High School Solar Car Challenge 2022 Results

I have been following the (High School) Solar Car Challenge this year, mostly on my Twitter and Instagram accounts. The chart above shows the final lap counts for the event.

In the chart, stars mark teams that were on the podium last race (and these are also the teams that dominated this year). Black numbers show the number of laps for the race (official totals), and white numbers the laps each day (based on preliminary and unofficial results). Teams were also credited with between 15 and 20 laps for their video presentations (submitted before the race).

All of these high school teams can be deservedly proud of a job well done, but none more so then RAHS Green Energy Team (winner of the Advanced Division), who on day 3 had already beaten the race record of 659 laps which they set in 2019, and who finished with a very impressive total of 876 laps (1,314 miles)!

Iron Lions, in another attractive catamaran, came second, with 644 laps. Other division winners were:

• Advanced Classic Division: Covenant Christian Academy, with 467 laps
• Classic Division: Holy Solars (from Kent, CT, and new to the Classic Division last year), with 325 laps
• Electric-Solar Powered Division: The Heroes’ Alliance Vehicle Technology Team (from Detroit, MI), with 308 laps

Note: these numbers, and the chart above, have been edited to reflect changes to the official website.

The photograph below shows all teams (the 39 MB original image is here). For other information, see the official website.

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High School Solar Car Challenge 2022 Teams

Here are the 22 high school teams (in four divisions) who will be racing at the Texas Motor Speedway in the Solar Car Challenge this year (due to software problems, past history is only listed for some teams). Scrutineering is now in progress, and racing begins on July 17 (Sunday). The race can be followed via the event’s YouTube channel, or check out    and    (click on the icons). Best of luck to all the teams!

Classic Division

For these more basic cars, no hub motors may be used, and solar modules must be have a rated efficiency of 20% or below. Batteries must be lead-acid. Cars in this division typically weigh around 450 kg.

The Solar Schell from Kent School, Kent, CT is an example of a car in the Classic Division (image credit)

• Ballard Bombers from Ballard Memorial High School, Barlow, KY racing Flying Fortress. The car weighs 400 kg, with 16.5% efficiency panels.
• Blazin’ Bulldogs from The Delta School, Wilson, AR racing Solar Roller. The car weighs 360 kg, with 19% efficiency panels.
• Harmony Tigers from Harmony School of Innovation Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX racing The Jeoff. The car weighs 203 kg, with 15% efficiency panels.
• Holy Solars from Kent School, Kent, CT racing The Solar Schell, which also raced in 2021, winning the division. The car weighs 318 kg, with 17.9% efficiency panels.
• KCAL Solar Crusaders      from Keller Center for Advanced Learning, Keller, TX racing Rex Machina. The car weighs 363 kg, with 19.7% efficiency panels.
• Pirate Ingenuity from Brazoswood High School, Clute, TX racing Oscar. The car weighs 321 kg, with 19.6% efficiency panels.
• Solar Tigers from Harmony Science Academy Dallas, Dallas, TX racing NHAN. The car weighs 160 kg, making this the lightest car this year, with 15% efficiency panels.

Advanced Classic Division

This division is like the Classic Division, but is for schools that have participated in the event three or more times before. Cars in this division typically weigh around 350 kg.

Cougar Spirit from Covenant Christian Academy, Colleyville, TX is an example of a car in the Advanced Classic Division (image credit)

• Covenant Christian Academy    from Covenant Christian Academy, Colleyville, TX racing Cougar Spirit, which also raced in 2019 and 2021 (one of two cars from this school). The car weighs 310 kg, with 20% efficiency panels.
• Los Diableros from Presidio High School, Presidio, TX racing El Diablo Azul. The car weighs 272 kg, with 19.9% efficiency panels.
• Solar Falcon Race Team from Palmdale High School, Palmdale, CA racing Helios Falcon, which also raced in 2019, coming 4^th in the division (one of two cars from this school). The car weighs 365 kg, with 18.7% efficiency panels.
• Stony Point Solar from Stony Point High School, Round Rock, TX racing Dante IV. The car weighs 350 kg, with 18.4% efficiency panels.
• Winston Solar from The Winston School of Dallas, Dallas, TX racing Sol 3, which also raced in 2019, coming 6^th in the division. The car weighs 317 kg, with 18.5% efficiency panels.
• Wylie East Solar Car Team      from Wylie East High School, Wylie, TX racing East Beast-Xtreme. The car weighs 226 kg, with 17.2% efficiency panels.

