Universal Journal of Mechanical Engineering 3(4): 122-130, 2015 http://www.hrpub.org DOI: 10.13189/ujme.2015.030402 Designing, Building of Solar Race Car for the World Solar Challenge (Phase I) Nader A. Nader*, Mohammad Ghoneim, Rami S. Alsayed Department of Mechanical Engineering, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, KSA Copyright © 2015 by authors, all rights reserved. Authors agree that this article remains permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License. Abstract The purpose of this project is to design and The cars require intensive support teams similar in size to build a solar race car for the world solar challenge. Three professional motor racing teams. This is especially the case main goals were targeted for the competition: lightweight, with the World Solar Challenge where sections of the race aerodynamics, and efficiency. The renewable energy is run through very remote country. The solar car will travel becoming an alternative source for the fossil fuel. Solar escorted by a small caravan of support cars. In a long energy in particular is abundant all year round within the distance race each solar car will be preceded by a lead car Kingdome of Saudi Arabia. It is vital for the whole that can identify problems or obstacles ahead of the race car. community to utilize this free energy into many areas such as Behind the solar car there will be a mission control vehicle power generation and building of solar cars. As many studies from which the race pace is controlled [2]. Here tactical pointed out that the consumption of oil within the Kingdome decisions are made based on information from the solar car is an alarming four million barrel per day. Most of it goes to and environmental information about the weather and terrain. generate electricity and gasoline for the cars. The car speed Behind the mission control there might be one or more other initially was tested at 70 km/hr and is expected to double for vehicles carrying replacement drivers and maintenance the world solar challenge race. The traveling distance support as well as supplies and camping equipment for the covered will be about 3000 km. The body and chassis of the entire team [3]. car were manufactured from fiber glass and aerospace Our eco-efficiency challenge allows teams to participate aluminum material. Moreover, a system AC motors were and demonstrate the sophistication and performance of designed, manufactured and assembled accompanied by solar-powered vehicle. The underlining mission of the solar gearbox, steering, axle, bearings, suspension system. Semi challenge is to increase the number of people in Saudi Arabia flexible solar panels were installed with power trackers and that are interested in the Science, Technology, Engineering instrumentation. One driver was accommodated with a car and Mathematics (STEM) subjects [3]. These subjects are net weight of 300 Kg. crucial to get the country to a higher level. Next, it will give us a platform where we can exercise our skills in building Keywords Solar Car Design, Solar Race Car, Solar cars locally. This in turn will result in an increased level of Energy, World Solar Challenge knowledge in the industry about electric motors, battery systems, vehicle aerodynamics and more. Finally, the solar cars will show the public what solar panels can do. If people see solar panels driving a car, you will have a positive sentiment to it. Being more positive to this technology will 1. Introduction also make electric vehicles more acceptable to people. The Sasol Solar Challenge motivates student to fresh thinking, a Solar Energy Cars creative approach, and flexible solutions. Corporate teams participate in the races to give their design teams experience of working with both alternative Solar Energy in KSA energy sources and advanced materials. University teams The construction boom and growing population of Saudi participate in order to give their students experience in Arabia result in the rise of the country’s electricity demand. designing high technology cars and working with The ongoing high loads require appropriate and adequate environmental and advanced materials technology. These power generation. However, it is well known that races are often sponsored by government or educational conventional generation by means of fossil fuels is a chief agencies, and businesses such as Toyota keen to promote cause of environmental pollution and impacts human health renewable energy sources [1, 2, 3]. through emissions of harmful gases such as nitrogen oxides Universal Journal of Mechanical Engineering 3(4): 122-130, 2015 123 (NO, NO2 & N2O), sulfur oxides (SO2 & SO3), and carbon all manufacturers were afraid of using most of alternative oxides (CO & CO2). Therefore, it is essential to find an energies because of less experience and no complete alternative way to support current conventional generation in guarantee to use one of that energy. In addition, solar energy Saudi Arabia that also preserves the environment and human is considered one of the cheapest energies to be used health. Saudi Arabia is geographically strategic because it is especially in the Arabian Peninsula. Technically, solar located in the so-called Sun Belt, and it has widespread energy has specific tools which can be use in different desert land and year-round clear skies, which have led it to electrical instruments and support electrical machines as well. become one of the largest solar photovoltaic (PV) energy Solar panels nowadays become available in the local markets producers. The average energy from the sunlight falling on in the Gulf where some factories in the Far East become Saudi Arabia is 2200 thermal kWh/m2, and it is therefore professional to manufacture different kinds in different sizes. worthwhile to attempt to generate clean energy in the Chemically, there are some disadvantages of using solar country via direct sunlight through PV cells [3]. panels with mechanical and electrical systems which may Applications of solar energy in Saudi Arabia have been affect the health of human beings. The experts of solar growing since 1960. A systematic major research and energy started rapidly and effectively treat most of the development work for the development of solar energy negative chemical impact that solar panels have. So, it is technologies was started by King Abdul-Aziz City for important to have high quality solar panels in our project Science and Technology (KACST) in 1977. The Saudi Solar with different sizes. The project team started testing these Radiation Atlas project was initiated in 1994 as a joint panels' quality and make sure of the panels' effective work. research and development project between the KACST Energy Research Institute and the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory [3]. The solar village project site is 2. Results located 50 km northwest of Riyadh and supplied between 1 and 1.5 MWh of electric energy per day to three rural Design Progress of (FSRC) villages. It was the biggest project of its type in 1980 and cost In the beginning, it was important to note that all work was $18 million [10]. done on campus for the very first time at Prince Mohammad The scope of the research is about how to transfer solar Bin Fahd University. Several tests and adjustments were energy into electrical energy through PV cells then inject it carried out in designating and manufacturing the car directly into the power transmission lines and thus this article components to different group working in parallel in a very does not mention about storage energy. However, some short time period. studies have mentioned it. The objective of such a project Balancing the different sheets from different areas was like that is we can have eco-friendly car's, also Fuel efficient difficult especially when fixing mechanical and electrical and using the sun for power instead wasting it [10]. parts. Furthermore, it was important to distribute team And it is important to Saudi Arabia because in 2005, Saudi members according to their specialties to save both time and Arabia was the world's 15th largest consumer of primary effort while designing the flat sheets. energy, we can save the oil that goes to transportation by All mechanical structures were well tested to support the using solar as alternative. safety mood especially with the wheels and supporting Solar Car Race sheets with the metal bullets in the different sizes. A fiberglass mold is rather simple to make, but it takes a few Solar cars project is a project that has many values for the advantages of the human beings especially when recognizing days. The idea of a mold is to make a replica of the item that the importance of alternative energies. In somehow there are you need. You will be able to reuse the mold many times many benefits that solar car can offer to the environmental after. Figure 1 shows the wooden mold that was prepared changes and the urgent need to oil and other kinds of energy. for the structure of the car. Nowadays, university teams are Because of the importance of transportation and the quality using CNC machines to produce male models of their solar of its means in the world, it was great concern to think in vehicle. They produce female molds by using these male another means that help man with new design and new ideas. models and they manufacture exterior of the vehicle by using The solar car is not a new invention, but it is a way to think these female molds. The computer model was transformed for different solution to help the country to avoid energy into a full scale model which was then used to produce glass problems. This is because of the continual needs to a car; fiber and resin molds capable of withstanding high however, it is difficult to continue depending on oil which is temperatures.