Whereas the scholars from the College of New South Wales look ahead to the ratification of their current Guinness World Report try for the quickest photo voltaic electrical automobile over a distance of 1000 km (620 miles), let’s take a look on the background.
The Sunswift 7 automobile was the end result of 1000’s of hours of labor by a workforce of UNSW college students over a interval of 18 months via the early perils of COVID-19 and its related lockdowns.
UNSW Professor of Apply Richard Hopkins and workforce. Photograph courtesy of UNSW Sydney / Richard Freeman
Professor of Apply Richard Hopkins, Sunswift workforce principal, is immensely pleased with every part the scholars have achieved simply to get the automobile out onto the monitor. However Prof. Hopkins, previously Head of Operations for the Pink Bull Racing Method One workforce, was ready to attract on his expertise within the high ranges of motorsport to information the workforce via the challenges.
“That is the results of the arduous work of fifty undergraduate college students who’re very devoted, very centered and really gifted,” he mentioned. “They got the liberty to create. The standards was easy: construct a automobile that has solar energy and a battery. I had little or no affect over what they selected to do inside that — I simply wished them to make the very best engineering selections.
“Let’s bear in mind, these should not the very best paid skilled carmakers in Stuttgart working for Mercedes. This can be a bunch of very good amateurs who’ve taken all of the substances and put it collectively in an excellent means.”
Sunswift photo voltaic electrical automobile engineering workforce. Photograph courtesy of UNSW Sydney / Richard Freeman.
Paradoxically, the workforce supervisor, mechanical engineering pupil Andrea Holden, carries the identical identify as Australia’s iconic automotive nameplate.
The Tesla Mannequin S was used as a benchmark. Sunswift 7 weighs 500 kg (1102 lb), about one quarter of the load of a Mannequin S. It’s so environment friendly that it’ll full the 1000 km world document try on only a single cost of its solar-powered battery with a drag coefficient of 0.095 — examine that to the Tesla’s 0.208.
Chief Designer Ben Heina went again to the drafting board 57 occasions earlier than he was pleased with the automobile’s aerodynamics, in addition to excessive efficiency by way of changing vitality from the photo voltaic cells to the battery, effectivity of the motors, and all through the drivechain, plus extremely low rolling resistance.
The load loss was achieved by stripping out a number of security options and in addition the air-con system. Not probably the most snug trip, I’m certain.
“And when you’ve an environment friendly automobile, you don’t want a whole lot of battery to make the entire automobile work,” Hopkins famous. “What we’re actually doing with Sunswift is a feasibility examine. It’s an train to point out what is feasible.” It’s nice to see the numerous college groups competing with their electrical choices.
UNSW Sunswift photo voltaic electrical automobile.
Robyn Denholm, alumna of UNSW and Chair of Tesla, noticed first-hand what is feasible when she visited the Sunswift workforce, after which informed the undergraduates what an incredible job she thought they had been doing. So, sure, I feel Elon may pay attention to all of the expertise down below!
Full our 2022 CleanTechnica reader survey for an opportunity to win an electrical bike.
Recognize CleanTechnica’s originality and cleantech information protection? Take into account turning into a CleanTechnica Member, Supporter, Technician, or Ambassador — or a patron on Patreon.
Do not wish to miss a cleantech story? Join every day information updates from CleanTechnica on e mail. Or comply with us on Google Information!
Have a tip for CleanTechnica, wish to promote, or wish to recommend a visitor for our CleanTech Discuss podcast? Contact us right here.
