UNITEN All Set For World Solar Challenge 2009

UNITEN is all set to participate in the World Solar Challenge 2009 in Australia this coming 18 to 25 October 2009. This assurance was given by none other than the persons responsible to prepare UNITEN’s team for the event, Mr. Halil Hussain, Assoc. Prof. Ismail Said and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Amir Hisham Hashim. The 2009 World Solar Challenge is the ultimate challenge in sustainable energy. The event sets the challenge to design and build a car capable of crossing the vast and imposing continent of Australia using only sunlight as fuel. The Challenge requires the team to travel a 3000 km-journey from tropical Darwin in the Northern Territory to Adelaide in South Australia.

World Solar Challenge 2009 from Darwin to Adelaide, a 3000 km-journey

According to Mr. Halil, this would be the first time UNITEN enters the solar car category. In the past, UNITEN had vast successes in the solar bicycle and recumbent categories. Top universities which had participated in the World Solar Challenge before were the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Technical University of Delft, University of Michigan, University of Stanford, University of Oregon, University of Calgary, University College London, University of New South Wales, and Nanyang Technological University. UNITEN team known as the Solar Ranger strives to complete the 3000 km journey and to be the top Malaysian team and the top ten overall.

 
 

The team which includes UNITEN undergraduate students is wholly involved in this project starting from the design and development of the solar cell/array, batteries and charger, maximum peak power tracker, motor and motor controller, telemetry and aerodynamics.

The present development of UNITEN’s solar car – Solar Ranger

Begining April 2009, the team will embark on a rigorous testing of the car on the road for four(4) months which will be fully completed by August 2009. The road testing will cover all major towns in Malaysia starting from UNITEN moving towards Kedah, Kelantan,Terengganu and Johor Bahru and a return journey back to the campus. The team will stop at designated schools and TNB districts offices as part of its educational and promotional campaign. The long journey is needed in order to prepare the car and the technical team members for the actual challenge in Australia.

Mr. Halil says that they will be scouting for 10 students to be part of the team to Australia – 4 drivers and 6 technical team members. They are looking for drivers with the same height and weight and of course with valid driving license. To minimize the total weight of the car the weight of the driver must be less than 80 kg. To be selected for the team the students need to complete at least 12 hours of driving during the 4 months testing period.

All the best to Solar Ranger and as same saying goes GO...GO..GO... UNITEN BOLEH!!!