Solar Powered Racing Car
Cambridge University Loves Races
You have heard about the proverbial hairdryers, have you not? Those noisy types of mopeds sprawling the streets of suburbia?
Now the Cambridge University students have created a solar-powered racing car that travels at 60mph speed, using the same power as a hairdryer. The car is to be completed by summer 2009, in time for the World Solar Challenge, an annual gruelling race across the Australian outback, from Darwin to Adelaide. The Cantabrigian creation, the Bethany, is highly tipped to win the competition.
The Bethany’s power source is collected via silicon cells that cover the car’s top; under this top, the car will be an efficient electric device. The car itself looks sleek and shiny, and, thanks to such design, weighs mere 170kg, has a battery management control system in place, an energy generating braking system, and an energy-efficient hub motor. The team behind the car’s creation estimates that the car will take 50 times less power than a normal car running on petrol.
Cambridge University may be the second oldest in England, but it is likely to be the first when it comes to devising new ideas for cars. At least, they definitely hope to show how future green vehicles can be generated based on the Bethany model. To quote their spokesperson, “at a time when the automotive industry is being forced to look at a low-carbon future, our vehicle demonstrates the enormous potential of energy-efficient electric vehicle technologies”. About 75 students from across the Cambridge University have been working on the vehicle’s design and build. Their efforts were supported by a network of corporate sponsors, academics, and specialist advisors.
In the next months the racing team of four students will be testing the car across the Outback, working in four-hour shifts, to cope with the heat. During the race, though, the Bethany will be fitted with an advanced cruise control system. It will be automatically adjusting speed, depending on the changes to road conditions and weather. The only thing the drivers will be left to do will be to steer the car and stay alert.
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