University of Michigan Solar Car Team Revs Up SolidWorks to Design World Solar Challenge Contender
12 10월 2011 - 10:00PM
Business Wire
Since the 1980s, engineers have been building, and racing solar
cars. With software from Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp., the
University of Michigan (U-M) Solar Car Team has designed a car to
compete in the World Solar Challenge in Australia this month. A
six-time winner of the American National Championships, the U-M
team is competing in the World Solar Challenge—and the car design
is lighter and more aerodynamic than ever before.
Since 2006 U-M has used SolidWorks software to become the number
1 ranked collegiate solar car team in North America. Next week they
will compete on the world stage driving 1800 miles across Australia
thanks to the work of over 100 students in various disciplines at
U-M. Quantum, the single-seat race vehicle, will travel as far as
it can until 5pm each afternoon powered by the sun and 5kW hours of
stored energy (the same amount of energy that it takes to
power a hair-dryer) or on the recovered kinetic energy from
the vehicle.
When designing the solar car, the U-M team found systems
integration to be the most difficult challenge. Mechanical parts
need to be small and light, in order to fit into as small an
automotive shell as possible. The U-M team relied upon SolidWorks®
3D CAD software to model all of the car components, and determined
the amount of space needed for each component. The result is a car
that is 30 percent more aerodynamic and 200 pounds lighter than the
previous version.
“Only one U.S. team has ever won the World Solar Challenge,”
said Chris Hilger, Business Director of U-M Solar. “This year, we
believe we have a winning car design due to the improved
aerodynamic shell and significantly lighter weight. SolidWorks
helped us model each part to be as small, light, and effective as
possible, and this contributes significantly to the car’s speed and
maneuverability.”
Battery thermal modeling was also a key challenge. Specifically,
the team needed to control the temperature of the battery pack to
prevent overheating. To solve this issue, the team used SolidWorks
Simulation to determine the best thermal management solution.
Unlike past years, when off-the-shelf batteries were used, this
year’s battery was designed and created from scratch by the Solar
Car team.
“The U-M Solar Car Team has been able to achieve groundbreaking
results with a lighter and faster car,” said Marie Planchard,
director of education at Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks. “This
extraordinary team is poised to take the lead at the World Solar
Challenge, and we’re proud to have contributed to a stellar—and
hopefully winning—design.”
Follow the race at: http://www.worldsolarchallenge.org/.
About Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp.
Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp., a Dassault Systèmes S.A.
subsidiary, is a world leader in 3D solutions that help millions of
engineers and designers succeed through innovation. Our products
deliver an intuitive experience in product design, simulation,
publishing, data management, and environmental impact assessment.
For the latest news, information, or an online demonstration, visit
our Web site (www.solidworks.com) or call 1-800-693-9000 (outside
of North America, call +1-978-371-5000).
SolidWorks is a registered trademark of Dassault Systèmes
SolidWorks Corporation and 3DVIA Composer is a trademark of
Dassault Systèmes in the US and other countries. Other brand and
product names are trademarks of their respective owners. © 2011
Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp.
Dassault Systems (PK) (USOTC:DASTY)
과거 데이터 주식 차트
부터 1월(1) 2025 으로 2월(2) 2025
Dassault Systems (PK) (USOTC:DASTY)
과거 데이터 주식 차트
부터 2월(2) 2024 으로 2월(2) 2025
