Solar car challenge taking shape

Stuart finish line
Flinders lecturer Stuart Wildy at the finish line of last year’s Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.

The design of Flinders University’s first entry in the World Solar Challenge is well advanced.

The Flinders team of students and academics will design, build and race a solar-powered vehicle across more than 3,000km from Darwin to Adelaide in October next year.

The team will enter an Australian Design Rules (ADR) compliant car in the challenge’s Cruiser class which features cars capable of carrying passengers.

Bid coordinator Dr Stuart Wildy, a lecturer at Flinders School of Computer Science, Engineering and Mathematics, joined a group of Flinders students at the 2017 event special launch event at Victoria Square last weekend.

He said preliminary design work on the vehicle was well advanced.

‘We already have an initial CAD design for the car but we’re planning to make refinements to this design over the next few weeks to meet design specifications before unveiling our vehicle,’ Dr Wildy said.

‘This is an exciting opportunity which is providing high-level project-based learning for our students at Tonsley and the chance to compete in the world’s largest solar challenge.’

solar car students Tonsley
Members of the expert team working on the Flinders University World Solar Challenge project (left to right): Tesnim Haj Ali, Dr Stuart Wildy, Hanna Smith, Chris Waters, Harley Ewing, Reid Honan, Joshua De Suza, Robert Trott, Hamish Knight, Engr Syed Wahb Mehdi, Shayan Jalali, Jerin Saviour, Anthony Stivahtaris. Photographer: Ash Harrison (fourth year, Bachelor of Information Technology). Absent: Steven Park and Allan Mankavil.

The 2015 race, won by Dutch team Nuon, saw 42 cars from 25 countries participate in the biennial event. With a vision to compete in 2017, Flinders students and academics gained experience in last year’s challenge by travelling with other teams from Darwin to Adelaide.

Professor John Roddick, the Dean of Flinders School of Computer Science, Engineering and Mathematics, said the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge would provide our best students with real-world challenges faced by designers of sustainable transport.

‘It’s only fitting that our cutting-edge advanced technology, research and development hub at Tonsley will be used to spearhead our assault on the 2017 challenge and design and deliver a solar car of the future,’ Professor Roddick said.

A wide range of students have joined Flinders Automotive Solar Car Team director Dr Wildy in the design and construct work (most pictured left). They include Tesnim Haj Ali – second year, Bachelor of Science (Nanotechnology) / Bachelor of Engineering Science; Hanna Smith – fourth year Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) Hons; Chris Waters – first year, Bachelor of Engineering Science; Harley Ewing – third year, Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Hons) / Master of Biomedical Engineering; Reid Honan – third year, Bachelor of Engineering (Software) Hons;  Joshua De Suza – fourth year, Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Hons); Robert Trott – fifth year, Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Hons) / Master of Biomedical Engineering;  Hamish Knight – fourth year, Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Hons); Engr Syed Wahb Mehdi – Masters Electronics Engineering; Shayan Jalali – fourth year, Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Hons); Jerin Saviour – first year, Bachelor of Engineering Science; Anthony Stivahtaris – fourth year, Bachelor Robotics Engineering (Hons); ABSENT – Steven Park – fourth year, Bachelor of Computer Systems Engineering (Hons); Allan Mankavil – fifth year, Bachelor of Robotics (Hons) / Master of Electronics Engineering and Ash Harrison – fourth year, Bachelor of Information Technology (photographer).

 

  

 

 

 

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