Advanced Division

This division is for more sophisticated cars. According to the regulations, teams may use a hub motor, solar cells with a rated efficiency above 20%, prefabricated solar car molds, and other battery types. The list price for all bare solar cells must be less than $10/watt; teams may pay extra for cutting, tabbing, or lamination of cells. If teams use prefabricated solar car molds, the body constructed from those molds must be made by the team (i.e. the mold can be donated by a university team, but not the entire body). Batteries may be of any chemistry type.

Cars in this division typically weigh around 250 kg, which is roughly the same as cars built by university students for the American Solar Challenge.

High Energy #6 from Staten Island Tech HS, Staten Island, NY is an example of a car in the Advanced Division (image credit)

• Covenant Christian Academy    from Covenant Christian Academy, Colleyville, TX racing Cougar Pride, which also raced in 2019 and 2021 (one of two cars from this school). The car weighs 220 kg, with 22.2% efficiency panels.
• RAHS Green Energy Team      from Raisbeck Aviation High School, Tukwila, WA racing Jimmy. The car weighs 227 kg, with 24% efficiency panels.
• Iron Lions      from Greenville High School, Greenville, TX racing Invictus, which also raced in 2021, coming 3^rd in the division (an attractive catamaran). The car weighs 215 kg, with 24.7% efficiency panels.
• Oregon Solar Car Team      from Bend Area Schools, Bend, OR racing Lumidos, which also raced in 2021 (an attractive symmetric four-wheeler). The car weighs 226 kg, with 24.3% efficiency panels.
• Plano Green Team from STEAM Engine, Plano, TX racing Mark 2, which also raced in 2021, coming 6^th in the division. The car weighs 320 kg, with 17.5% efficiency panels.
• Staten Island Solar Car    from Staten Island Tech HS, Staten Island, NY racing High Energy #6. The car weighs 227 kg, with 23% efficiency panels.

Electric-Solar Powered Division

This unique division is for two-seater electric vehicles powered by a stationary solar battery-charging station (i.e. the solar panels are not on the cars). The solar array on the battery-charging station must be no larger than 5 meters by 1.8 meters, with solar cells at most 19% efficiency. Cars in this division also typically weigh around 250 kg.

The Blurr from Heroes’ Alliance, Detroit, MI is an example of a car in the Electric-Solar Powered Division (image credit)

• Heroes’ Alliance Vehicle Technology Team from Heroes’ Alliance, Detroit, MI racing The Blurr, which also raced in 2021, coming 3^rd in the division. The car weighs 250 kg.
• Solar Falcon Race Team from Palmdale High School, Palmdale, CA racing Electric Falcon, which also raced in 2019, coming 5^th in the division (one of two cars from this school). The car weighs 250 kg.
• Solar Jumpers from Somerset High School, Somerset, KY racing Dutchess. The car weighs 350 kg.

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High School Solar Car Challenge 2022

I have been persuaded (again) to cover the (High School) Solar Car Challenge this year, as well as the university teams now racing. Solar car racing is even more impressive when the teams are from high schools!

The charts above and below summarise past SCC track events, excluding the recently established CRUISER division. Notice that the more experienced CLASSIC teams have been separated out into their own division.

For this year, check out    and    (click on the icons). Best of luck to all the teams!

