University of Calgary

Schulich I hits Outback

The race is on

Solar car team unfazed by last-minute accident in Australian challenge

By Meghan Sired

The University of Calgary solar team is racing across the Australian Outback. It’s their second run at the Panasonic World Solar Challenge and they have a second-generation car to test out on the course.

“Building a solar car is all about overcoming challenges,” says Adam Berti, business manager for the team. “You start from scratch, produce ideas and professional drawings. Once your part is made and installed, you realize it’s all wrong and you have to start over again,” he says.

“Racing our own solar car through the Australian Outback, I think, will be the easiest part.”

The Panasonic World Solar Challenge is a biennial race. Teams are required to research, build and design vehicles capable of completing a 3,000-kilometre journey from Darwin in the northern territory to Adelaide, in south Australia.

The race began Sunday, Oct. 21 at 8 a.m. and is expected to finish sometime on Oct. 28. The U of C team, though, hopes to travel 675 kilometre a day and finish sooner.

To get up-to-date information on their progress, go to http://calgarysolarteam.blogspot.com.

The team has faced a number of challenges in the two years of development of its second car, Schulich 1, named after the engineering school’s benefactor Seymour Schulich. The team’s first solar car, Soleon, finished first in its class and 10th overall in the challenge two years ago.

When test driving the new car in Australia recently, one of the three tires blew, resulting in a crash that ultimately ripped the back of the car off and destroyed more than 10 percent of the array.

Although the scrutineering test was only six hours away, the team was unfazed. The car was brought back to the shop and disassembled completely within two hours. The car was quickly made fully race ready and is competing safely and according to rules and regulations.

“It’s not as pretty as the original tail, but it should work none the less,” said Berti. “We’re still in it to win.”

The mission of the team is to educate the community about sustainable energy and to serve as an interdisciplinary project through which students and faculty from various departments can collaborate in supporting sustainable energy.

The team was founded in 2004 in response to the announcement that the North American Solar Challenge would end its race in Calgary in July of 2005.

Countries from all around the world are participating in this year’s Australian challenge.

“Every team out here on the track feels for us—and they’ve been incredibly helpful. I’m very thankful for their support,” said Berti.

Meet the drivers

Name: Matt Rach
Age: 29
Birthplace: Calgary
Degree: Graduated in 2007 with commerce degree (with distinction)
Australia in one word:
“Smashing”

The farthest away from home I’ve been, before this trip to Australia, is Birmingham, England. I went to college there. But I have never ventured to a land so vast and distinctive as Australia.


In Darwin, we are 12 degrees latitude from the Earth’s equator and it is an incredible moment when, at midday, you go to glance up at the sun and find that you have to look straight above you, higher in the sky than you’ve ever seen the sun before.

I always refer to the car as “she.” She’s a good car with a big heart, and always does her best to keep me out of trouble. The car looks like a vehicle out of the Jetsons—but with three tires, 120 pounds of lithium batteries and a motor that can punch it up to 80 like a Ferrari.

Nonetheless, she’s very delicate and always prefers to be treated with care. Every error in driving, be it cornering too hard or braking too fast, is transmitted instantly through the steering wheel back to me.

Driving the car is like dancing with a girl, except this girl is demanding, quick to point out all your missteps and happiest when I let her do all the leading.

Name: Troy Preston
Age: 20
Birthplace: Mississauga, Ontario
Degree: Bachelors of Science, P.Eng
Australia in one word:
“Opportunity”

Every time I get in the solar car, I am excited, but always a bit nervous. You are able to drive a technologically advanced and expensive car, yet at the same time, there is a lot of responsibility. I feel like the whole team is riding on me.

Driving the solar car is challenging and fun. It requires all my concentration, as opposed to driving a regular vehicle. I feel like I’m the centre of attention to all the other drivers on the road—the solar car gets noticed.

I joined the team because I thought it would be an interesting project and wanted to find out more about it. I never planned on becoming as involved as I am now. Now I am on the team because of the many opportunities and learning experiences it provides.

 

UPDATE [Nov. 15/07]

The Panasonic World Solar Challenge official results are in. The University of Calgary Solar Team, Shulich I, placed 8th in the challenge class. The car raced 2999 kilometres in 51 hours and 43 minutes with an average speed of 57.98 kilometres an hour.

The University of Waterloo’s Midgnight Sun came in 9th place and Queens University Solar Vehicle Team placed 15th, in the same class.

In the adventure class, Blue Sky Solar Racing (University of Toronto) came in 5th, Esteban (l’École Polytechnique de Montréal) placed 14th and Sunstang Solar Car Project (University of Western Ontario) placed 15th.

The Netherlands team, Nuon Solar Team, took first place, finishing in 33 hours with an average speed of 90.87 kilometres an hour.