Solar power still is a futuristic idea as the new millennium approaches, but two University Engineering student groups have challenged themselves to make it part of today's technology. The University solar car team and solar airship project are utilizing the power of the sun to accomplish their respective engineering feats.
This summer the solar car team made its debut in Sunrayce 1999, a collegiate biennial solar car race. The airship team currently is testing its second vessel, Aztec. The 20-meter-long ship has a maximum diameter of five meters and is capable of lifting 600 pounds.
These projects have offered a unique, hands-on experience for the students involved.
"This experience is one thing I will always remember. I do not regret anything - not the time, not the effort," said Ruby Chiu, fourth-year Engineering student and solar car race team co-president.
"It's probably the best thing I did at U.Va," said Andrew Turner, fourth-year Engineering student and solar airship team vice president for engineering.
The beginnings
Both projects began with students' ideas and the hope of creating something from scratch.
"A bunch of students went out on their own and built a solar car and had something to show for it," said Brian Nicosia, third-year Engineering student and co-president of the solar car team. "It was a testament of their determination.
"I've built something from the ground up," Nicosia said.
The solar airship team formed in 1994 with the initiative of 1996 graduate George Weinnmann, whose experience building an airship in high school led him to form the organization at the University, Turner said.
The airship project initially was aimed at competing in the World Solar Challenge in 1995. The race across Australia was to incorporate the first-ever solar airship race along with its annual solar car race. Only one group besides the University managed to build a solar airship, however, and the funding for the race fell through, Turner said.
Subsequently, the University team turned its attention toward a long-term goal of developing a solar airship with the ability to maintain continuous, autonomous flight.
In April 1998, six enthusiastic, yet inexperienced, Engineering students decided to start construction of a solar car, said Corey Barber, fourth-year Engineering student and the solar car team's body team leader.
The actual vehicle's construction began in December 1998 with the intent to produce a vehicle for the summer 1999 Sunrayce competition, Barber said.
The struggles
Both the solar airship and solar car teams face numerous engineering challenges.
The general problem both groups face is obtaining the optimum amount of energy from the sun. At any point, 1,000 watts per square meter of sunlight fall on the earth's surface, roughly enough to power 17 light bulbs. Solar cells - which convert sunlight into an electric current - are relatively inefficient, not converting all of the sun-energy into usable energy.
The solar car harnesses the sun's energy through a solar array consisting of 744 cells, managing to convert only 14 percent of a full capture of the sunlight's energy on a bright sunny day. To deal with cloudy days and times when the cells cannot be used, a battery pack is used. The battery also is charged by solar power and is able to move the car about 70 to 80 miles. Together, both the stored and real-time power enable the car to take on the challenges of changes in terrain and road traffic conditions, Nicosia said.
The airship team must also deal with storing solar power and the curved, flexible material used to build the ship introduced additional complexities for harnessing solar power.
Turner said most solar cells used to provide power in homes are very fragile, so the group has to use more expensive, somewhat amorphic cells that are able to bend. The cells are about 15 to 16 percent efficient, he said.
Another challenge for the airship team is incorporating a variety of technologies.
"We're using some technology that dates back to the late 1800s," Turner said.
"The fins of the airship use technology developed by the Wright brothers," said Huzaini Ghazali, fifth-year Engineering student and president of the airship project. "It takes a lot of ingenuity to try and mix [the technology] together."
In their attempt to make the airship autonomous, or able to fly on its own, the ship employs a modern computer-based control system. A single pilot on the ground controls the current airship. The controls are relatively easy to use - this summer a Girl Scout troop flew the airship, Turner said.
Many of the engineering difficulties for the solar car team had to be dealt with under the pressure of Sunrayce. The team completed construction on the car with just days to go before the race. In its only test drive, the car attained a speed of 50 mph before being pulled over by University police, Barber said.
"Luckily, we weren't pulled over for speeding, but for not having a road-worthy vehicle," he said.
The team then began a series of qualification tests for the race. In the figure-eight trial, the University car set a record for the best suspension, he added.
The most trying time of the qualification tests came with the braking test, in which the car had to stop from 33 mph in three seconds. It took the group about 15 to 20 attempts, partly because of the rainy conditions, Barber said.
The University car was one of 29 out of the initial 54 teams that qualified for the race, he said.
Held June 20-29, the race course ran from Washington, D.C. to Orlando, Fla.
The group faced two major mishaps during the race, Chiu said.
On the first day, the car approached a railroad at a bad angle and the wheel got caught. The group was able to fix the problem at the University physics shop because the race came into Charlottesville that night, Chiu said.
Later in Atlanta, the car battery flooded, and in changing it the team incurred an eight-hour penalty.
The team finished 27th in the race, while placing daily 14th to 16th, Chiu said. During the race, the car attained a maximum speed of about 60 mph and traveled an average of 160 miles per day, Barber said.
A solar future?
The solar car team intends to enter three more races next semester and has hopes for even better performances, Chiu said.
The airship team also has plans for the future.
"One of our plans is to fly at one of our home [football] games," Turner said.
The team's ultimate goal is to construct an airship capable of continuous, autonomous flight, which will be named Sunjammer.
Such an airship would have applications in atmospheric research and meteorological studies, Turner said.
In the meantime, both groups will face continued challenges, including fundraising.
"We've raised over $300,000 in the last five years," said Audra Burchfield, third-year College student and solar airship team vice president for business. "Each time we fill up Aztec, it costs $1,400 worth of helium."
The solar car cost approximately $110,000 to create, Nicosia said.
"The likelihood in the near future of a solar powered car is just not there," he said.
He added that expenses are not the biggest issue concerning the practicality of solar-powered cars, but that the low energy-conversion efficiency of solar cells will keep solar cars out of mainstream use.
"There are other ideas of development that are more promising," such as a solar/electric/gas hybrid, Nicosia said.
Read More
Podcast revolutionizes storytelling for Charlottesville and its sister city
By Brandon Kile | 4 hours agoCharlottesville has four sister cities total, the other three being Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Poggio a Caiano, Italy and Winneba, Ghana.
Student Council debates resolution for increased allergen transparency, reviews summer budget
By Arshiya Pant | YesterdayThe resolution aimed to support students by requiring U.Va. Dine locations to provide a comprehensive list of allergens for food items on GrubHub.
Honor Committee brainstorms sanction diversification, considers future steps for AI
By Lexie Stadler | 2 days agoHancock and Carson Breus, vice chair for sanctions and third-year Commerce student, said they are collaborating to explore fresh sanctioning avenues.
