Thursday, 17:30 CDT
1153 days
The team has arrived in Houston and are hard at work setting up our pit area and preparing Pulsar for tech inspection tonight. The camping area has been set up and we have had our first interview with Shell’s PR team. Final touches are being made to the new driver display software, and some minor adjustments have been made to the mechanical systems.
We will be interviewed tomorrow morning live on Fox 59 (Indianapolis) Morning News at 8:10 am EDT.
Update 19:58 CDT: We successfully completed the first half of the tech inspection just before they closed for the day and hope to finish the inspections first thing tomorrow morning.
Wednesday, 20:26 EDT
1154 days
We have departed West Lafayette on schedule and are currently on the road. We should be arriving in Houston tomorrow afternoon… Only 1,121 miles to go!
Shell Eco-Marathon Americas 2010
1170 days
Purdue Solar Racing will be racing Pulsar in the 2010 Shell Eco-Marathon Americas in Houston, TX. The team will be leaving Purdue the evening of Wednesday, March 24 and drive through the night to Houston. Technical inspections will take place Thursday and Friday, with the track opening to practice runs on Friday. Competition runs will take place throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday, finishing with an awards ceremony Sunday night. The team will then drive back to Purdue, returning Monday, March 29.
Check back often for live race updates during the race and in the days prior as we prepare for the competition.
For more information about the race, see the Shell Eco-Marathon Americas website.
PSR Featured on WLFI TV
1203 days
For the original source, and to watch the video clip, click here
Heading to Houston on a mission
Purdue Solar Racing prepares for 2010 Eco-Marathon
Updated: Wednesday, 03 Feb 2010, 5:22 PM EST
Published : Wednesday, 03 Feb 2010, 10:54 AM EST
Written By Joe LePage
Purdue’s Solar Racing Team has high hopes heading into the 2010 Eco-Marathon.
The team wants to pave the way for future solar travel. Their car looks like something out of a futuristic sci-fi movie, but it could actually be the future of the way we drive.
The team named their vehicle “Pulsar.”
Pulsar will be headed to Houston, Texas in late March for the 2010 Shell Eco-Marathon. The marathon isn’t your typical race; distance traveled is more important than speed.
“It really has nothing to do with speed, in kind of the essence of the race,” said Purdue Solar President Ted Pesyna. “It is who can get the most equivalent miles per gallon. What they basically do for solar, for instance, is they take the energy in a gallon of gas and they take how much energy you used and convert that to a miles per gallon equivalent.”
Purdue Solar has done well in recent years. In 2008 the group scored first place, topping more than 2,800 miles per gallon.
The team wasn’t satisfied, however. They headed back to the shop, intent on reaching even loftier goals a year later.
“Brought it back after some, I would say major, improvements with efficiency and all that, and almost topped the 5,000 mile per gallon mark,” said Pesyna.
Though the team has high hopes for the Pulsar’s chances in the 2010 race, they are already looking toward 2011. Their newest venture is the Celeritas, a solar powered car anyone can drive. They hope it will provide the basis for a new way of commuting.
Spring 2010 Newsletter
1210 days
by Secretary
in Newsletter
Letter from the President
A new year is upon us and the team has welcomed 2010 with open minds and great expectations! As we prepare to return to the Shell Eco-Marathon in Houston, Texas, a lot of work has been put in to modifying Pulsar for an urban setting. Although the 2010 race has yet to come, the team is already focusing on the 2011 Eco-Marathon. Celeritas, the team’s revolutionary urban concept vehicle, will compete in 2011. It will be a car unlike any the team has built before because it will be more like today’s conventional vehicle. An optimized, aerodynamic design, a sleek dashboard, and the capability to travel city speeds are a few features that have been integrated into a design that holds great promise for the future. Celeritas, once only a concept, is now becoming a reality due to the support of so many. I would like to thank you for your continued support as we gear up for the future!
—Ted Pesyna
Letter from the Aero Director
The Aeronautical team has been very successful this semester from a design standpoint. We used our CATIA knowledge to generate a vast range of concept models for Celeritas, optimizing them with CFD analysis. We selected the best features from our concept models by using the data we generated and have been hard at work creating a final design. Nearing the end of the design process, everyone is looking forward to the excitement of the build season as we begin to stock supplies and prepare to CNC the molds. We have met the challenges presented to us in the creation of Celeritas and look forward to a busy semester of working to bring Celeritas from computer model into reality.
—Justin Krull
Letter from the Electrical Director
The electrical team had a very productive fall semester. We made key design decisions in the battery pack and solar array, and have begun assembly of the core systems of Celeritas. The team will now begin focusing on building a bench-top test rig for the electrical systems in Celeritas, a first for the team. This will give us the unprecedented ability to perform complete system level testing and debugging of Celeritas before the car is even built.
As the semester progresses, the electrical team will be broken into 3 to 4 sub-teams, and each sub-team will be given a design project related to Celeritas. The projects will cover all aspects of electrical design, from schematic capture to PCB design and circuit implementation. This will give members exposure to a variety of skills which are necessary in designing and building a solar car.
—Jeff Kubascik
Letter from the Mechanical Director
The fall semester was a good one for the ME team. Motor design was finalized, and machining and construction have begun on the motor. A program to model and analyze the suspension has been in the works for a while, and it is close to completion. Wheels, tires, brakes, and various other components have been chosen for Celeritas. Lightweight 8 lb wheels will help keep efficiency maximized, while 8 piston brakes will bring Celeritas to a halt. Chassis design has begun, and is a big step forward for PSR. The chassis for Celeritas is a monocoque design which will enable Celeritas to have a functioning trunk and door, with removable front and rear panels for access to Celeritas’ various systems. Work on rebuilding Pulsar has also begun, and it is providing members a chance to get their hands dirty in the machine shop.
—Garrett Brown
