September 26, 2005 Source: University of Calgary:
http://www.ucalgary.ca/news/sept05/soleon_day2.html SOLEON DAY 2: Dead kangaroos? No problem, if you're trailing the Dutch Panasonic World Solar Challenge: Day 2 When a highway goes through a natural area like the Australian Outback, road kill is one of the unfortunate consequences. But thanks to the front-running Dutch team in the Panasonic World Solar Challenge, you'd never know it. The reigning champions from the Technical University of Delft have thought of just about everything, including dispatching a scout car to remove any dead kangaroos, cattle, tire fragments or other debris that might interfere with the progress of their state-of-the-art car, Nuna 3. It may be one other factor contributing to the team's success as it shoots for its third consecutive title. After racing Monday, Nuna 3 remains in first place, close to an hour ahead of second place University of Michigan. Soleon, the University of Calgary entry, turned in another strong performance Monday, conquering about 500 kilometres and two checkpoints, despite again having to pull over several times for an overheating motor controller. U of C remains in 14'th place, which is where it started the day. "It's been a little frustrating but we are still on target to reach Alice Springs tomorrow and Adelaide by Friday, which is what we we've been targeting," said Colby Bell, the team's project manager, mechanical manager and one of the drivers. There are roughly 2,000 kilometres left for the Calgary team in the 3,021-kilometre journey that began Sunday in Darwin. The U of C team is getting valuable exposure to the winning ways of some of the top teams in the race. And the Nuna 3 team is definitely unlike the rest. The Dutch team travels with its own media entourage, including representatives from two television stations, two print publications and a wire agency photographer. In fact, the only serious accident that occurred in the history of the World Solar Challenge involved the Dutch media. In 2003, a car that some of them were in rolled; two people had to be airlifted to hospital in Alice Springs and the third walked away with a broken arm. "The Netherlands is really behind us," said Diederik Kinds, the team manager for the 2003 and 2001 teams, who is traveling with the 2005 version. "Everyone back home is really rooting for the team, so the media is quite interested. There is even a daily television show about us that runs for about 20 minutes." The Dutch team members definitely stand out in their bright orange T-shirts. And a majority of the 50 or so people in their entourage are over six feet tall. "It's because our country is below sea level, so we have to grow taller," Kinds joked. When the subject of budget is broached the air becomes a little chillier. Other teams claim the Dutch have spent many millions of dollars on their car, but Kinds says the figure is closer to 600,000 Euros ($847,560 Cdn), which includes the cost of the Australian trip. Many would dispute that number. What can't be argued is that the Dutch team has had the support of the European Space Agency in the construction of Nuna 1 and Nuna 2, and that it uses pricey gallium arsenide cells that are several times more efficient than the silicon-based cells that Soleon uses. "It's a very good car and I think we've really improved on Nuna 2," Kinds said. Nuna 3 has a top speed of about 160 km/h, compared to about 130 km/h for Soleon. The Dutch are aiming to average 100 km/h during the race, compared to about 70 km/h for the U of C. The Technical University of Delft has about 17,000 students; Kinds said /Nuna 3/ was built by a core team of about 11 students. And right now they've got the weight of the nation watching, something their car's silk cover, which has been designed like a Dutch flag, reminds them of daily. With that kind of pressure, why wouldn't you minimize the risks where possible? Scholtie, the safety officer, said road kill brings a secondary risk to motorists: eagles with metre-wide wingspans have been known to crash through car windshields while protecting their food. For more information, or to arrange for an interview with one of the U of C Solar Car Team Members, contact Media Relations Advisor Greg Harris, who is traveling with the team, at (403) 997-0107 (satellite phone). To speak to a media advisor in Calgary, contact Grady Semmens, (403) 220-7722. For more information on Soleon's progress, visit www.calgarysolarteam.ca/.
For more information on the Panasonic World Solar Car Challenge, visit www.wsc.org.au/. The University of Calgary, the Schulich School of Engineering and the Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy are jointly supporting U of C participation in the World Solar Challenge. The U of C is one of North America's leading centres for energy studies, including research on responsible and environmentally sound methods – such as solar power – that will ensure a sustainable energy supply. The Schulich School of Engineering is the fastest-growing engineering faculty in Canada. The School is committed to being First Choice in Canada for accredited engineering education, for internationally acclaimed research, and for service to the community and the engineering profession. The Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy is a unique, collaborative institute that develops new methods and technology to unlock energy resources and protect the environment for future generations. __________ Colleen Turner
Associate Director, Communications
University of Calgary
220-2920 (w)
650-1153 (cell)
220-1312 (fax)
colleen.turner@ucalgary.ca
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