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Sunswift III- the present
...r of sponsors, many of the costs to our team are significantly reduced. The major cost is the solar array which drastically increases in price as efficiency increases (and every team wants the most efficie...
Past Vehicles
...embarked on the TopCell Project to manufacture buried contact solar cells and construct a new solar array. This makes the UNSW SRT the first and only team to have made their own solar cells. In conjunction...
Recent weekend work
Last weekend saw quite a lot of work accomplished by the team. So far, we have only ever run our car with batteries and solar power. We wanted to see how our car would perform using only the power from the solar array (with the batteries removed). This required a fair amount of modifcation by the......ies and solar power. We wanted to see how our car would perform using only the power from the solar array (with the batteries removed). This required a fair amount of modifcation by the elec team, but even...
TopCell Project Finished
The Topcell team finished making solar cell for the car - 7000 19.5% efficient Buried Contact Solar Cells all made by hand by UNSW engineering students.First prototype panel
The first prototype solar panel laminates have successfully been made in their new, custom vacuum mould. These large (1-2 sq. metres each) laminates are shaped for low aerodynamic drag.Panel Encapsulation
The entire Sunswift array has now been encapsulated into panels. The panels will now be assembled into an array with UNSW Sunswift II's unique aerodynamic shape.The entire Sunswift array has now been encapsulated into panels. The panels will now be assembled into an array with ...
Team History
...T embarked on the TopCell project -- an ambitious plan to manufacture 4,000 solar cells for a new array. The manufacture of solar cells was (and still is) a world first for any solar car team. In addit...
Race Day 1 - Sunday
Summary
We started off without a hitch, so much so we decided to take a nap about 2 hours in just to give some of the other teams a fighting chance. In reality we stopped for a driver change and to fix up the telemetry data, which got knocked out. We managed to gain back our position and are currently in 8th place, with MIT being the only silicon car ahead of us. We’re optimistic our quality aerodynamic design and sophisticated strategy algorithms will narrow the gap tomorrow.
Another piece of bad news is that the solar car bumped up against our Lead vehicle on the way out of Darwin. It seems a little part of the array was damaged, which we’re very disappointed about. We’re just happy we made it out of Darwin okay, it is a very hectic scene with 30 solar car teams (and their fleets) making their way out on a public road. Lots of overtaking put a lot of stress on Control and the Solar Car lead to a small collision.
Mechanical
The Mech guys are very happy to report that the only mechanical issue encountered during the day was our spats coming loose. This happened because the tape we used failed from the heat. A quick 5-minute stop solved this issue for the rest of the day.
Electrical
We diagnosed the array damaged and only had to bypass 3 out of 400 cells. There was also a minor wiring issue, which caused some shorting, however that was fixed quickly after it was diagnosed.
...olar car bumped up against our Lead vehicle on the way out of Darwin. It seems a little part of the array was damaged, which we’re very disappointed about. We’re just happy we made it out of Darwin oka...
Bottom shell released!
Today we took a big step forward in our WSC09 campaign, with the release of the bottom shell from its mould.
Over the last week, team members have been working night and day at our Partners, Boeing Aerostructure Australia, to build the most complicated carbon-fibre part that we will need: the bottom shell. This component supports the suspension, steering, driver, batteries, solar array and every other part of the car in what is known as a monocoque design. Campbell McLaren, the team member who analysed the structure, looked on nervously as we pulled it out, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw that the surface finish was so good! Soon, various stiffeners will be bonded into the bottom shell, and we will be able to see IVy on the road for the first time.... need: the bottom shell. This component supports the suspension, steering, driver, batteries, solar array and every other part of the car in what is known as a monocoque design. Campbell McLaren, the team ...
WSC09 Race Strategy - every possible angle covered
By understanding that strategy is an important facet of the 2009 World Solar Challenge, Sunswift team members have undertaken a huge development task.
Sunswift IVy's electrical system provides a vast amount of data to the strategist, but recording and analysing that data is a daunting feat. To help with strategy decisions, we have designed a piece of software that interfaces with the car's telemetry system, and provides a visual display of data being transferred from the solar car. Scanalysis is written in Python with a GTK user interface and runs on both Linux and Mac OS, and with a mobile wireless network between all of the vehicles in our fleet, everyone in the team will be able to see live and up-to-date statistics on the car."The analysis that this software allows us to perform will allow Sunswift IVy to perform at her most efficient throughout the race, it will allow us to monitor, among other statistics, tracker output, array temperature, tyre pressure, battery voltage and temperature, and detailed motor controller information", says electrical team member Etienne Le Sueur
Scanalysis is under constant development, and will also allow us to make updates to our website while on the race, so look forward to live updates from Sunswift later in October!array_summary.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 5px; width: 435px;" />By understanding that strategy is an impo...
