The
Queen's University Solar Vehicle team has designed, built and
raced nine cars, shown below. Click the timeline below to view
details on our past cars and results, or continue reading for a
brief summary of the team's history. The team is currently
building our tenth vehicle, to be raced in the North American
Solar Challenge and the World Solar Challenge in 2005.
The
team started in 1988 with our first car Photomoto. This car was
designed for, and won, the Great Canadian Solar Challenge. Since
then six other cars have been built and raced all over the world
with stunning results. Our most recent car, Gemini, came in 5th
at the American Solar Challenge 2003 (Chicago, IL to Barstow, CA).
The team finished in 4th place at the World Solar Car
Challenge '03 (Darwin to Adelaide). In both races we were
the first two-person car to cross each finish line, and were the
only Canadian entrant into the World Solar Challenge.
Queens University
Solar Car "Gemini", 2003
American Solar Challenge
The
team is made up of about one hundred undergraduate students from
Queen's University at Kingston, mainly from the Faculty of Applied
Science, the Faculty of Arts & Science, and the School of
Business. Students perform all the tasks related to the team from
engineering design and construction, to team administration and
public education. It is a valuable opportunity that provides
students with experience in engineering, management and teamwork
preparing them for the workforce of today and tomorrow.
Queen's
University's Ninth Solar Vehicle
Completed: Summer 2003
Forever filling
up with petrol? Let's face it, nearly everyone wants a solar car.
However, at
present, even fancy solar cars, ones (you see in the solar car races) are
transferring the energy from sunlight to road-wheels about the same power that it
takes to run a hair dryer. That's all, About 1500 watts.
A little
disappointed? Don't be. As with formula one racing, the
competition is fast improving the technology. That's what it
is all about.
Back in July of 2000, The Queen's University
RADIANCE bimbled its way across Canada,
visiting most major cities on its way. 'Radiance'
started from Nova Scotia July 1, 2000 and arrived in Vancouver,
B.C. July 29th. The Queens' University Solar Car team set the
Guinness world land distance record for solar vehicles.
Using only 1,000 watts of power, they drove 7044 km (4377 miles),
at an average speed of 80 km/h (50 mph) . 'Radiance'
took second place at both Sunrayce '99 and the 1999 World Solar
Challenge in Australia.
September
8, 2003: WSC Fundraising Drive in Full Swing
So what next for Queen's
University. Well, the sleek looking beastie below is
Gemini. Last year the team strived hard to raise funds for
the World Solar Challenge 2003. They needed to raise
$45,000 Those listed below contributed magnificently and
deserve a special mention:-
Faculty
of Engineering , the Engineering Society, and the
Applied Science Class of '44: $10,000
Veltom
Sales and Rentals Ltd.: $5,000
ITLMA
Foundation: $5,000
Department
of Physics: $2,000
Department
of Electrical and Computer Engineering: $5000
Suncor:
$1,000
If you are
interested in sponsoring Queen's University they'd love to
hear from you! Please email the team at solar@engsoc.queensu.ca
or call at 613-533-6682 and ask for a member
of our sponsorship crew (Andrew Smith, Kimberly Farnell,
or Andrew Mason).
American
Solar Challenge 2003 Journal
The
Queen's Solar Vehicle Team officially holds the record for
"Furthest Distance Traveled by a Solar Car in One
Journey" in the
2002 Guinness Book of World Records.
(Search for "solar car" to find our
record).
Team
News:
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July
24, 2003: Press Release & Pictures!
The team's
latest press release is now available here.
Pictures from the last day of the race are also now
available here.
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July
23, 2003: Gemini top two-seater in ASC!
Gemini
raced to a 7th place finish overall today in the
American Solar Challenge. The team finished the
gruelling 3700 km race as the top two-seater car and
second Canadian entry, despite many early setbacks. The
team is very proud of Gemini's performance and is
looking forward to some well deserved rest over the next
couple of days. To congratulate the team on a strong
race, please sign our guestbook.
