The Sonnenwagen Aachen solar car team from Germany won two of the top three spots at iLumen European Solar Challenge 2024 in Belgium in September. Its Covestro Photon solar car came in second and its newer car, Covestro Adelie, came in third. Belgium's KU Leuven Innoptus Solar Team, which which also won the 2023 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Australia, took first place.
The iLumen European Solar Challenge is a 24-hour endurance race held in Belgium every two years at a former Formula 1 racing track. It is open to student teams from Europe and beyond. There were 18 competitors in all classes this year.
The Sonnewagen student team had two challenger class vehicles. These are single-seater electric cars that weigh no more than 170 kg. The catamaran-shaped Covestro Photon completed 317 laps and the bullet-shaped Covestro Adelie completed 307.
The design constraints are weight, aerodynamics, and power, influencing every decision from the shape of the shell to the solar panels, battery, inverter, and materials, according to team manager and RWTH Aachen University mechanical engineering student, Leonie Brandt, who has been involved with solar car racing for the past three years.
The cars are equipped with Maxeon Sunpower interdigitated back contact solar cells. The newer car, the Coverstro Adelie, had 567 half cells covering 96% of the available area.
“We chose half cell as it allows us to optimize the available space, cope with curvature, and avoid any losses due to shading,” Brandt told pv magazine.
The 6 kWh battery features custom-designed modules and systems to fit snugly inside the shell, while the cells are off-the-shelf. The inverter and maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technology come from commercial suppliers. Brandt noted that a 6 kWh battery used with a conventional electric vehicle motor would provide a range of 60 km, while their setup offers a range of 600 km.
The components include a Tritium WaveSculptor22 motor controller from Australia’s Prohelion and MPPTs Dutch specialist Elmar Solar. “In the next edition, we will develop our own inverter,” said Brandt.
The team is now working on their entry next year's Bridgestone World Solar Challenge to meet the new race requirements. “There are new rules, and a guideline for a much larger solar array,” explained Brandt.
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