A New Phoenix Solar Car Rises from McMaster

Team Prepares for Australia’s World Solar Challenge October 25-31, 2009

July 31, 2009

It has been designed to run on nature’s fuel source while withstanding some of the most grueling conditions on earth.

The McMaster Solar Car Project today unveiled Phoenix II, a fourth-generation solar car which has been entered in the World Solar Challenge from October 25 to 31. The biennial endurance test and solar technology showcase stretches 3,000 km across the Australian Outback from Darwin to Adelaide.

Phoenix II is engineered to achieve a top speed of 130 km/h.  The 215 kg car features a solar array of 402 solar cells tiled across the gently curving six square-metre Kevlar aeroshell.  The array can produce up to 1250 Watts of energy, enough to power a toaster.  The chassis is made from lightweight Kevlar-Nidacore composites.  A high-efficiency, lithium-polymer battery pack and peak power trackers capture, store and direct the sun’s energy.

“We owe a lot of thanks to McMaster, several companies in the Hamilton area, and a whole lot of people for getting us to this point,” said Keelan White, project manager, McMaster Solar Car Project and a recent graduate of the mechanical engineering and management program.  “Building the car has been an excellent hands-on learning experience and given us the chance to promote the benefits of alternative energies.”

The team estimates that it will cost more than $25,000 to send 13 members to Australia for the competition.  That does not include the cost of the car.  The team is still raising funds and looking for contributions.  Anyone interested in sponsoring a solar cell can do so for $20 online at:  www.solarcar.mcmaster.ca/donating

“This is McMaster’s most ambitious foray into solar car competition yet,” said David Wilkinson, Dean, Faculty of Engineering. “These students are smart, fearless and environmentally aware. They represent the next generation of engineers and professionals. We’ll be cheering for them.”

The World Solar Challenge involves a scrutineering period starting October 21 and a qualifying session on October 24.  Qualifying teams begin racing October 25.  The 2007 race winner, Nuon “Nuna 4” from Delft University of Technology (Netherlands), completed the competition with an average speed of 90.87 Km/h.

The McMaster Solar Project has 20 team members representing three Faculties across the university including Engineering, Business, and Science.   Phoenix II builds on the design and technology of Phoenix I, which competed in the North American Solar Challenge in 2005, as well as Fireball I and Fireball II.