Solar race team is off

The Sunsetters are hoping the sun shines on them.

North Dakota State University's solar auto race team is currently in Chicago preparing for the 2003 American Solar Challenge.

The 2,300-mile race begins today at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry and will follow Route 66 to Claremont, Calif., where it ends July 23.

Eleven of the Sunsetters' 25 members have been in Chicago for a week having their car inspected before the race begins, said Wayne Reitz, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at NDSU and the Sunsetters' faculty adviser.

During the race, teams are given 10 to 12 hours to drive each day. They will try to do that when the sun is out, Reitz said.

While sun is ideal for powering solar cars, it is possible to drive when it's cloudy.

"On a cloudy day you maybe lose one-third of your speed because you have to run on batteries more," he said.

Under good conditions, the car can travel up to 70 miles per hour on the interstate.

"Imagine the sensation," Reitz said.

Lead and chase vans surround the race car to protect it from other vehicles on the road, he said.

The race is not only about speed, but also about strategy.

"The first time we raced (in 2001) we had to learn the strategy the first three or four days," he said. "We figured out it's more than just pushing the pedal down."

Referees travel with each of the 30 teams to ensure they follow the rules.

There are two race classes: open and stock. In the open class, teams can spend as much as they want on solar cells and batteries, often using types similar to those used in outer space, Reitz said. Cars in this class can cost anywhere from $1 million to $5 million, he said.

"Those guys (open class) finish the course in three days -- they just go that much faster," he said. "They have more power."

In the stock class, where the Sunsetters compete, teams use terrestrial solar cells, which are less expensive, less high-tech and have more weight. The Sunsetters' car cost about $150,000.

There is a 170 to 175 pound minimum weight requirement for the driver, Reitz said. If he or she doesn't weigh at least that much, sand is added to the car.

"Basically, the lighter cars win, so the weight requirement makes the competition fair," he said.

The Sunsetters' PrairieFire GT, is a newer, lighter version of the car they drove in the 2001 American Solar Challenge. That year the team finished fourth out of nine teams in the stock class and 21st overall.

The four-wheeled car is 5 meters long by 1.8 meters wide by 1 meter high. That's roughly 16.5 feet long, 6 feet wide and 3.3 feet tall. The car weighs about 850 pounds, much less than its 1,100 pound predecessor.

A University of North Dakota team that competed two years ago, did not enter the race this year.

Scott Tolbert, faculty adviser for the UND team, said the team is focusing on building a fuel cell car to race in the future.

Fuel cell cars run on hydrogen rather than solar energy. In 2005 solar and fuel cell cars may race side-by-side, he said.

The UND team spent this year doing research and development into a fuel cell car.

The American Solar Challenge is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and its National Renewable Energy Laboratory and is meant to promote solar power, Reitz said.

To follow the Sunsetters' progress throughout the race, check out the Web site at www.americansolarchallenge.org or the Sunsetters' site at www.sunsetters.org .

Readers can reach Forum reporter Meghan Perry at (701) 235-7311