________ Going the distance _______

Students from the US-based Purdue University have built a long-distance racing car called PULSAR (Purdue Ultra-Light SolAr Racer).


The car has an energy efficiency equivalent of 2,088 kilometres per litre of petrol – more than ten times the distance between Mumbai and Pune.


A mathematical calculation was used to convert the car’s electricity consumption to kilometres per litre of petrol.


Most of the car’s body is covered with panels containing photovoltaic cells, which convert sunlight to electricity to power a motor.


The three-wheel vehicle weighs a mere 77 kgs, and has a top speed of about 40 kmph. Several modifications were made to PULSAR by the students, whose disciplines ranged from engineering to business administration.


The students modified the motor, made several adjustments to to the suspension, steering, and brakes for peak efficiency.


The car cost about $86,000 to build and modify. More than 50 students, mostly undergraduates, participated in the project, averaging 20-40 work hours a week.


Project teams ranged from groups focusing on the carbon-fiber body to the braking and suspension systems, as well as critical business and fundraising functions.


“The team functions as a project team would in industry. We have a budget and schedule to design and build the vehicle.


We perform testing, and we work with different disciplines to accomplish our goals.” said MacKenzie Sellers, a senior in materials engineering and president of Purdue Solar Racing.


The PULSAR has recently won an international competition for fuel-efficient vehicles in the the solar-car category.
The students plan to design a new ‘urban concept’ car called Celeritas — Latin for swiftness — which will be designed and built from scratch, Sellers said.