A happy CPUT Solar Flyer team crossed the finish line in Stellenbosch on the weekend. 

The eight-day Sasol Solar Challenge South Africa, 2018 proved to be an intense shakedown test for the first time competitors who went up against eight other international and local teams.

The Challenge was won by the Dutch team Nuon. The student team from Delft University in the Netherlands were also the 2017 champions.

Several teams struggled with damage to their cars after a storm on the first night of the race. In addition, CPUT also had to contend with intense “scrutineering” which encompassed safety checks, a cracked wheel fork and problems calibrating the system on the fly.

Team vice-captain Lungile Ntshulana called the “scrutineering” process interesting because it taught them what was expected. “We actually learned a lot from the international teams since they were above par. For the time we were given, I think we did well,” said Lungile.

The CPUT team started working on the car when funding from the Technology Innovation Agency was approved in July and the car was built by the technicians from the TIA Adaptronics AMTL research unit at their workshop on Bellville Campus, with students from Mechatronics and Mechanical Engineering joining them as they were recruited.

Team Captain Qasim Palmer said he would like to be involved in the next Challenge in 2020 and agreed to the support they received along the way really kept them going.

“We were amazed by how people were willing to help us. There was this really cool guy named oom Fanie from A1 Cooling who gave us the keys to his garage for the night in Port Elizabeth to work on the car,” said Qasim.

Prof Graeme Oliver of the Mechanical Engineering Department who put together the competing team said he was happy with their work ethic: “They put in long nights and were determined to get that car on the road.”

“Even when I thought this thing is so broken we’re never going to fix it, one of the team members, Elrich Kotze, convinced SKF to help us and got Metro Engineering in Port Elizabeth to weld something for us, which surprisingly hasn’t broken since,” said Oliver.

Written by Theresa Smith
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CPUT students and staff members will take part in this year’s Sasol Solar Car Challenge 2018, South Africa for the first time.

Held every second year, the competition sees teams from across the world design and build solar-powered vehicles to drive across South Africa in an eight day event.

Prof Graeme Oliver of the Mechanical Engineering Department has put together a team of 20 staff members and students to compete against the more than 20 local and international teams expected to participate.

Oliver initially signed CPUT up for the competition back in May, but only received confirmation of Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) funding at the end of June, leaving two months to put together the car.

Since the project is not integrated into a particular course or subject, students from Mechatronics, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering have volunteered to work on the team with the help of the TIA Adaptronics AMTL research unit based at CPUT.

“Because this is our first time entering the Challenge there is a lot of extra learning to be done. Until you have the actual thing in your hand, you can’t always tell what you need. So, we need to build the car. In two years’ time we will probably have all exact motors and solar panels and experience we need,” said Oliver.

Eugene Erfort of the Adaptronics AMTL pointed out that automotive technology is one of their focus areas. While the specific technology is different the experience gained on the Formula Student project will be useful. CPUT has taken part in the Formula Student inter-university challenge twice at Silverstone Circuit in the United Kingdom.

“Because we’ve got the history in the automotive industry we became involved in this project,” said Erfort who will handle logistics for the CPUT team entering the Challenge.

The solar electronic car which they will build for the Sasol Solar Challenge 2018, South Africa will be called CPUT Solar Flyer “because it looks a bit like a plane.”

Mechanical Engineering lecturer and project organiser Felicity Harris says if all goes well then this could be the start of future projects of this nature which can be incorporated into coursework.

In addition to helping organise the actual trip Harris is putting together an academic engagement plan.

“Part of the bigger plan is to use the project to create awareness around studying engineering at CPUT. After the competition we will take the car to schools as a talking point,” said Harris.

The 20 strong team is hard at work in the Adaptronics AMTL building, when teaching and learning schedules allow, but not all will travel to Pretoria for the actual road trip.

The team who do eventually make the journey will drive the car from Pretoria to Stellenbosch between 22 and 29 September, covering a set distance every day, and we will be able to follow their progress via social media and the CPUT website.

Written by Theresa Smith
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