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| The solar pride of Zululand, from the University of KZN, leads the local teams in the 2012 Sasol Solar Challenge in SA |
TEAM UKZN was leading the South African cars in the Sasol Solar
Challenge this week, after completing over 2 000 kilometres on stored solar
power only.
Ten solar-powered cars are travelling up to 800 km a day across
5 400 km of some of the country’s most scenic roads, reaching up to 100km/h
where the often atrocious conditions of SA’s back roads allow.
Co-manager of the UKZN team, Clinton Bemont, said he was very proud
of the long lead built up by the UKZN students.
UKZN’s Apalis solar car was conceived as a final-year design
project in the School of Engineering, under the Solar Energy Research Group
(SERG), by Bemont and Kirsty Veale, both lecturers in mechanical
engineering.
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| The University of Joburg's streamlined-design also offers the driver some shade |
The car has a lightweight carbon-fibre body and chassis, supported
by an aluminium and chromoly sub-chassis. It is powered by six square metres of
silicon solar cells, charging a bank of 464 lithium-ion batteries, which drive a
highly efficiency electric motor.
Bemont and Veale said that they “would like the success of this
project to create future opportunities for undergraduate and masters’ students
to continue the research into renewable energy methods and electric
vehicles.
“This project is great fun, and is an amazing opportunity for young
engineers. Our goal for this year’s race is to successfully complete the
5 400 km course, and then over the next two years, refine the car for the 2014
race. It would also be great to be able to take part in the World Solar
Challenge next year with a new group of students willing to work hard and
learn,” they said in a statement.
The cars arrived in East London on Tuesday night, then travelled
around Lesotho and reached Bloemfontein yesterday. They are scheduled to arrive
at the Liberty Midlands Mall in Pietermaritzburg today, from where they will
leave tomorrow for Secunda via Greytown.
The veteran teams of Tokai University and former Paris Dakar Rally
winner, Kenjiro Shinozuka, have covered almost double the distances managed by
the new teams in South Africa.
After the challenge, Shinozuka will attempt to beat the Guinness
world speed record for cars using electricity generated by the sun. The record
is held by the University of South Australia at 88,5 km/h.
Team Shinozuka will attempt to break 90 km/h just two days after
having completed 11 days in 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 October 1 at the
GeroTec Track, which is west of Pretoria.
