The South African Sasol Solar Challenge During September 2012, international and local teams will compete in the Sasol Solar Challenge, an epic two-week country wide endurance challenge involving engineered solar powered vehicles. Teams have designed and built their own innovative vehicles, which will be put to the test as they travel 5400 km across some of the most demanding terrain South Africa has to offer.

in association with

18 SEPT - 28 SEPT

commit to the

2012 challenge

welcome to the sasol solar challenge

in association with

The Japanese TOKAI solar powered vehicle

S

outh Africa has an abundance of sunlight and the Sasol Solar Challenge will be an exciting, interactive example of how the benefits of the power of the sun can be reaped.

These teams design and build their own engineering systems, and

Held every two years, under the auspices of Motorsport South

The Sasol Solar Challenge is an exciting display of the power and

Africa and the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the

flexibility of renewable energy in action. Capturing the imaginations

Sasol Solar Challenge is an eco-efficiency challenge that will see

of all South Africans, there will be opportunities en route for the

teams from around the world demonstrate the sophistication and

public to interact with the cars. It serves as a platform to catalyse

performance of solar powered vehicles through leading technology.

learners to consider careers in science and engineering.

The 2012 Sasol Solar Challenge will take place from 18 to 28

Sasol, through Sasol New Energy, is currently exploring various new

September and will see 12 local and international teams participate

energy technologies, such as solar technology and new-age battery

in the race.

technology.

Ranked as one of the top global events of its kind, the Sasol Solar

The competition also serves as a practical and engaging application of

Challenge is an exciting competition aimed at educating people in

maths, science and technology, exposing learners and students to the

the areas of science, innovation, teamwork and business principles.

challenges and excitement of engineering. The Sasol Solar Challenge will see well established international teams showcase best practice in technology and engineering of solar and electric systems.

The challenge will see collaborations between scholars, students, private individuals and various industry and government partners.

ultimately drive a solar powered vehicle over a 5400 km journey across South Africa.

Designed to promote innovation in sustainable energy and transportation technology….

Did you know?

An Australian named Hans Tholstrup drove the first solar car in 1982. The U.S. Department of Energy named it the “Quiet Achiever”. It drove 4500 km in 20 days, beating a gas-powered car.

The Austrailian Solar Challenge 2011

The vehicles are classified according to the different vehicle specifications. These include the Olympia Class (the Primary FIA Class), the Challenge Class and the Technology Class. The Olympia Class is the main competitive class for solar-electric vehicles, the Challenge Class allows for vehicles that meet older global standards. Lastly the Technology Class is designed to provide a forum to further demonstrate advanced technologies in personal transport applications. Many of the participants in this class are from the motor industry.

why build a solar car? The idea behind building a solar car is simple - to make a vehicle that costs very little to run and to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions. In reality a solar car itself is not practical, they only carry one or two people in quite cramped conditions, they have large turning circles and are extremely fragile. Building solar cars means pushing current technologies to their limits where improvements can be made. This translates into more efficient electronics and solar cells, lighter construction and improvements in aerodynamics and rolling resistance. These developments can be directly seen in the marketplace today with electric and hybrid vehicles. These cars are a step in the right direction and were made possible by the developments in solar technology.

vehicle class classification Olympia Class

Challenge Class

The Olympia Class is the primary competitive class for the Sasol Solar Challenge. The main reason for this focus is that the class has more stringent safety requirements; one of the most visible differences is the requirement of four wheels. As per the name, only solar cars that conform to the regulations defined by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) for Olympia Class vehicles are included in this class.

The Challenge Class is also a recognised competitive class of the solar-electric vehicles. All vehicles in this class must conform to the Challenge Class regulations and the additional regulations. It is strongly recommended that Challenge Class vehicle teams read the Olympia Class requirements and conform to the safety requirements.

Technology Class The Sasol Solar Challenge provides a forum to further demonstrate advanced technology in personal transport applications. Consideration will be given to vehicles demonstrating advanced automotive technology to prove their capabilities by being part of the event. Data from this class is to be made available to the organiser to assist in planning future events. Vehicles will be scrutineered according to these regulations and must meet all relevant criteria and comply with any conditions imposed by the Chief Scrutineer. Technology Class vehicles will be timed over the duration of the race and will compete in special stages. They will also be measured on their environmental impact, as defined in the Green Fleet Supplementary Regulations.

travelling

5400 km across some of the

most demanding terrain South Africa has to offer

Designed to promote innovation in sustainable energy and transportation technology….

