Design a Bridgestone World Solar Challenge (BWSC) Cruiser Class Vehicle
Introduction: Passenger light-duty vehicle emissions reduction is a crucial element of climate change mitigation, as this sector represents approximately 12% of global energy-related emissions (Global Fuel Economy Initiative 2019). Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) hold significant promise in helping reduce passenger light duty vehicle emissions, and integration of solar panels as an energy source is being driven by events such as the BWSC.
Objectives: In teams of three to four students, you are asked to conceptually design a multi-seat, Cruiser Class entry for the next BWSC. In addition to objective requirements such as low aerodynamic drag and solar array integration, you must also consider practical, consumer demand-driven attributes such as aesthetics and ergonomics.
Current Cruiser Class-related information is located at:
https://worldsolarchallenge.org/event-information/event_classes/cruiser_class
https://worldsolarchallenge.org/event-information/regulations
Requirements: Your vehicle will have at least three wheels, two or more seats, luggage space per the Regulations and must incorporate a solar array utilising silicon-based cells attached to the exterior. The solar-electric drivetrain includes several components requiring internal packaging, including: a relatively large, energy dense battery, inverter(s) and one or more electric motors, which could be incorporated into the wheels themselves. Although the solar-electric drivetrain is significantly more efficient than that of a conventional internal combustion engine, rejection of waste heat must still be considered.
Deliverables: Each team must submit a well-written, well-referenced paper outlining your concept vehicle. Your design does NOT need to be in CAD; good sketches will be sufficient. You must consider and address the following design aspects:
1. Exterior aerodynamics and time-averaged drag and lift coefficients
2. Rolling resistance estimates
3. Solar array area and placement
4. Exterior aesthetics – how desirable your design appears to potential consumers
5. Interior ergonomics – ingress, human-machine interactions and egress
6. Interior packaging for two or more occupants plus at least two carry-on suitcases
7. Cooling for both occupants and vehicle components
Please review the BWSC Regulations to understand Cruiser Class design constraints and judging criteria. Reference information available from related sources, such as websites of other Cruiser Class solar car teams and journal papers and technical reports.
Report: Prepare your submission in the form. of a SAE technical paper and make sure you follow the formatting guidelines. The report should be about 10-15 pages long and include a half page summary. The www.sae.org website contains many vehicle design-related documents; the RMIT Library has free access to them. For preparation of your SAE technical paper, please consult the following resources:
http://volunteers.sae.org/authors/author_genguide.pdf
https://www.sae.org/participate/volunteer/author/event-paper-process
All assignments will be subject to a Turnitin plagiarism check.