UC Solar Team
Encyclopedia
The University of Calgary Solar Team is a multi-disciplinary student based team at the University of Calgary
established to design and build a solar car
to compete in the American Solar Challenge
(ASC)(previously named the North American Solar Challenge) and the World Solar Challenge
(WSC). The team is primarily composed of undergraduate students studying Engineering
, Computer Science
, Business
, Geology
, Kinesiology
, Biology
, etc. The mission of the University of Calgary Solar Team is to educate the community about sustainable energy and to serve as an interdisciplinary project through which students and faculty from various departments can collaborate in supporting sustainable energy.
Solar
Team was initially established in the fall of 2004. The team was created to build a solar powered vehicle to complete in the 2005 NASC.
.
, the University of Calgary Solar Team decided to construct and test a prototype of their designs before building the final car. The X1 was a mock-up of and predecessor to Soleon. The X1 was used for driver training and allowed the team to test various design decisions to help ensure a successful final product. The X1 was constructed from a steel chassis with a fibreglass shell which was coated with gelcoat
which made the vehicle approximately twice the final weight of its sister car.
placed 13th out of 17 cars that made it to the finish line. In the 2005 WSC Soleon placed 10th overall (out of 18) and first in its class. After hearing about this success, Seymour Schulich
was inspired to donate $25 million (another $25 million was matched by the Alberta
government) to the University of Calgary
Engineering
department, which was renamed the Schulich School of Engineering
.
s, upright seating, and teams that had been raycing for the last 20 years. After shipping their new car to Australia, and testing it before scruitineering, the car had a rear tire blow out on the race track in Darwin
, and resulted in the car spinning around having the tail section impacting into the guard rail and ripped from the car. The team then had to rebuild and redesign the tail section in one night before racing. Despite the higher competition and race track crash, the team managed to be the first (of six) Canadian teams to cross the timing finish line, finish 8th (out of 19) in the Challenge class, and 15th (out of 37) overall.
lasted ten days, with the University of Calgary Solar Team placing 6th (out of 15).
----
Solar Array Type: none (stickers merely for show)
Chassis: Steel Space frame
Shell Composition: Fibreglass & Gelcoat
Commissioned: May 2005
Decommissioned: June 2006
Current Uses: X1 has been decommissioned. The chassis is all that remains and is presently suspended against a wall in the University of Calgary Solar Team's workshop.
Solar Array Type: Silicon
Chassis: Aluminum Space frame
Shell Composition: Carbon Fiber
& Kevlar
Weight: ~500 lbs
Commissioned: June 2005
Decommissioned: July 2007
Current Uses: In the fall of 2008 Soleon was donated to the Calgary Telus World of Science
and was on display for 2 years. Soleon is now retired and looking for a nice warm garage to rest.
Solar Array Type: Gallium arsenide (GaAs) Triple-junction
Chassis: Steel Space frame
Shell Composition: Carbon Fiber
& Kevlar
Weight: ~520 lbs
Commissioned: September 2007
Decommissioned: May 2011
Current Uses: Participated in the 2007 Panasonic World Solar Challenge and the 2008 North American Solar Challenge. Since Axiom is now being used for driver training, mechanical testing and PR events, Schulich I has been retired.
Solar Array Type: Gallium arsenide (GaAs) Triple-junction
Chassis: Carbon Fiber
& Kevlar
Shell Composition: Carbon Fiber
& Kevlar
Weight: ~600 lbs
Commissioned: October 2009
Current Uses: Placed 6th overall in the 2010 North American Solar Challenge. Schulich Axiom (2010) is now predominantly being used as a display vehicle.
