Category: Solar Car

Panasonic Corporation today announced that it has agreed to provide technical support to Tokai University's solar car team, which will compete in the 2013 World Solar Challenge (WSC 2013), one of the world's biggest races for solar cars, to be held from October 6 to 13 in Australia. Under the sponsorship agreement, Panasonic will provide the Japanese university team with its HIT(R) solar cells which boast the industry's top-class electricity output as well as its high-capacity lithium-ion batteries.

The WSC, which started in 1987 and became a biennial event in 1999, is a time-based competition over a distance of 3,021km from Darwin in the north down to Adelaide in the south. Teams from around the world, including universities and corporations, participate in the race in cars powered solely by sunlight.

The Tokai University team has an impressive track record in solar car racing. The team won the previous WSC races held in 2009 and 2011, and is now looking to make a hat trick in the WSC this year. Last year, the team also won the race in South Africa that was recognized by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) as the world's longest alternative fuel vehicle car race. Panasonic's energy products contributed to the team's victories at these international competitions.

Panasonic's HIT solar cells have a unique hybrid configuration with a crystalline silicon substrate surrounded by ultrathin amorphous silicon layers. Compared to ordinary crystalline silicon-based solar cells, Panasonic's HIT solar cells suffer less degradation of power output at high temperatures, delivering the industry's highest-level energy output per unit of area. This makes Panasonic's HIT solar cells ideal for solar cars competing in races such as the WSC, given that the WSC regulations limit the total area of solar cells installed on the body to up to six square meters and that the cells will be exposed to the scorching Australian sun. The HIT solar modules for the Tokai University team are purpose-built for the solar car race, using the same solar cells - the main component that converts the sunlight into electricity - that are mass-produced for the residential market.

The rechargeable batteries Panasonic is providing are the cylindrical 18650 type (18 mm in diameter x 65 mm in height) high-capacity lithium-ion battery cells which use the company's proprietary nickel-based positive electrode. The high-capacity and lightweight battery cells store excess power generated by the HIT solar cells so that the car is able to continue running even on overcast days.

Bridgestone will be the title sponsor of the World Solar Challenge 2013, which will be held in Australia October 6-13.

Dubbed “The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2013,” the event will see a record 45 teams from 26 countries compete in a 3,000 km cross-country race using only solar energy to power the vehicles.

The event will feature three separate classes, Adventure Class, which will showcase cars built for previous events; Cruiser Class, which will be judged by design practicality, and Challenger Class, which will compete for the title of the world’s most efficient solar car.

The team that won the World Solar Challenge four times consecutively between 2001 and 2007 have unveiled their latest solar racer.

The Nuna7 solar-powered vehicle – which features pioneering pore-filling technology – will take part in the competition in Australia in October, representing the fourth time that the Nuon Solar Team from the Technical University in Delft and Sikkens paint experts from the company's Automotive and Aerospace Coatings business have worked together.

This year, however, will be the first time that the Nuna has used the new composite pinhole filler Aerowave 2501, which has already been used on commercial aircraft.

"When the carbon fiber shell of the Nuna is manufactured, the process creates pinholes that must be filled with putty and then sanded, often multiple times," explained John Grevers, AkzoNobel's Technical Coordinator for Benelux and Sikkens project leader for the Nuna.

"Our water-based pinhole filler replaces much of the putty and doesn't require sanding, because it can be easily wiped away. Which means it also adds less weight to the car than traditional fillers."

As well as the new pinhole filler, the Nuna 7 also features an aerodynamically advanced Sikkens coatings system designed to reduce wind drag and cut down on preparation time. Products used include Colorbuild Plus, Autocryl Plus LV, and Autoclear LV Superior.

"AkzoNobel is helping us a lot in terms of making sure that we have the best possible aerodynamics thanks to the finish they provide," said Leslie Nooteboom, the Delft team's Public Relations manager. "We feel that the company is playing a very important role in our chances of winning the race in Australia."

Added Grevers: "It has been a valuable experience for us to develop coatings that not only provide advanced aerodynamics, but can also perform well under the extreme temperatures of solar car racing. And it’s always good to work with students because they bring a fresh vision."

The team hopes to go one better than 2011, when the Nuna 6 finished second in the 11th World Solar Challenge. The biennial event – which aims to promote research on solar-powered cars – attracts teams from across the globe. The 2013 race will be staged from October 6 to 13.