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The High School Solar Car Challenge: Day 4

Today we say goodbye to the (High School) Solar Car Challenge held at the Texas Motor Speedway. Here are the official results (dashed lines show the 2019 winners). In spite of rain on Day 1, RAHS Green Energy has done very well indeed. Covenant Christian and Wylie East have both exceeded all Classic scores since 2009, thanks to thinking seriously about aero.

The beautifully engineered catamaran from Iron Lions did not live up to its full potential, because of battery problems on Day 4. However, they still came 3^rd, in spite of only racing for three days. I expect to see this car to do very well in the future.

The three rookie teams (marked with black squares) have done extremely well. If the Classic and Advanced Classic cars were grouped together, Holy Solars would be 3^rd, KCAL would be 7^th, and WASP would be 9^th out of 10.

Let me finish with the official group photo (click to zoom), and what I believe to be the correct car identifications:

Front row: Staten Island (Advanced), RAHS Green Energy (Advanced);
Second row: Plano Green Team (Advanced), Covenant Christian (Advanced), Iron Lions (Advanced);
Third row: LISA Academy (orange shirts, Advanced Classic), Prosper (Advanced Classic), Holy Solars (Classic), Kentucky Solar Cats (Classic), Iron Lions (ESP), Covenant Christian (Advanced Classic);
Fourth row: KCAL (Classic), WASP (Classic), Wylie East (Advanced Classic), MISD Shine Runners (Advanced Classic), Coppell (ESP), NTCA (Classic), Western High School Solar Cats (ESP), Heroes’ Alliance (ESP);
Rear: All Saints (Advanced), Prosper (Cruiser).

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The High School Solar Car Challenge: Day 3

Here are the unofficial lap counts for Days 1 through 3 of the (High School) Solar Car Challenge at the Texas Motor Speedway. The symbols at the top of each bar refer to my car identification chart. Black squares next to names indicate new teams. The Holy Solars (from Kent School, Kent, CT) are doing especially well, but all the new teams have clocked up a respectable lap count.

There are several nail-biting contests going on (for 1^st place in the Advanced Division and the Advanced Classic Division; for 3^rd in the the Advanced Classic Division; for the entire podium in the Classic Division; and for 2^nd in the Electric-Solar Powered Division). Also, I am glad to see Plano Green back on the track after having a bad MPPT.

As an Australian, it is interesting to reflect on the mix of U.S. schools participating in the Solar Car Challenge. Independent Christian schools like Covenant Christian Academy and North Tampa Christian Academy appear to be over-represented, as are non-standard STEM-focused public schools like Raisbeck Aviation High School (RAHS), and public charter schools like LISA Academy North Middle High School. Certainly, whatever RAHS is doing seems to be working!

Let me finish, once again, with an action shot, although this one is from Day 2 (click to zoom):

On the inside, the red-and-white Appalachian Spirit of the Kentucky Solar Cats (Classic Division) leads Black Widow from the MISD Shine Runners (Advanced Classic). Overtaking on the outside, Staten Island’s High Energy #5 (Advanced Division) leads the current Advanced Division leader Invictus from the Iron Lions (SCC race photo).

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The High School Solar Car Challenge: Day 2

Here are the unofficial lap counts for Days 1 and 2 of the (High School) Solar Car Challenge at the Texas Motor Speedway. The symbols at the top of each bar refer to my car identification chart. Catamaran cars (stars) are doing well. Black squares next to names indicate new teams (the Holy Solars in particular are doing very well). All Saints and Coppell, who had problems on Monday, have started to put some laps on the board. Plano Green, unfortunately, had a bad MPPT.

Doing an analysis on the lap counts (just for today) reveals a surprising fact. For the six most aerodynamic cars (marked in blue on the chart below), performance decreases as the car gets heavier (although the correlation is extremely weak). This is just as we would expect, because of rolling resistance. However, for seven less aerodynamic cars in the Advanced Classic and Classic Divisions (marked in brown on the chart below), weight has essentially no effect. That is, the effect of weight is swamped by other aspects of car construction.

