Missouri S&T Solar Car Team

Say hello to this years Solar Car Team! We're starting off with a clean slate and a whole lot of energy and optimism! We plan to finish Solar Miner VIII for the 2013 Formula Sun Grand Prix next October. In addition, we are also working on the designs for Solar Miner IX.

Our new batteries came in today after team member Dan Leafblad drove to Lee's Summit, Missouri.  He received the new Lithium Ion Polymer cells from Dow Kokam, the company who provided the cells for Solar Miner VII.  The new cells will be used during the 2012 American Solar Challenge.

Over the last week and a half the team has been hard at work building two wooden jigs.  The first jig was designed to hold and move the machining foam for the under body mold after being fitted together. This layout successfully cured and was loaded onto the trailer. We're scheduled to head out to Advanced Pattern Works tomorrow morning.  We are hoping to lay up the lower body before the third week of February. We have pictures on Facebook. Take a look!

Sorry for the lack of posts over the last several months. Please rest assured that the Missouri S&T Solar Car Team is still alive and kicking. 

Here at our new home in the Kummer Student Design Center we've been hard at work to construct the latest and greatest in solar-powered vehicles. 1800 pounds of machining foam donated by General Plastics Manufacturing Company is cut and nearly ready for shipping to Advanced Pattern Works, LLC. They will complete the shaping of the mold for the lower body and wheel fairings. We would like to thank both companies for shaving an incredible amount of time off of the construction of the lower body.

 

 

 

 

We would also like to give a special thanks to the Missouri S&T Formula SAE Team for their donation of solid titanium blocks. It will be put to good use in the front suspension, shaving weight and handling bigger bumps.  Our design for this year weighs in at a minuscule 300 pounds!  If all goes according to plan, this will not only be the lightest solar car in Missouri S&T history, but the lightest car to ever be raced in the American Solar Challenge.

If you haven't checked out January's edition of The Sunspot, take a look! We're going strong and don't want to lose momentum, so a February/March issue is in the works as well.