In Solar Racing, engineering students work together to design, build, and test a carbon fiber solar-powered boat. Working independently in our machine shop, we produce a majority of the vessel components in-house, such as motor controllers, drive-train, composite molds, solar panels, control system, and various mechanical/electrical devices. We also have many related research opportunities outside of the scope of competition including high voltage EVs and lithium polymer batteries. In 2014, we placed 1st overall, 1st slalom, 2nd qualifying, 2nd endurance, and 2nd sprint at the annual IEEE Solar Splash Competition in Dayton, Ohio. This is the result of an improved surface piercing drive-train with two gear ratios and new motor controllers. In 2012 we implemented a redesigned carbon fiber hull, which resulted in a 90% weight reduction. In 2011, we won the award for the Best Electrical Design. We hope to capitalize on our past successes and continue to improve and innovate our designs.
