the panels using ribbon tech, crystal? What is it?
09/02/09
These cells look like they're pretty conformable, so I'm inclined to say thin-film, even though I know they would take a huge hit in power to go that route. I dunno, who's making a flexible crystalline silicon panel?
09/02/09
09/02/09
Better pack some deodorant with the sunblock.
09/02/09
09/02/09
I'm conveniently ignoring the hippies from PCU, obviously.
09/02/09
09/02/09
And I should never ignore PCU. Stop the penis-party!
09/02/09
01/05/09
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01/05/09
Wait, so some wealthy smug-monger has that "super-green" cabin setup? Is it Ed Begley?
01/05/09
01/05/09
My folks are using them on their renovated home. They're zero maintenance and lower the electric bill. Stick it to the man!
01/05/09
It isn't as efficient at converting light to power as some other methods, but damn - it's under a buck a watt! Where I live that puts the payback at just three or four years.
01/05/09
01/05/09