Team 2020/21

Team Management

Non-technical Team

The non-technical team creates the conditions for the development of the solar car. The Marketing team is responsible for spreading our message, team spirit and our passion for innovative mobility on various media channels. The sponsorship accesses this and negotiates partnerships with industry and academia. Furthermore, the members of the non- technical teams are constantly working on organizational tasks and the general planning and supporting team activities. The management is comprised of finding members for Team Sonnenwagen Aachen. With great enthusiasm they coordinate the different areas of the team, ensure compliance with the milestones and represent the team at various events outside.

Aerodynamics

To be successful in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Australia, an aerodynamic design is vital. Our department currently consists of seven students from the areas of aeronautical engineering, production engineering, power engineering and computational engineering science. Thanks to the different areas of expertise, we are ideally equipped for the development and optimization of the aerodynamic shell of our solar car. Our goal is to develop a low-resistance and stable driving performance design for our solar car. We are convinced that our development work with thanks to the latest CFD simulations, wind tunnel tests, intelligent system integration and continuous optimization model will produce a first-class design.

Electrical Engineering

In the electrical engineering team, we deal with the electronics within the solar car. Main priorities are the photovoltaic system as the source of electricity, the battery storage system as a permanent energy reserve and the electric motor important for the drive system. In our regular meetings, we work together on the different topics around the Sonnenwagen. If you have interest, just contact Kai Smit – new members are always welcome.

Driving Strategy

The construction of an outstanding solar car alone is not enough to win the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Australia. To be the first to cross the finish line, without any strategic failures, the team driving strategy is simulating the race route in advance.These calculations help us to have an optimal driving strategy at hand during the race in every situation. In addition, we deal with weather forecasts and the communication with the escort vehicles. Our team maintains a particularly close working relationship with the electrical engineering and aerodynamics group and is providing advice on various questions on the driving strategy.

Mechanical Team

We – the chassis team – have a great challenge to build a completely new vehicle in just two years. In order to master this task, we have formed small groups of experts – depending on personal skills, experience and last but not the least preference. These are responsible for the development and design of individual components such as chassis, suspension and aerodynamics. We think it is important that the groups are in constant contact with each other and communicate directly with the “electrical engineering team”. In this way we can clarify technical issues quickly and work in the definition of interfaces that go hand in hand. We are convinced that in this way our project, the Sonnenwagen, will be a success.

Structural Components