AssetID: 53080573
Headline: RAW VIDEO: Durham University Students Set To Drive Across Australia In Solar Powered Car
Caption: Next month (October2023) Durham University students will aim to travel across Australia using only the power of the sun to drive their car. For two decades, the university’s Solar Car project has been at the forefront of solar-powered engineering. Comprising a dedicated team of 50 innovative students, it is the longest-running team of its kind in the UK. Over the years, they have crafted five generations of solar cars and participated in numerous global solar car challenges, showcasing their unwavering commitment to sustainability and cutting-edge technology. Now they are set to compete in the 2023 Bridgestone World Solar Car Challenge in Australia in October, where they will try to propel their DUSC2023 vehicle 3,000km (approximately 1,864 miles) race from Darwin to Adelaide, racing against teams from across the globe. A standout feature of the DUSC2023 is its 4m² solar panel array, harnessing the sun's energy to power the car as it navigates the challenging Australian outback. Complementing this impressive solar array is a 5kWh battery pack, granting the vehicle an impressive range of over 400 km (250 miles) at 80 km/h on its battery alone. This feat is attributed to meticulous design efforts aimed at minimizing aerodynamic drag, with the solar car exhibiting drag levels similar to those of a conventional car's wing mirror. Driving the car across the continental country is a tough ask - and so drivers take shifts each day from 8 am to 5 pm. “We have three drivers who will each drive a shift every day. The drivers have been through extensive training during our UK testing campaign to ensure they know the car in and out and are ready to drive across the continent,” says team member Anithiran Sathananthan. One of the most significant challenges the team faces, especially as students engaged in this extracurricular activity, is designing and building the entire car within just 12 months. Balancing innovation and reliability is a delicate endeavor, as the car must be both groundbreaking and dependable to succeed in the demanding world of solar car racing. In 2019, they successfully drove from the north coast to the south coast but ran up against the event's time limit on the final stretch into the finish. Now they hope to go one better. Sathananthan adds: “Our main goal is to successfully cross the continent on solar power. They call it a ‘challenge’ for a reason! Most teams that set out do not make it and we would definitely celebrate completing the full 3000km within the six days.” The Bridgestone World Solar Car Challenge has continuously evolved, increasing in difficulty, and pushing participants to expand the boundaries of solar car technology. The permissible solar panel area has halved over the years, necessitating twice the efficiency from the teams. The pursuit of advanced materials and aerodynamic refinements has become the norm, illustrating the team's commitment to reducing power consumption, an essential aspect regardless of the energy source. Beyond the direct technological advancements, the team's university students, upon graduation, disperse into the transport industry, influencing various sectors from cars to aircraft and trains. Building a continent-crossing car that operates on a fraction of the power of conventional vehicles empowers former team members to pursue ambitious projects, ultimately shaping the future of transportation.
Keywords: motoring,solar power,solar,car,technology,sun,australia,tech
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