It’s been described as a ‘rolling poptart.’ It cost $1
million to build and weighs 600lbs. It’s name is Infinium and it‘s the cutting
edge in the field of solar racers and it may one day impact on the car you
drive. Last year the University of Michigan’s solar car team drove the previous
rendition, Continuum, to an impressive victory, finishing the 2,400 mile North
American Challenge a full ten hours before any other competitor would cross the
line. So how do you improve upon near-perfection? You chip away at the word ‘near.’
In a recent interview with Ars Technica, strategy director
for the U of M solar team Alex Dowling discussed some of the progress that’s
taken in solar racing over the years. One major advancement he cited was in overall
body design. If someone put together a photographic timeline of solar racers
you’d see a definitive evolution from bulky shapes to streamlined curves.
Dowling notes that this is due to the relative lack of power designers were
able to cull from the sun in the early years. And so, in lieu of wind-splitting
shapes, solar cars were designed to capture as much sunlight as possible. But
as efficiency improved and the amount of power increased, solar cars began adopting
aerodynamic bodies to cut down on drag. The result is what Dowling calls the “rolling
poptart” with the driver positioned in a bubble amidst a wide, streamlined
vehicle.
Another marked shift in the evolution of the solar came when
the rules for the solar race were adjusted in 2007 which demanded a new generation
of racers. These rule changes prompted the Michigan team to integrate advanced
solar cells (rather than silicon, the Infinium uses a triple-junction
gallium-arsenide cell). The new engine, which reaches an impressive 98%
efficiency, draws up to two kilowatts of power. Using the 50lb lithium-ion
battery, the Infinium can travel 200 miles before it needs a good day’s
sunshine.
But with all the technical achievements in, on, and under
the hood of the Infinium the team still has their work cut out for them in the
World Solar Challenge as the endeavour to cross 1,800 miles of Australia faster
than any other racer. The nearly entirely student-run team not only draws
attention from automakers for how to maximize eco-friendly transportation
options, they also represent the new-wave of engineers that may one day fill the
ranks of Ford, Toyota, and Honda. Here’s hoping!