Solar Array Type: Silicon Monocrystalline (Si) UC Solar Embedded
Chassis: Carbon Fiber
Shell Composition: Carbon Fiber
Weight: ~390 lbs
Commissioned: May 2011
Current Uses: Planning on raycing in the 2011 World Solar Challenge
. All improvements have since been completed to Schulich Axiom. "It is evident from the previous race that weight is no minor detail. We have taken Axiom on its diet and the result is stunning. Axiom has dropped from around 600 lbs. without driver and ballast to 390 lbs. A loss of 210 lbs!" -Mico Madamesila
University of Calgary
The University of Calgary is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1966 the U of C is composed of 14 faculties and more than 85 research institutes and centres.More than 25,000 undergraduate and 5,500 graduate students are currently...
established to design and build a solar car
Solar car racing
Solar car racing refers to competitive races of electric vehicles which are powered by solar energy obtained from solar panels on the surface of the car . The first solar car race was the Tour de Sol in 1985 which led to several similar races in Europe, USA and Australia...
to compete in the American Solar Challenge
American Solar Challenge
The American Solar Challenge , previously known as Sunrayce, the American Solar Challenge, and the North American Solar Challenge, is a solar car race across the United States and Canada. In the race, teams from colleges and universities throughout North America design, build, test, and race...
(ASC)(previously named the North American Solar Challenge) and the World Solar Challenge
World Solar Challenge
The World Solar Challenge is a solar-powered car race which covers through the Australian Outback, from Darwin to Adelaide.The race attracts teams from around the world, most of which are fielded by universities or corporations although some are fielded by high schools...
(WSC). The team is primarily composed of undergraduate students studying Engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, Computer Science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
, Business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
, Geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
, Kinesiology
Kinesiology
Kinesiology, also known as human kinetics is the scientific study of human movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, mechanical, and psychological mechanisms. Applications of kinesiology to human health include: biomechanics and orthopedics, rehabilitation, such as physical and occupational...
, Biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, etc. The mission of the University of Calgary Solar Team is to educate the community about sustainable energy and to serve as an interdisciplinary project through which students and faculty from various departments can collaborate in supporting sustainable energy.
History
The University of CalgaryUniversity of Calgary
The University of Calgary is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1966 the U of C is composed of 14 faculties and more than 85 research institutes and centres.More than 25,000 undergraduate and 5,500 graduate students are currently...
Solar
Solar car racing
Solar car racing refers to competitive races of electric vehicles which are powered by solar energy obtained from solar panels on the surface of the car . The first solar car race was the Tour de Sol in 1985 which led to several similar races in Europe, USA and Australia...
Team was initially established in the fall of 2004. The team was created to build a solar powered vehicle to complete in the 2005 NASC.
Miracle workers
The team performed a "miracle" by managing to establish a strong student base with which to construct the car, procure significant sponsorship and successfully build a highly successful vehicle with limited experience all in approximately 9 months. Established teams have two years to refine existing designs between raycesSolar car racing
Solar car racing refers to competitive races of electric vehicles which are powered by solar energy obtained from solar panels on the surface of the car . The first solar car race was the Tour de Sol in 1985 which led to several similar races in Europe, USA and Australia...
.
The X1 (Prototype)
In preparation for its first rayceSolar car racing
Solar car racing refers to competitive races of electric vehicles which are powered by solar energy obtained from solar panels on the surface of the car . The first solar car race was the Tour de Sol in 1985 which led to several similar races in Europe, USA and Australia...
, the University of Calgary Solar Team decided to construct and test a prototype of their designs before building the final car. The X1 was a mock-up of and predecessor to Soleon. The X1 was used for driver training and allowed the team to test various design decisions to help ensure a successful final product. The X1 was constructed from a steel chassis with a fibreglass shell which was coated with gelcoat
Gelcoat
Gelcoat is a material used to provide a high-quality finish on the visible surface of a fibre-reinforced composite material. The most common gelcoats are based on epoxy or unsaturated polyester resin chemistry. Gelcoats are modified resins which are applied to moulds in the liquid state...
which made the vehicle approximately twice the final weight of its sister car.
