Eco Trees

Solar cars have appeared in the'80s. Since then, the vehicles which operates one hundred percent with solar energy have become increasingly advanced and participates in international racings. This year, half of global oil consumption has been absorbed by cars and trucks. Specialists in energy are of the opinion that the revolution machine will be a huge step approach in replacing fossil fuels with alternative sources of energy.
Already occurred solar vehicles, which they say will be the future machines. Moreover, every year in various parts of the world, is organised racings with machines propelled hundred percent with… Sun. Solar panels are the basic components of most equipment to produce solar energy. They convert energy from the sun into electricity or heat.

Sun's energy potential is huge. In a general manner, the total solar energy reached on Earth in less than an hour would cover the energy needs of humanity for a year, under conditions that would be recovered in full.

In this sense, today's solar panels are located on the roofs of houses, deshert areas and most recently on the cars surface . Solar panels located on the surface of the vehicle captures sunlight, which they converted into electricity. Today, there are machines that can operate without any kilometers whole bit of petrol.

Although solar cars are still in the experimental stage, several experts in this field are of the opinion that solar vehicles will be the future cars. The first automatic electric car powered with photovoltaic cells appeared in 1981 and could reach only 30 km / h. Today, solar cars far exceed the speed of 100 km / h.

There are several racing cars propelled by solar energy, but by far, World Solar Challenge is the best known. Flight solar car World Solar Challenge in Australia this year has reached 20 years. The competition takes place every two years and since its launch in 1987, the experimental solar cars take a circuit of 3,021 km along Australia Central, between the cities of Darwin and Adelaide.

The competition promotes renewable energies

The competition brings together teams from all over the world, most part of the prestigious universities, but also inside of large cars companies. Participating teams build their solar car by entering the contest.

The story World Solar Challenge began in 1982, when the australian Hans Tholstrup has built Quiet Achiever, an electric vehicle equipped with solar cells. In 1983, he crossed Australia with his experimental vehicle in 20 days, going from Perth to Sydney, a distance of 4,129 kilometers, with just the Sun.
The first start was delivered on 1 November 1987. So were 23 teams competing, of which only seven have reached their destination. Since then, the racing became an international event, than expected. The competition supports research in the field of solar cars and people trying to make their world regarding the need to use renewable energies.

Champions in solar cars

This year, of the 17 countries competing, Nuon Solar, a team of young Dutchmen, from Delft Technical University, won the Australian racing cars propelled by solar energy. Nuna4, machine built by the Netherlands team, who travelled 3,000 kilometres and crossed the line first at 16.55 local time. Nuna4 has completed the race in 33 hours and 17 minutes.

It is for the fourth consecutive time when the Dutch team Nuon Solar wins international competition with solar cars. At the last edition, it competed with Nuna3 that, too, proved to be the worls's fastest vehicle.

High temperatures, high speed

All competing cars have gone through the town of Darwin, located in the tropical north of Australia, and the city of Adelaide, situated on the south coast of the continent. Temperatures over 50 degrees during the day they allowed cars to reach very high speeds. The average speed of the vehicle Nuna4 was 90.7 kilometers per hour.

"The cars can reach speeds and much higher, but drivers must be as much as possible between 90 and 100 km / h. This challenge did not take place to see who is faster but to ascertain the effectiveness of solar energy, "said Chris Selwood, the event coordinator of the World Solar Challenge Australia this year. Within railiului World Solar Challenge, cars must comply with traffic rules.

The solar cars have bizzare design

Maximum dimensions of the vehicle must be: 5 meters in length, 2 meters in width and 1.6 meters high. On the other hand, with the exception of external dimensions of the machine does not impose any restrictions regarding the design and vehicle construction. Therefore, solar cars have a bizzare design, some of them alike as spacecraft.

Along the route, there are check points, where cars must stationing each 30 minutes. In this break, repairs are not admitted. Further, the capacity of batteries is limited to 5 kWh. The departure of the race, auto batteries can be fully loaded and the game rule that says they can not be loaded during the competition, besides the actual situations in which these are downloaded by all. In cases where the competitors are put in a position to recharge the batteries during the race, will be penalized at the time.

The entire Earth, with a solar car

The Helvetian Louis Palmer wants to show the world that cars with solar panels are as practical in daily life, not only in the international challenge. The Helvetian intends to enter into the records book as the first person making the tour of worls in a solar car. Thus, he left in Switzerland on July 3 this year and arrived at the beginning of December, at the conference in Bali, "taxi" which works with its solar.

Nuna, May performance from year to year

This year, organizers have imposed more competitors than in previous rules. From now on, solar vehicles should be as close to those who go with petrol or diesel. Further, should work with fewer solar panels. Therefore, Nuna4 differ Nuna3 the following elements: its solar panel is much smaller, measuring 6 metres, instead of 9 metres and have Nuna3. The chair is the right driver, unlike Nuna3, where the driver had to stay close slept.

The secret to winning this competition is the balance between existing resources and energy consumption of the best car along the Australian route of 3,000 kilometers.
The speed of the machine is always changing, depending on weather conditions, but also the load of batteries. In general, solar panels are conducted perpendicularly to the rays of the sun to capture as much energy as possible. Therefore, the machines used in solar races are often inclined entirely.