Feature

Accurate power analysis boosts solar race car’s range, speed and competitiveness

The Yokogawa WT5000 Precision Power Analyser is being used by Solar Team Twente, to maximise their chances of winning the ultimate challenge for solar-powered race cars, the biennial Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.

31/07/2020 15:31:26

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This young team comprised aerodynamic, electrical, mechanical and structural engineers from the University of Twente and the Saxion University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. Having first taken part in 2005 and finishing ninth, they were determined to win the 1864-mile (3000km) race from Darwin in
the north of Australia to Adelaide in 2019.

To win the World Solar Challenge, a race car must generate as much solar energy as possible possible. It must then efficiently convert the electricity it generates and deliver it to the wheels. At the same time, it must
keep energy losses to a minimum: race teams pay minute attention to aerodynamic design to keep wind resistance to a minimum. In the case of RED E, the name given to Solar Team Twente’s race car, total wind resistance is the equivalent of a conventional car’s wing
mirror. The driver must then race as fast as possible but not so fast that the car’s battery runs out of power when it is not in bright sunlight.

There are four important electrical systems in a solar race car: the array of solar panels, the battery and
its management system, the inverter (motor drive) which converts the solar panels’ direct current output to a three-phase alternating current supplied to the motor, and the motor itself. The team was aiming for the electrical power conversion circuits to surpass 99% efficiency.

Read the full article in the August issue of DPA.

Written By Sophia Bell

Sophia Bell is the Group Editor of DPA, Connectivity, and PBSI. She joined the team in 2020 as Assistant Editor after achieving a First-Class Honours BA in English Literature and Film Studies from the University of East Anglia. In her current role, she leads the editorial strategy, driving digital growth and ensuring each title continues to deliver trusted, relevant insight for engineering and manufacturing professionals.