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solar car team

Students Drive for a Better Solar Car

The Northwestern University Solar Car Team (NUsolar) is an undergraduate student organization that designs, builds, and races solar-powered vehicles. The group’s mission is to advance the education and career preparation of Northwestern students by providing hands-on experience, while creating an outlet for students to showcase their skills and commitment to potential employers. By demonstrating the feasibility of solar power, the team also promotes sustainability and raises awareness of alternative energy.

This past summer, NUsolar successfully competed against 19 other university teams at the Formula Sun Grand Prix 2016, a track race held at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex. After returning to campus in the fall, students dove into the task of building SC7, the team’s seventh generation solar car. This car represents a major design overhaul for the team in several ways.

The new vehicle’s structural backbone consists of a steel space-frame, a feature that makes it easier to predict the forces exerted on different parts of the car and design the vehicle to safely withstand those loads. While the previous car is a three-wheeled vehicle, SC7 is designed as a four-wheeled vehicle to better exemplify what a market-ready solar-powered vehicle would look like. To further optimize SC7’s performance, the team will be replacing the existing 10-year-old motor with new motors built specifically for solar cars. Last month, NUsolar successfully raised enough money through Catalyzer, Northwestern’s crowdfunding platform, to order these motors along with new motor controllers. The new, efficient motors will put SC7 on track to push the boundaries of what can be accomplished with solar technology.

Team members are also working hard this fall to machine components for the car’s rear suspension system. Many of these components have complex geometries, as they are designed to fit and interlock perfectly with other parts of the car’s frame. This presents a unique manufacturing challenge. Working with the tools available in Northwestern’s machine shop and the constraints they impose, team members have arrived at creative solutions to manufacture suspension components to the required degree of precision.

Another major project for the quarter is building SC7’s outer shell. Made of layers of carbon fiber supported by a Nomex honeycomb composite, the shell is designed to make the car as aerodynamic as possible. Students have been learning how to perform carbon fiber layups, a process that turns carbon fiber fabric into a stiff, strong, and yet lightweight material. Epoxy resin is layered over the carbon fiber and allowed to set, creating a type of composite material known as a carbon fiber reinforced polymer. Achieving high-quality layups is difficult, but team members have been working with Northwestern faculty and staff to perfect their technique and ensure excellent results.

NUsolar welcomed several new members to the team this fall, and senior members have been mentoring and training new members in machining, welding, and working with composites. Looking ahead, the team plans to continue constructing SC7 throughout the rest of the year and compete again next summer in the Formula Sun Grand Prix 2017.