03.08.2016 change 03.08.2016

Eagle One from Łódź - sun powered car will race in South Africa in September

Solar car built by students from Łódź in sunny weather can drive a distance up to 1,500 kilometres non-stop; to drive at a speed of 50 km/h requires half the energy consumed by an average ... electric kettle. In September, Lodz Solar Team will be the first Polish team to race in the Sasol Solar Challenge in South Africa with their car Eagle One.

Sasol Solar Challenge is a solar car race held every two years in South Africa. This year for the first time in history a Polish team will take part in the event - Lodz Solar Team will compete with their car Eagle One, constructed by students of Lodz University of Technology.

Participation in the race in South Africa is yet another test for the team members, who debuted last year in Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Australia. They drove 3 thousand km in Australia with their solar car and took 6th place in the "cruiser" class. It was the best result among the teams making their debut in this prestigious competition.

The parameters of Eagle One - as the students call it - are similar to those of a traditional car; its length is 4 meters, it has two seats - for driver and passenger. The source of power is solar energy obtained by means of 6 sq meters of flexible monocrystalline photovoltaic cells mounted on the roof of the car. Collected energy is stored in lithium-ion cells with a total weight of 60 kg and a capacity of 15 kWh. The vehicle uses batteries if there is no sunlight.

Two members of the Lodz Solar Team: Tigran Soghbatyan and Mieszko Pniewski told PAP about the car and preparing for the competition in South Africa.

"When we have good weather conditions, strong sunlight, we try to exploit the maximum amount of energy from sunlight. With 6 sq m of solar panels, we are able to get approx. 1200 W of power. To make a comparison, our car driving at 50 km/h consumes half the energy that an electric kettle consumes. It is extremely energy efficient, which is fostered by its shape, very low aerodynamic drag and a low rolling resistance" - said Tigran Soghbatyan.

When driving during the event the driver must minimize power consumption, which means optimising the speed according to the road surface and driving conditions. In Australia the car was accompanied by a special strategy vehicle, in which team members determined the best speed for the current conditions. This time the team will use a special application, which is being developed as part of the car modernization before the race in South Africa.

"First of all we have improved everything that turned out to be our shortcomings in Australia, which means we have reduced the mass by approx. 50 kg, slimmed down some carbon fibre elements, removed the items that do not need to be in the car, namely the charger. Now the car will be charged from the outside . Another matter is the car software optimisation. We work with a company that helps us to write an application that will optimise the driving conditions on the fly during the drive" - added Soghbatyan.

The body of the vehicle, made of carbon fibre, weighs approx. 80 kg, and the entire vehicle approx. 400 kg. The car has two electric motors with a power of 5 kW each, which allow it to reach the speed of 120 km/h. Fully charged batteries in sunny weather allow to cover a distance of approx. 1500 km. Inside the team installed ventilation and safety cage made of aluminium, which is a requirement of the competition and one of the reasons why in Australia the Łódź team won the Safety Award for the safest car. Two adults can travel in the car, there is also a lot of space for luggage.

Lodz Solar Team will travel to South Africa in September, the car will probably be transported on a ship. Students are counting on victory and beating the 3 thousand km distance, which they drove in Australia. They admit that a trip to such competition adds to their experience by giving an opportunity to observe other teams.

"This opportunity to see how others have solved the technical issues is extremely helpful when you improve your own vehicle later" - emphasised Soghbatyan.

The solar car makers include electronics engineers, programmers, engineers, designers - engineers specialising in industrial design, as well as a PR department. For the modernization of the vehicle and a trip to South Africa the team received a grant in the amount of over 350 thousand zlotys from the programme "Best of the Best!", financed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

Łódź students hope that the industry will be interested in the car, because solar power is it used in it in a practical way. They emphasise that the car is designed to function in traffic, has comfortable seats padded with a special knitted spacer and functional interior, allowing to take long-distance trips.

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland

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