Did you know?

Solar cars are capable of driving distances of 800 km per day, using only the energy of the sun. Typical solar cars are capable of 100km/h on only 3kW motors.

how do solar cells work? Solar cells, also known as photovoltaic cells are made from semi conductive materials, such as silicon, and work on the principle of the photovoltaic effect. This effect is caused by light hitting the material and releasing electrons. When these electrons flow, there is a potential difference or a voltage which can then be used as electrical energy to power the car. The main reason why solar cars can’t be made in a more practical form, lies mainly with solar cell technology, in that the cells are extremely fragile. They are also quite inefficient, with commercial grade cells operating at less than 20% efficiency. The final factor is due to their cost which starts at around $20 for one cell (most cars have at least 600 cells).

Pretoria

route overview

Vryburg

Secunda

Upington Bloemfontein Springbok

Pietermaritzburg Kokstad

East London Cape Town

Oudtshoorn

The challenge begins in Pretoria and continues over 4 days through Rustenburg, Lichtenburg, Vryburg, Upington, Springbok and onto Cape Town. Then after a day’s rest, the teams leave Cape Town, passing through Worcester, Montagu, Barrydale, Calitzdorp, Oudtshoorn, Port Elizabeth, Alexandria, Port Alfred, East London, Stutterheim, Queenstown, Aliwal North, Bloemfontein, Winburg, Bethlehem, Harrismith, Pietermaritzburg, Greytown, Dundee, Ermelo, Bethal, Secunda, Middelburg, Witbank and finally ending back in Gauteng 11 days later.

the ultimate solar car • Building a solar car is an ambitious but achievable goal. Besides putting together a team of interested people, one also needs to assess what materials and tools are needed to build the car itself. It may be a difficult road in the first year, but the valuable lessons learnt last a lifetime. • Solar cars are powered by the sun’s energy. The main component of a solar car is its solar array, which collects the energy from the sun and converts it into usable electrical energy. • The solar cells collect a portion of the sun’s energy and store it into the batteries of the solar car. • Power trackers convert the energy collected from the solar array to the proper voltage system for the batteries and motor. • After the energy is stored in the batteries, it is available to be used by the motor and motor controller. • The motor controller adjusts the amount of energy that flows to the motor to correspond to the throttle. The motor uses that energy to drive the wheels.

model car challenge 1. Stick this page onto cardboard. 2. Cut out the various parts. 3. Follow the different fold methods. 4. Glue together your very own model of the Japanese solar powered car

Front-Right Tyre Cover

Inner Frame

Inner Frame

Designed to promote innovation in sustainable energy and transportation technology….

Did you know?

There are more than 100 solar car teams in the USA, 50 in Japan, 40 in Turkey and South Africa now has 12 teams.

key components of a solar car Solar cars are made to be as light as possible. This is done by using some of the latest manufacturing processes and materials. The car has a body and a chassis made from a composite of carbon fibre with a nomex core. This gives the car its strength and rigidity. The suspension is all machined from aluminium and has an extremely small weight. The wheels are made from carbon fibre and the solar cells are encapsulated in fibreglass allowing them to conform to the shape of the car’s body.

Instrumentation

– One of the most important pieces of

instrumentation is a state-of-charge meter. A state-of-charge meter gives information about system voltage, amp draw, battery energy remaining, and estimates how much time remains until the battery is out of energy. The E-Meter, has a digital display and accurately counts the number of amp-hours remaining in the battery. Instead of

Solar array and power trackers

– Solar arrays created from individual solar cells are recommended as opposed to those made of pre-fabricated solar panels. Each solar cell should produce 0.5 volts at about three amps at peak sunlight. The number of cells used depends on their size. The solar cells should be wired in series on a panel and should be divided into several zones. The solar array voltage does not need to match the system voltage of the motor if you use power trackers. Power trackers convert the solar array voltage to the system voltage. They are essential in a solar car.

