Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - May/June 2015 - (Page 12)

More than a Race W orking under the unrelenting Texas sun in the middle of summer is probably not what most high school students would describe as fun. But for the members of the Coppell Solar Racing Team, this is one of the most anticipated times of the year. Coppell is one of around 15 high school teams that build and race a solar car in the Solar Car Challenge, held each July. The competition, which began in 1993 as the Winston Solar Challenge, is designed to encourage students in science, engineering, technology, and alternative energy, as well as to help them develop business skills. Depending on their level of experience, teams register in the Classic, Open, or Advanced Division. The Coppell Solar Car Racing Team was founded in 2008 by a group of high school students who were interested in doing an engineering project. With the encouragement of their teacher, Mr. Michael Yakubovsky (affectionately referred to as Yak, and who still advises the team today), they decided to enter the Solar Car Challenge. Each year, the competition alternates between a closed-track event at the Texas Motor Speedway and a cross-country event to a major city-with the exception of 2014, when the challenge featured a hybrid race combining the two. But having participated in the challenge for the past two years, I know that it is much more than a race. An Intensive Endeavor Preparation begins in July with a workshop where new teams and their teachers receive information on best practices, fundraising, and technical matters. Many high school groups are deterred when they learn about the intense nature of this extracurricular activity: Not only is participating in the challenge expensive-requiring money for parts, marketing materials, uniforms, entrance fees, and travel-but it is also intensive in terms of skill, labor, and time. Andrea Clark, second from left, and members of the Coppell Solar Racing Team THE In addition to meeting after school for two hours twice a week, our team works every other Saturday from 9:00 to 4:00. Because our budget to participate in the competition is around $30,000 each year, we rely heavily on corporate sponsorships and donations from our community, which means that we also have to attend community events and company pitches. And that's only the official meetings. As our team's Marketing Lead, I stay after school most days to mentor younger team members and meet with our adviser to plan events and make sure we're staying on schedule for our car. Strategy for Success Since it is very expensive to build a new car from scratch, each year we modify our team's existing car with the ultimate goal of increasing efficiency. To minimize aerodynamic drag, we need to consider the overall shape of our car. To maximize energy gain, we must determine the best place and method to mount the solar cells. We also have to determine the ideal speed in order to maximize battery power, and the best window of time for sun collection if, for example, partly cloudy skies are predicted. In addition to these considerations, we must satisfy a long list of requirements before we can actually race, including the use of specific materials and construction methods. Many a team has been eliminated prior to the race during a qualifying process known as "scrutineering," which requires teams to demonstrate that their car complies with all the rules. Slow and Steady It is also vital that we understand the limitations of our car. During the race, we have to carefully monitor aperture and voltage, two main indicators of how much power is being drawn from the battery pack. 12 imagine imagine www.cty.jhu.edu/imagine May/June 2015 imagine 13 http://www.cty.jhu.edu/imagine

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - May/June 2015

Big Picture
In My Own Words Daniel Kammen, Professor of Energy, UC Berkeley
A Solar-Powered Solution to the Water Crisis Using the sun to purify water
The PolluCell Generating electricity using waste and pollution
More than a Race The Solar Car Challenge
Energy Agenda The power of teen research
Energized! A crash course in fuels of the future
Grease Is Good Helping the environment and the community with biofuel
Fueled by Algae Sara Volz and the powerful potential of pond scum
The Future of Energy Five careers in green power
My Sanskrit Yaatra Connecting with my culture through language
Devoted Awareness My internship with Until There’s a Cure
Selected Opportunities and Resources
Off the Shelf Review of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man
Word Wise
Exploring Career Options Interview with green architect Andrew Thompson
One Step Ahead Six things incoming college students should know
Planning Ahead for College Developing your passions
Students Review: University of Pennsylvania
Creative Minds Imagine
Mark Your Calendar
Knossos Games

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - May/June 2015