About the Car

Currently, we are finishing up our first car, named "Brasidius." The Brasidius was named after a Spartan King. So far, the Brasidius has been entered in the 2009 Formula Sun Grand Prix, and passed the Mechanical Scrutineering as well as turning radius and figure-eight testing. Below are desrciptions of the different systems that make up Brasidius.

Frame

The frame is the structural core of the car. Everything on the solar car is built around it. The body and all other components are mounted to the frame. The frame also encompasses and protects the driver in the unlikely event of impact.

Front Suspension

Brasidius has two front wheels and one rear wheel. The front wheels provide turning, so the front suspension needs to let the wheels turn. The suspension also allows the wheels to move up and down as the car runs over bumps.

Body

Made of light-weight fiber-glass and reinforced with Nomex honeycomb, the solar car body provides is designed to minimize air drag. The flat, wide shape of the body gives the car excellent aerodynamics and room for a full array of solar panels to catch the sunlight.

Driver's Seat

Drivers will routinely spend six hours at the controls of Brasidius. To make the ride as comfortable as possible, the driver's seat is made from the same material used in wheelchairs. The upright angle of the seat gives the driver maximum visibility around Brasidius' large body. A five-point harness holds the driver securely in the seat.

Solar Panels

Solar panels are a critical element of any solar car. The panels cover the top of the body to collect sunlight. Using the photoelectic effect, the solar panels convert the sunlight into electricity used to drive the car. This is the Brasidius' only source of power.

Battery Packs

Unfortunately, the sun can be a fickle power-source. Clouds, trees, and overpasses often obscure it. In addition, the sun is always stronger at midday. To keep Brasidius running when the sun is missing, battery packs routinely absorb excess energy. Brasidius has two different kinds of battery packs. The first pack provides high-power, allowing the car to accelerate quickly for short durations. The second pack is high-energy, allowing the car to run for long periods of time.

Telemetry or Remote Monitoring

The solar car runs off of the same amount of power used by a hairdryer. To be competitive, the team needs to squeeze out every last Joule. The telemetry system monitors the car's behavior and streams the information by radio to a laptop. The team can use this information to optimize the car's performance.

Dashboard

The dashboard contains the instruments for monitoring the car, such as speedometer and power meter. It also holds all the controls for operating the car, such as turn signals, horn, and emergency power-off switch.

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