{"id":8086,"date":"2013-07-23T09:33:11","date_gmt":"2013-07-23T16:33:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/?p=8086"},"modified":"2013-07-23T09:33:11","modified_gmt":"2013-07-23T16:33:11","slug":"formula-sun-gran-prix-shines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/formula-sun-gran-prix-shines\/","title":{"rendered":"Formula Sun Gran Prix Shines"},"content":{"rendered":"

The recent solar-powered race at Circuit of the Americas in Texas hosted 12 teams and an array of configurations and design approaches for an endurance contest that saw Oregon State University\u2019s Phoenix<\/a> circling the track 193 times for a victory.\u00a0 Phoenix won a squeaker, followed closely by Illinois State with 192 laps and Iowa State with 191 laps.<\/p>\n

Although not racing the fastest car, Oregon State\u2019s team was most persistent, drivers sometimes putting in four hours at a stretch in the heat-soaked cockpit.\u00a0 The fastest lap went to Iowa State\u2019s Cory Anderson (4 minutes,\u00a0<\/em>42.289 seconds), while OSU\u2019s best was 5:26.565.<\/p>\n

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OSU’s Solar Vehicle Team doing hand jive in preparing for the Formula Sun event<\/p><\/div>\n

Phoenix ran its 661 miles over three days, the object being to travel as far as possible in that time on the virtually new Formula 1 track, used for the first time for a noisier Formula race late last year.\u00a0 The Formula Sun Gran Prix<\/a> took place on the Circuit of the America\u2019s track near Austin, Texas.<\/p>\n

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Solar racing teams on the Circuit of the Americas track near Austin, Texas<\/p><\/div>\n

Oregon State\u2019s Solar Vehicle Team gave to and benefited from the camaraderie of the event, reporting, \u201cWe couldn’t have done it without Missouri S&T and Northwestern University who lent us their motors and Principia who gave us tires.\u201d\u00a0 For their help in keeping other teams on the track, Oregon State won the Sportsmanship award.<\/p>\n

Vehicles were all on the lightweight side, with Principia College’s RA7S the most ephemeral at 160 kilograms (352 pounds) and Missouri S&T\u2019s Solar Miner VIII the heaviest at 320 kilograms (704 pounds).\u00a0 Chassis were mostly aluminum or steel tube space frames, with Oregon\u2019s entry made of titanium tubing.\u00a0 Western Michigan University and Northwestern University both fielded carbon-fiber composite monocoque structures.<\/p>\n

A 7.5 kilowatt (10 horsepower) NGM SCM150 motor powered nine of the 12 entries, including Oregon State\u2019s winner.\u00a0 Solar panels ranged from 730 to 1,346 Watts, with the Phoenix carrying 1,200 Watts of SunPower Mono-Si cells.\u00a0 Probably as a means of reducing rolling resistance, all cars mounted three wheels<\/p>\n

National Public Radio\u2019s Morning Edition<\/a> ran a story on the event, in which their reporter referenced the Solar Impulse flight across America, and recent around-the-world cruise of a solar-powered boat.<\/p>\n

NPR interviewed Roger Duncan, a research associate at the University of Texas at Austin, who noted that currently solar vehicles are essentially single-person vehicles, but that in the not-too-distant future, solar power would be \u201cubiquitous.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oregon State in the meantime is developing its new, fourth solar-powered vehicle and plans to compete next summer in the 2014 American Solar Challenge, which will include both track race and road race portions.<\/p>\n