UWS builds car for World Solar Challenge
It may not travel at the speed of light, but the University of Western Sydney’s entry into the World Solar Challenge will certainly run on light. In October this year, the University will enter the World Solar Challenge (opens in a new window), a 3000km race from Darwin to Adelaide for solar-powered cars.
The solar car was originally a final-year engineering project set by Dr Ali Hellany from the School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics (opens in a new window), but Jay Manley, Robert Newman, Norman Diaz and Youssef Abu-Mahmoud decided to take it to the next level. The car is still in production, with a team of students, volunteers and alumni working hard to complete the project to ensure it’s ready for the big race.
Despite the race being run since the late 1980s, none of the students, alumni or volunteers has had any experience designing or building such a car. As the UWS pioneers on the project, the team has been learning on the job. “When you are trying to build a vehicle that is better than all of those that came before it, you need to know what worked in the past and what didn’t,” says Jay, the project’s team leader and a UWS engineering alumni. “Knowing what not to build is as important as what we should build.”
One of the biggest challenges when building the solar car has been resources. However, the team recently secured a commercial partner. “We had a recent win with SunPower Corp jumping on board and donating our solar array,” says Jay. “And Lenovo has recently become a major partner, too.”
With the support of Lenovo, the team will be able to achieve quicker engineering simulations and CAD modelling, meaning a more refined design over a shorter development period.
With the two new sponsors on board, the World Solar Car team edges closer to the car’s completion. An ‘oven’ has been built using an old shipping container from Werrington South campus. “We disposed of the old water-damaged furniture that was stacked up to the ceiling inside it, and moved it to Kingwood campus, just outside our lab,” says Jay. “We then installed insulation, a heating and ducting system and patched all the holes to effectively build an oven able to reach around 100°C. The car will need to sit in the oven for about 16 hours at 80°C before it is considered cured and ready to use.”
Inevitably, the project has proven to be a great learning experience for everyone on the team.
“For me, recruiting the team and keeping them motivated and focused on the end goal, despite all the problems that occur with a project like this, was a great learning experience,” says Jay. “In the end, I just point them in the right direction … they are the ones who make this happen.”
Greg Hatten, an Industrial Design student, gives up time on the weekend to help out on the project. “What really appeals to me is its real-world dynamic; it is something that will come to actual fruition, with a consequence and a reward,” he says. “I’ve learned a lot in my role as the solar car’s Business Manager, and have developed the brand from the ground up, as well as contacted many people. It’s been a great learning experience.”
The team will be building the body of the car soon. Look out for the solar car driving around Kingswood campus later this year…
Find out more on the UWS Solar Car website (opens in a new window) and keep up to date with the Solar Car’s progress by reading the students’ blog (opens in a new window). You can also like the team on Facebook (opens in a new window) to follow the latest news and developments. To find out more about the support provided by Lenovo and SunPower, read the News Centre article (opens in a new window).