First Rayce Results
In its first year of existence the University of Calgary Solar Team successfully competed in the NASC and the WSC. In the 2005 NASC, Soleon, their first generation rayce carSolar car racing
Solar car racing refers to competitive races of electric vehicles which are powered by solar energy obtained from solar panels on the surface of the car . The first solar car race was the Tour de Sol in 1985 which led to several similar races in Europe, USA and Australia...
placed 13th out of 17 cars that made it to the finish line. In the 2005 WSC Soleon placed 10th overall (out of 18) and first in its class. After hearing about this success, Seymour Schulich
Seymour Schulich
Seymour Schulich, CM is a Canadian businessman and philanthropist. -Biography:Schulich graduated from McGill University with a B.Sc. in 1961 and an MBA in 1965. He earned a Chartered Financial Analyst designation through the University of Virginia in 1969.He is married to Tanna and they live in...
was inspired to donate $25 million (another $25 million was matched by the Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
government) to the University of Calgary
University of Calgary
The University of Calgary is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1966 the U of C is composed of 14 faculties and more than 85 research institutes and centres.More than 25,000 undergraduate and 5,500 graduate students are currently...
Engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
department, which was renamed the Schulich School of Engineering
Schulich School of Engineering
The Schulich School of Engineering is an accredited engineering school located in Calgary, Canada. It currently has 3,700 enrolled students at both undergraduate and graduate levels, and over 150 faculty members...
.
2007 WSC Race
Since the success of Soleon in the 2005 races, the team had to redesign for the new regulations for WSC, and prepare for the harder competition it faced from changing class to the higher, more competitive Challenge class. This class included higher efficiency solar cellSolar cell
A solar cell is a solid state electrical device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect....
s, upright seating, and teams that had been raycing for the last 20 years. After shipping their new car to Australia, and testing it before scruitineering, the car had a rear tire blow out on the race track in Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, and resulted in the car spinning around having the tail section impacting into the guard rail and ripped from the car. The team then had to rebuild and redesign the tail section in one night before racing. Despite the higher competition and race track crash, the team managed to be the first (of six) Canadian teams to cross the timing finish line, finish 8th (out of 19) in the Challenge class, and 15th (out of 37) overall.
2008 NASC Race
Schulich I was improved after WSC 2007 for racing in the 2008 North American Solar Challenge. The rayce from Dallas, Texas to CalgaryCalgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
lasted ten days, with the University of Calgary Solar Team placing 6th (out of 15).
2010 ASC
The University of Calgary's 3rd generation car, Schulich Axiom, was first raced in the 2010 ASC. The race spanned 1770km from Tulsa, Oklahoma to Chicago, Illinois. The team finished in 6th place (of 18 teams) and received both the Sportsmanship and Mechanical Engineering awards for the race. With regulation changes for the 2011 WSC, the team re-engineered the design of Schulich Axiom and completely rebuilt the solar car. Some of the changes made include switching to silicon solar cells and reducing the weight of the car.2011 WSC
The 2011 WSC takes place October 16-23, 2011 and runs from Darwin, Northern Territory to Adelaide, South Australia. The University of Calgary Solar Team has entered Schulich Axiom in the race.Achievements
| Year | Vehicle | Achievements |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Soleon | 1st Place Stock Class WSC 2005 |
| 10th Place Overall WSC 2005 | ||
| 13th Place Overall NASC 2005 | ||
| Top Canadian Team at WSC 2005 | ||
| Best Rookie Team, Teamwork and Esprit de Corps Awards at NASC 2005 | ||
| 2007 | Schulich I | First of six Canadian teams to cross timing finish line |
| 8th Place in Challenge Class WSC 2007 | ||
| 15th Place Overall WSC 2007 | ||
| 2008 | Schulich I | 6th Place Overall NASC 2008 |
| 2010 | Schulich Axiom | 6th Place Overall ASC 2010 |
| Award for Mechanical Engineering Excellence ASC 2010 | ||
| Award for Sportsmanship ASC 2010 (Shared with two other teams) |
----
X1 (Prototype)
Maximum Achieved Speed: ~70 km/hSolar Array Type: none (stickers merely for show)
Chassis: Steel Space frame
Space frame
A space frame or space structure is a truss-like, lightweight rigid structure constructed from interlocking struts in a geometric pattern. Space frames can be used to span large areas with few interior supports...
Shell Composition: Fibreglass & Gelcoat
Gelcoat
Gelcoat is a material used to provide a high-quality finish on the visible surface of a fibre-reinforced composite material. The most common gelcoats are based on epoxy or unsaturated polyester resin chemistry. Gelcoats are modified resins which are applied to moulds in the liquid state...
