McMaster Solar Car Team Competes in World Solar Challenge

38 teams set to race 3,000 km race across Australia’s Outback from October 25 to 30

October 20, 2009

A 13-member team from McMaster University has left for Australia to compete in the biennial World Solar Challenge from October 25 to 30.

The team has entered its fourth-generation solar car, Phoenix II, to compete against 37 other entries from 17 countries in the 3,000 km sun-fueled endurance test that runs across Australia’s outback from Darwin to Adelaide.

Scrutineering sessions will be held Wednesday, October 21 through Friday, October 23 in Darwin.  Speed trials follow on Saturday, October 24 to determine starting grid positions.  (All dates and time are local to Darwin, Australia, which is approximately 12.5 hours ahead of Hamilton, Ontario.)

The race begins Sunday, October 25 at 8:30 a.m. in Darwin and ends October 30 in Adelaide.  The teams race throughout the day and camp by the roadside overnight.  Leading cars are expected to complete the 3,000 km in about three days.

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

Solar car teams are entered from the United States, the Netherlands, France, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Malaysia, Germany, Iran, Switzerland, India, Canada, Japan, Senegal, Taiwan, Greece, Singapore and Australia.

McMaster’s Phoenix II team will provide updates on its blog at:  http://www.solarcar.mcmaster.ca/WSCblog and on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/MacSolarCar

Phoenix II from McMaster University is entered in the World Solar Challenge taking place in Australia form October 25 to 30.

McMaster's solar car team competes in World Solar Challenge.  Left to right: Morgan Cunningham (Electrical Engineering III), Mandi Anton (Computer Eng & Society II), Alan Beaver (Commerce III), Iman Lau (Eng. Physics & Society II), Sean Johnstone (Biochemical Engineering III), Brandon Corner (Mechanical Eng III), Matt Cavalieri (Mech Eng & Mgmt '09, MBA Year 1), Stephen Jovanovic (Eng Phys & Mgmt V), James Strack (Eng Phys & Mgmt V), Leah Kesselman (Biochemical Engineering III), Suzie Brown (Mech Eng & Mgmt '09). Missing are: Keelan White (Mech Eng & Mgmt '09) and Vittal Murti (Mech Eng & Mgmt '08, M.Eng '09).

Messages of support can be sent to the team via the McMaster Solar Car Project fan page on Facebook.

More information about the World Solar Challenge can be found at:  http://globalgreenchallenge.com.au