NT students get inside look at World Solar Challenge contender
A team of Flinders University engineering students visited an NT school ahead of their upcoming Bridgestone World Solar Challenge attempt. See the pictures.
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Sharing their knowledge and inspiring the next generation of students, team Flinders University visited Palmerston Christian College ahead of their upcoming Bridgestone World Solar Challenge attempt.
Holding interactive sessions with more than 70 year five and six students, the team discussed the ins-and-outs of the car to the eager students.
Year-six student Niamh Turner was one of the students in attendance and said that while she likes the current design, she would make a few changes.
“It’s cool to get to see one of the cars up close and have a look at how they’re made,” the 11-year-old said.
“It would be cool to learn how to build a solar powered car, but I think I’d probably make the car a bit bigger.
“I’d still make it so that it’s aerodynamic and weigh less than normal cars, so it will move faster through the air and be able to go longer distances.”
After studying energy in class, Niamh explained the importance of solar energy and its use.
“Solar panels are really cool because they’re more sustainable than using petrol and fossil fuels,” she said.
Territory expat and fourth-year Engineering/Robotics student Ethan Taylor explained that the competition is a test of both attrition and good luck.
“The challenge is a rally-style race that sees cars and teams from around the world try and complete the 3000 km drive from Darwin to Adelaide,” the 24-year-old said.
“We’ve (Flinders Uni) have never actually completed the race so that is genuinely our goal for this year.”
A project that has spanned more than three years, Taylor said the car is designed to capture as much solar energy as possible.
“The back and the front lift up so that when we have to stop for the day at 5.30pm, the sun is still up,” he said.
“We position the car to face the sun as it sets to maximise the amount of light that’s hitting the car, which is then stored in one really big battery inside the car.”
Unlike other entries that use individual wheel motors, the Flinders Uni. entry has taken a bold approach, but came at a cost.
“What sets this car apart from the competition is that we have an electric motor that was in a RAV4,” Taylor said.
“Most of the others have small wheel motors that sit inside the wheels and move them individually, like an electric scooter.
“But because our car has the roll cage, it’s very heavy, and as a result we couldn’t get over the small hills between here (Darwin) and Adelaide with the use of individual wheel motors.
“So, we had to use the big motor and now we essentially have more power than needed.”
The team will start their trek this Sunday, October 22 and will need to make it to the finish line by the 29th.
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