Solar Cells Provide Electric Power to Project Car of Bochum University of Applied Sciences

2009-07-27 - The Bochum University of Applied Sciences (Germany) has recently presented a new solar car, the "BOcruiser". A team of around 30 engineering students has displayed a new concept: This latest solar car drives on four wheels rather than three, as was the case for the predecessor "Solar World No. 1".Supplier of the paint for the vehicle is BASF Coatings, which is on board again with its Glasurit brand.

Developing the solar car, energy efficiency has been the car designers' top goal. Its body is streamlined and in addition to the car's proven prize-winning technology, such as its battery management system, innovative components were used as well. For instance, the workshops and labs at the Bochum University of Applied Sciences engineered an in-wheel motor that will power both the "BOcruiser" and other vehicles in the pipeline. This involved solving a whole range of problems, because the new vehicle is propelled by two motors. According to the scientists, for weight and efficiency-related reasons, it was not possible to use a mechanical differential transmission. Instead, electronics and software are to determine the variability of the wheels' peripheral speed in curves. As with the predecessor, six square meters of solar cells provide electric power. In this area too, the technology used is becoming more viable for everyday use. Silicon has replaced the costly gallium arsenide in the solar generator.

In order to reduce weight, only the bare minimum of paint was to be applied, a demand not unlike those posed for Formula 1 racers, for which every gram counts. For this project, the Lennartz spraypainting team chose Glasurit 22 Line HS 2K Topcoat. "No more than one and one-half layers of paint, but nevertheless fulfill the basic functions of the paint finish, like protection, durability and design," Lennartz said. In comparison, a new car is generally finished with four coats of paint (e-coat, primer, basecoat, clearcoat). Lennartz applied the primer to only some parts of the vehicle's exterior before topcoating it with 22 Line, which has a high degree of hiding power, allowing him to dispense with a clearcoat.

The solar car will have its first real-life test in October at the World Solar Challenge, cruising 3000 kilometres through the Australian outback. Project manager Professor Friedbert Pautzke commented: "Our motivation for building this car was not to be first to cross the finish line at the race. The BOcruiser is part of our series of solar vehicles that is consistently taking the next innovative step toward everyday use. It will be proving its ability to take to the roads for the first time in the race Down Under."

Author(s): Bettina Merkelbach

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