September 30, 2005 Source: University of Calgary:
http://www.ucalgary.ca/news/sept05/soleon_finish.html SOEON FINISH: U of C's Soleon: Best in class, among top 10 in world Panasonic World Solar Challenge
By Greg Harris (ADELAIDE, Aust.) Chalk up another continent and 3,000 kilometres for the little solar-powered car from the University of Calgary. Soleon, racing in its first Panasonic World Solar Challenge, finished first in its Production-class category and 10th overall after surging past a struggling Belgian car on the final day of racing. The U of C convoy drove the final 75 kilometres to the Adelaide finish line proudly flying a full-sized Canadian flag from its lead vehicle. "This is just a phenomenal accomplishment for a first-time solar car team," said Dr. Daryl Caswell, the faculty representative traveling with the group. "Who could ask for more than to have a multi-disciplinary team of U of C students go up against the top solar car teams in the world – and come away with first in their class?" The U of C team ran alongside Soleon past the checkered flag, as boisterous students from other solar car teams applauded. Nuna 3, from the Netherlands, Aurora, from Victoria, and Momentum from the University of Michigan, took first, second and third, respectively. "We came for the experience, but we came away with so much more," said Colby Bell, the team's project manager, mechanical manager and one of the drivers. "I'm really proud of our team and I'm proud to represent the University of Calgary and the city of Calgary." The nine-person U of C team overcame two challenging days at the beginning of the race when 38-degree temperatures caused problems with its motor controller, the device that regulates power to the motor. On the final day Soleon reached speeds of 85 km/h, and averaged 73.5 km/h. Over the full 3,021-kilometre distance, the car averaged 63.9 km/h, finishing in 47 hours, 15 minutes. This is the second cross-continent race for the car in the past three months. Soleon finished 13th overall in July's North American Solar Challenge, which was a 4,000-kilometre trip from Austin, Texas to Calgary. The car drove every metre of both races without once having to resort to the trailer. An awards banquet is scheduled for Sunday, during which the team will be presented with the trophy for top honours in their category. There are two categories of vehicles in the race: Open-class vehicles, which use special materials, such as high-priced gallium arsenide solar cells, and Production-class vehicles, which employ materials purchased off the shelf. Compared to many other schools, the U of C built its car on a shoestring budget – and within an exceedingly short timeframe. "They designed and built a solar car from scratch in nine short months, while establishing a base for fundraising, marketing, education and logistics," Caswell noted. The team will savour its accomplishment for a while, then return to the drawing board with its hard-earned, firsthand knowledge and begin work on the next generation vehicle.
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