Journal
entries with lots of pictures and videos have now been
updated for the 17th - 22nd. To view them, click here.
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July
22, 2003: Gemini blazes into Barstow, CA
Gemini
finished the third stage of the ASC yesterday in
Barstow, CA. The team was the sixth one into the
checkpoint and currently sits in 7th place overall. Team
members are taking a well-deserved day off before the
beginning of the final stage of the race, which runs
from Barstow to Claremont tomorrow. Racing begins at 12
PM (EST), so stay peeled to our site and the ASC
website. For a press
release on finishing the third stage of the race, click
here.
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July
18, 2003: Gemini reaches Albuquerque, NM.
Gemini
reached the end of the second stage of the ASC
mid-morning today. It was the fourth car to pull into
the stop and is currently sitting in eighth place. Read
the press release here.
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July
18, 2003: New pics up.
Team
pictures from July 10 and have been posted in the ASC
journal area.
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July
17, 2003: Up to the minute!
Queen's
is the second team to reach Amarillo, TX, the fifth
checkpoint on the race route. The team continues to chip
away at the time gap between itself and seventh place.
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July
16, 2003: Gemini jumps to 8th place in ASC.
After
a couple of rough days of mechanical problems and blown
tires, Gemini finally had a day of problem free raycing
yesterday at the ASC. The team started the 2nd stage of
the race in Rolla, Mo in 12th place, but had a
tremendous leg on route to the checkpoint in Joplin, MO,
190 miles away. The team spent the night west of Tulsa,
OK and is looking to pass through the next checkpoint in
Edmond, OK today. Press
release available here.
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July
12, 2003: Gemini qualifies for ASC!
Gemini
completed the final stage of qualification late
yesterday afternoon. The QSVT's car drove the required
140 miles on a test track, proving its roadworthiness
for ASC officials. Gemini will be one of only two
two-seater cars in the race (the other being from
Stanford), as two other two-seater cars from Michigan
and Georgia Tech failed to qualify for the race. Follow
Gemini's progress in our daily
journals and on the ASC
website.
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July
10, 2003: Gemini good to race in ASC!
Gemini
passed the final of its safety tests in scrutineering
yesterday. The team now only has to complete its
qualifying time trial, which determines the car's poll
position, tomorrow in Burlington, WIS.
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July
4 , 2003: Queen's Team Prepares for ASC 2003
Gemini, and
the Queen's team are preparing to leave for Chicago, IL
for the start of the American Solar Challenge 2003. Wish
us luck!
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June
24, 2003: Gemini in Toronto!
Gemini was
unveiled to an excited crowd of students, media and
supporters today at an event sponsored by Ontario Power
Generation. The even took place in High Park in Toronto,
and luck media were able to take a ride as a passenger
in the car! Click HERE
for pictures!
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June
20, 2003: Gemini Unveiled!
It was a
beautiful summer day as Gemini, Queen's University's
ninth solar car was unveiled today at the University
Club at Queen's. The Hon. Peter Miliken, Associate Dean
Moore of the Faculty of Applied Science and Susan Hayes,
Project Manager of the QSVT spoke about the commitment
of the students over the past two years, and the
upcoming races.
"The
staff and team have devoted countless hours, half of
them in the middle of the night", said Susan.
"We are all very excited about the American Solar
Challenge in two weeks and the World Solar Challenge in
October."
Sponsors
and the supporters of the QSVT were in attendance were
able to get up close to the car and ask questions of the
team members. For pictures of the event, click HERE.
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America
Solar Challenge
"With students behind the wheels, the high-tech and
high-efficiency solar cars will cross the Great Plains, climb the
Rocky Mountains, dart over the great American desert, and dash
across the finish line in Southern California."
Winston
Solar Challenge
["...is an international education
program designed for teaching high school students the physics and
technology associated with a road worthy solar car." Check
out their informative History
of Solar Car Racing.
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June
12, 2003: A big THANK YOU to some more supporters:
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May
16, 2003: Thanks to even more sponsors!
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LINKS:
