 "Photo:")
 "Photo: David Reaves")
 "Photo: David Reaves")
In a barren parking lot on the outskirts of Austin, a fantastic scene is unfolding; It feels as if one has stepped onto the set of The Jetsons. Over two dozen solar vehicles - futuristic incarnations of standard race cars powered solely by sunlight - are scattered across the pavement in various stages of testing, emitting a purring noise, much like George Jetson's own collapsible car.
When the horn announcing the start of North American Solar Challenge 2005, a 2,500-mile trek from Austin to Calgary, Canada, sounded in front of the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum on Sunday, the University of Texas' "Solar Steer" led the pack - for exactly one ceremonial block.
After successfully completing the technical inspections - called "scrutineering" in the "raycing" world - held in Austin on Wednesday, the UT team fell victim to the cloudy skies in College Station as they attempted to complete a 120-mile closed course. With only two hours of stored battery power, less than half the capacity available to more established teams, the UT team was able to complete only 12 of the 40 laps at the minimum speed required to advance to the race. After a year and a half of hard work, the "Solar Steer" would not make the journey to Calgary after all.
Fighting the forces
On the heels of Hurricane Dennis, the solar "rayce" could not have begun at a worse time. In addition to the UT car, four other vehicles faltered in College Station which, coupled with the two cars that did not pass "scrutineering" in Austin, left only 20 of the 27 teams who made the journey to Austin eligible to compete.
Gearing up for their qualifying race at the Texas Motor Speedway last Friday, the UT team was delayed when their car experienced steering problems. Late, but back on track, the car ran well, easily reaching past the 40 mph mark, said UT solar vehicles adviser Gary A. Hallock. It was overcast skies over College Station that prevented the UT team from qualifying for the race to Calgary. With no sun to recharge the batteries, the team knew their car could travel no more than 15 laps; 25 laps shy of the 40-lap qualifying requirement.
"We did about 15 laps, just exactly as expected," Hallock said. "With zero sun yesterday afternoon, we were just screwed."
While there is no limit to the number of batteries a car can hold, each vehicle must adhere to an overall weight limit, said UT team member Ankit Barasia.
"We wanted to make a really strong, stable chassis, and that took up a lot of weight," Barasia said. "We ended up putting in the amount of batteries we could fit in."
The UT Solar Vehicle Team was at a disadvantage from the start, due to a lack of funding and sponsorship according to team members. The team was able to surpass their fund-raising goal, but they did not raise the money in time to buy the best materials needed for the car. Instead of being able to purchase solar cells with 20-percent efficiency, such as those used by other teams, the UT team had to settle for cells with a 12-percent efficiency rating.
Making the grade
In addition to the driving requirements in College Station, teams must first pass a thorough safety test prior to hitting the closed course.
According to Brock Ryan, head safety inspector for the race, safety has become the top concern after a student from the University of Toronto lost control of his solar car and hit another vehicle head-on at 60 mph during a ceremonial drive across Canada.
To pass inspection, drivers must be able to navigate a figure-eight course in nine seconds per side, brake to a stop on wet pavement in 4 seconds from a speed of 35 mph and meet various body specifications.
"If they can't do it on a closed, protected course, we won't let them on the Interstate," said Ryan.
After making the cut in Austin on Wednesday, Tom Schipper, a member of the UT team, was optimistic about the team's chances of making it to the race, although he said placing was not a top priority for the team that has not raced in almost 10 years.
"Just making it into the race and then to Calgary, would be huge for us," he said.
The solar experience
Driving a solar car is a feat in itself. The car is flat to create a broad surface area for sun absorption and to increase aerodynamics, so the driver is more or less horizontal. Temperatures inside the car can reach 120 degrees in full sun, and air conditioning is an unheard-of luxury for starter teams. Drivers more or less become one with the car - when the outer shell is lifted off, one can clearly see the intricate network of bars and rods surrounding what seems to be custom-fit interior, molded to the body of the driver - although safety specifications require that the driver is able to get out of the vehicle unassisted in 10 seconds or less. Teams are required to keep a jug of water in the car at all times, although Ryan said heat exhaustion is still a major problem.
To ensure that no team has a weight advantage, NASC rules require the driver to weigh a minimum of 180 pounds with sandbags added with the driver to make up the difference, and drivers must obey all traffic laws. Lead and trail cars travel with each solar vehicle to ensure safety at all times.
Start your engines
Back at the starting line, the red, white and blue balloons bob in the light breeze. The big- budget - in the neighborhood of $1 million, compared to the paltry $60,000 spent on the Steer - yellow car by the University of Michigan flies around the corner onto Martin Luther King Boulevard, followed by the state-of-the-art stealth bomber-like version by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, bound, for better or worse, for Canada in the world's first international solar race. The team from Stanford University remains behind, frantically trying to repair their battery protection circuit so they can hit the road. After several tense minutes, a triumphant cheer erupts. Stanford is soon on its way, although it is only the first of the challenges that will plague the teams throughout the 2,500-mile journey.
In the corner of the parking lot, the UT team sits around the Steer, a dejected slump to their shoulders; the air has been sucked out of their balloon.
According to Ben Streetman, dean of the College of Engineering, the UT team will be back for the next race - hopefully with more funding.
"With any big engineering project like this, you're going to have successes and failures," he said. "But to compete at this level, you need a couple hundred thousand dollars."
For now, the UT Solar Vehicle Team is looking toward their next challenge: a track race in Topeka, Kansas next summer.
"Now that we have a full working car, we're going to be able to take it to other races," said team member Jerome Wayne Powell.
Though the car is drivable, more adjustments are necessary to get it in top racing condition, Hallock said.
"We just want to put this car in the best shape we can for the next race," he said.
Additional reporting by Jonathan McNamara and Christine Wang.
Be the first to comment on this article!