Batteries – Batteries store energy from the solar array and make it available for the motor’s use. Many teams use lead-acid batteries because they are inexpensive, but some teams use lithium-ion or nickel-cadmium. A choice that teams must make, is whether to run with flooded-cell batteries or gel-cell batteries. Flooded-cell batteries are the standard automotive batteries filled with liquid sulfuric acid. They are preferred because they can be overcharged without the risk of blowing up, but they weigh more than gel-cell batteries. The number of batteries to choose depends on the motor (system) voltage.

using a regular speedometer drive, it is advised that magnetic contact speedometers are used, these can be found in many sports equipment stores. This option does not add drag to your car. To ensure that your batteries are running properly, you may invest in getting a voltmeter for each of your batteries.

Steering and suspension – Front wheel steering tends to be more stable and safer. A solar car uses energy economically to be competitive. If there are two front wheels, it is therefore advisable to work out the geometry so that they run parallel when the car is going straight ahead, but when the car is turning, the front wheels turn at different radii. If the car is turning left, the left front tyre is making a smaller circle than the right front tyre. If the tyres remain parallel while turning, they will cause unnecessary dragging, decreasing tyre life and overall performance.

Brakes

- Disc brakes are desirable as they are predominantly

hydraulic. The most significant problem with disc brakes is that the brake pads do not back away from the brake rotors when pressure is released, it just relieves braking pressure.

Motor and controller – For most builds, people use DC brush permanent magnet motors to drive their solar cars. These are inexpensive and easy to connect motors and are desirable for builders that have little financial support. Also, some motor and controller setups allow for regenerative braking, enabling the solar car to put energy back into the batteries when going downhill. For a first time build, DC brush motors would be sufficient to get a solar car up and running.

Tyres and hubs – Tyre selection will affect rolling resistance which impacts on how far the solar car will travel with the available energy. Tyres with thicker rubber and wider tread tend to have higher rolling resistance. Thinner tyres with higher pressure have less rolling resistance, but are more susceptible to flats.

Did you know?

In 1996, the winner of the 4th International Solar Cars Rally (World Solar Challenge) travelled 3000 km between Darwin and Adelaide with an average speed of 90 km/h, and a maximum speed of 135 km/h.

going for the world record attempt The Guinness World Record Attempt is a record for the fastest speed achieved by a vehicle using electricity generated by solar energy. The record is to be attempted by former Paris Dakar Rally winner, Kenjiro Shinozuka and will be measured in kilometres per hour (km/h). The team attempting this record is "Team Shinozuka". At present, the record is held by the University of South Australia and is 88.5km/h. Team Shinozuka will attempt to break 90km/h just two days after having completed 11 days on the Sasol Solar Challenge. As the car will have to be modified for the attempt, the battery will be removed. The world record attempt will take place on Monday, 1 October 2012 at the GeroTec Track, 14 km west of Pretoria on the R103.

Guidelines for the record attempt 1. The vehicle must run directly off solar energy. No form of storage, whether in the form of conventional batteries or otherwise, is allowed. 2. The design and size of the vehicle is irrelevant. The challenger must select the vehicle most suited to break this record. 3. The vehicle must carry at least one adult person at the time of attempting the record. 4. The vehicle must be timed using photo-electric timing equipment over a pre-measured 500m course. Two runs must be made in opposite directions within one hour; the record speed is the average of these two figures.

Profile of Kenjiro Shinozuka Kenjiro Shinozuka is Japan’s most distinguished rally driver and the first to win the Paris-Dakar Rally. Born 20 November 1948 in Tokyo, Japan, Kenjiro is greatly respected as the first Japanese winner of Paris-Dakar in 1997, and the symbol of Paris-Dakar in Japan. Since his debut in 1967, his greatest successes have been as a works driver for Mitsubishi Motors. Behind the wheel of a Galant VR-4, he won the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship in 1988 and scored consecutive victories in the Rallye Côte d’Ivoire Bandama in 1991 and 1992. Shinozuka resigned from Mitsubishi in 2002, but continued to compete in racing events. He drove a Nissan pickup in the 2003 Dakar, but after hitting a sand dune, he rolled his vehicle several times, enduring severe facial injuries and being placed in a coma. His co-driver Thierry Delli-Zotti suffered fractures to both his legs, although unlike Shinuzoka, his injuries were not life-threatening.

We wish him all the best in his endevours to break the Guinness World Record.

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18 SEPT - 28 SEPT

2012 in association with

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challenge

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Designed to promote innovation in sustainable energy and transportation technology….

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