Commissioned: May 2005
Decommissioned: June 2006
Current Uses: X1 has been decommissioned. The chassis is all that remains and is presently suspended against a wall in the University of Calgary Solar Team's workshop.
Soleon
Maximum Achieved Speed: 140 km/hSolar Array Type: Silicon
Chassis: Aluminum Space frame
Space frame
A space frame or space structure is a truss-like, lightweight rigid structure constructed from interlocking struts in a geometric pattern. Space frames can be used to span large areas with few interior supports...
Shell Composition: Carbon Fiber
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber, alternatively graphite fiber, carbon graphite or CF, is a material consisting of fibers about 5–10 μm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber...
& Kevlar
Kevlar
Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...
Weight: ~500 lbs
Commissioned: June 2005
Decommissioned: July 2007
Current Uses: In the fall of 2008 Soleon was donated to the Calgary Telus World of Science
TELUS World of Science, Calgary
The Telus World of Science – Calgary is a science museum with interactive exhibits, multimedia presentations and educational demonstrations in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. There are three traveling exhibits every year and more permanent exhibits that are designed on-site. The Discovery Dome Theatre...
and was on display for 2 years. Soleon is now retired and looking for a nice warm garage to rest.
Schulich I
Maximum Achieved Speed: 105 km/hSolar Array Type: Gallium arsenide (GaAs) Triple-junction
Chassis: Steel Space frame
Space frame
A space frame or space structure is a truss-like, lightweight rigid structure constructed from interlocking struts in a geometric pattern. Space frames can be used to span large areas with few interior supports...
Shell Composition: Carbon Fiber
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber, alternatively graphite fiber, carbon graphite or CF, is a material consisting of fibers about 5–10 μm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber...
& Kevlar
Kevlar
Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...
Weight: ~520 lbs
Commissioned: September 2007
Decommissioned: May 2011
Current Uses: Participated in the 2007 Panasonic World Solar Challenge and the 2008 North American Solar Challenge. Since Axiom is now being used for driver training, mechanical testing and PR events, Schulich I has been retired.
Schulich Axiom (2010)
Maximum Achieved Speed: 130 km/hSolar Array Type: Gallium arsenide (GaAs) Triple-junction
Chassis: Carbon Fiber
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber, alternatively graphite fiber, carbon graphite or CF, is a material consisting of fibers about 5–10 μm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber...
& Kevlar
Kevlar
Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...
Shell Composition: Carbon Fiber
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber, alternatively graphite fiber, carbon graphite or CF, is a material consisting of fibers about 5–10 μm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber...
& Kevlar
Kevlar
Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...
Weight: ~600 lbs
Commissioned: October 2009
Current Uses: Placed 6th overall in the 2010 North American Solar Challenge. Schulich Axiom (2010) is now predominantly being used as a display vehicle.
Schulich Axiom (2011)
Maximum Achieved Speed: 110 km/hSolar Array Type: Silicon Monocrystalline (Si) UC Solar Embedded
Chassis: Carbon Fiber
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber, alternatively graphite fiber, carbon graphite or CF, is a material consisting of fibers about 5–10 μm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber...
Shell Composition: Carbon Fiber
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber, alternatively graphite fiber, carbon graphite or CF, is a material consisting of fibers about 5–10 μm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber...
Weight: ~390 lbs
Commissioned: May 2011
Current Uses: Planning on raycing in the 2011 World Solar Challenge
World Solar Challenge
The World Solar Challenge is a solar-powered car race which covers through the Australian Outback, from Darwin to Adelaide.The race attracts teams from around the world, most of which are fielded by universities or corporations although some are fielded by high schools...
. All improvements have since been completed to Schulich Axiom. "It is evident from the previous race that weight is no minor detail. We have taken Axiom on its diet and the result is stunning. Axiom has dropped from around 600 lbs. without driver and ballast to 390 lbs. A loss of 210 lbs!" -Mico Madamesila