Rezachek & Associates'
Energy & Environmental Resources

Solar Cars

Design/Construction/Components

Aerodynamics In Car Racing Aerodynamic efficiency is the goal of all race car designers. It is the most important element in developing a competitive race car.

Aerodynamics of Solar Vehicles By Richard R. Pardun, Aerospace Engineering. The purpose of this research is to design the shape of a fully road worthy vehicle operating under nothing but the power of the sun. This vehicle was to meet all racing regulations of the Sunrayce and the World Solar Challenge. Because of the specific use of this vehicle, this project provides a chance to explore the aerodynamically ideal vehicle. Little attention has to be paid to practicality. The results a very streamlined, highly aerodynamically efficient car, that is still stable and safe.

Application of Sunlight Mapping in Solar Car Design By J. Shapiro, R. Ziegler, M. Spaethe, and R. Jenkins. The design of a solar car is a combination of trade-offs between the mechanical, aerodynamic and photovoltaic systems. The mechanical and aerodynamic systems can be computationally modeled very well using commercial software. Clouds prevent the photovoltaic system from being modeled as well. This research explores a new way to accurately simulate almost every array configuration imaginable. Using this method, quantitative simulations are produced.

Build your own solar car Congratulations, you are now a solar car team captain, and you have $70,000 to spend on building your solar car, please chose the following equipment to build your car, and make sure you don't spend more than your allotted budget.

Optimization of Carbon-Fiber Honeycomb Composite Design By Eric D. Hensley. This project is a study of the strengths of carbon-fiber composites in order to optimize the design of the UMR's solar-powered vehicle. This paper focuses on short-beam shear tests and built-up members. The shear test consisted of 8-inch long specimens in three-point bending on a 7-inch span. None of the specimens tested failed in shear. The built-up member test consisted of 24-inch long T-beams in four-point bending on a 21-inch span. The T-beams sustained an average normal stress of over 8500 pounds-per-square-inch before failing.

Research, build and race your own solar car In this activity you'll learn about the parts of a solar car, and how each is important. Then, you can build your own solar car and see how it would perform. Prepared by the University of Minnesota Solar Car Team.

Solar Car Magazine Articles A listing of articles about solar cars.

Solar Car Mechanics

Solar-Powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicles An analysis was performed to determine the impact of various power system components and mission requirements on the size of solar-powered high altitude long endurance (HALE)-type aircraft. The HALE unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has good potential for use in many military and civil applications. The primary power system components considered in this study were photovoltaic (PV) modules for power generation and regenerative fuel cells for energy storage.

The Solar Car: Teaching the Design Process in High School The Solar Car Project allows for teaching on every aspect of the design process "from art to part." Students participate in research, planning, design and execution of a full-scale solar powered electric car. Modeling in space isn't only for gaming. Serious 3D graphic applications can be found in academic, medical, pharmaceutical, and industrial fields just to name a few.

UltraLight Rail for Santa Cruz Solar-electric rail is a smokeless, noiseless rail transit system based on recent advances in solar racing car technology. The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (SCCRTC) is finishing up a major study on transportation options which includes expanding Highway 1 or using the existing rail corridor for transit. While the Ultra Light Rail is not "officially" being considered by the county, strong public support for the ULR could make it a viable contender.