I also wonder why we have Classic and Advanced Classic divisions. Cars in these two divisions, starting from the top, go AC, AC, C, C, AC, C, C, AC, AC/C. There is a difference between the two groups (Advanced Classic: median 102 laps, mean 125; Classic: median 100 laps, mean 102.8), but this difference is not statistically significant.

Let me finish, once again, with an action shot (click to zoom):

On the inside, The Blurr from the Heroes’ Alliance (Electric-Solar Powered Div) leads the colourful Miss Fifinella of the Women’s Air Service Patrol or WASP (Classic Div), with KCAL’s Deus Volt (also Classic) at the rear. On the outside, the blue-nosed Cougar Pride from Covenant Christian Academy (Advanced Div) is overtaking, followed by Black Widow from the MISD Shine Runners, in the Advanced Classic Division (SCC race photo).

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The High School Solar Car Challenge: Day 1

Here are the unofficial lap counts for Day 1 of the (High School) Solar Car Challenge at the Texas Motor Speedway. The symbols at the top of each bar refer to my car identification chart. Catamaran cars (stars) are doing well, as is the symmetric streamlined car (dot) from Staten Island. Black squares next to names indicate new teams. The Holy Solars (from Kent School, Kent, CT) are doing especially well, having built a very good-looking car.

Covenant Christian Academy’s pair of almost-identical cars are about as aerodynamic as a “table-top” solar car (dagger symbol at top of bar) can be. Their Advanced Division car, Cougar Pride, is 90 kg lighter than its Cougar Spirit partner (mostly a reduction in battery weight), with more efficient solar panels, and a hub motor (which is why it has one rear wheel instead of two). I expect Covenant Christian Academy to do very well in both divisions that they’ve entered. Nevertheless, the results so far do show the aerodynamic superiority of the catamaran design.

 
Two views of the Advanced Classic Division car Cougar Spirit from Covenant Christian Academy, Colleyville, TX (SCC scrutineering photos). It has since acquired an orange nose, to distinguish it from its blue-nosed three-wheeled Advanced Division partner.

In general, I’ve been very impressed by the dedication and skill of both the experienced and the new teams. Several of these high school teams would put university students to shame. Let me finish with an action shot (click to zoom):

Staten Island’s High Energy #5 (Advanced Div) leads North Tampa Christian Academy’s The Solar Stroller (Classic Div) which is being overtaken by the colourful Miss Fifinella of the Women’s Air Service Patrol (WASP, Classic Div). Also overtaking is the orange-nosed Cougar Spirit from Covenant Christian Academy (Advanced Classic), with KCAL’s Deus Volt (Classic) at the rear (SCC race photo).

And another one:

Wylie East’s blue East Beast–Xtreme (Advanced Classic) overtakes KCAL’s Deus Volt (Classic), which is followed by the red-and-white Appalachian Spirit of the Kentucky Solar Cats, in the same division (SCC race photo).

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The High School Solar Car Challenge: car chart

As I have already said, this year I am covering the (High School) Solar Car Challenge, as well as the upcoming university competitions. The high school event (hosted by Texas Intruments) is currently taking place at the Texas Motor Speedway on July 15–22 (with Covid protocols in place). Actual racing starts on July 19.

For the benefit of those following the race from home, here is a chart of all the cars (click to zoom). The chart has been updated, and two errors corrected.

Other useful resources are:

• Official social media:    and    (click on the icons).
• Official website.
• Official YouTube page (event will be live-streamed here, probably at this link).
• Wide-angle live camera at the track (looking south).
• Motorsport weather forecast.
• Sky cover forecast.
• My list of teams (with explanation of the divisions).

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The High School Solar Car Challenge: some physics

This year I am covering the (High School) Solar Car Challenge, as well as the upcoming university competitions. The high school event will take place at the Texas Motor Speedway on July 15–22 (with Covid protocols in place), and will be live-streamed via the event’s YouTube channel. Today I want to say something about high school solar cars in comparison to world-class cars.

 
Left: Cougar Spirit from Covenant Christian Academy is a high school car in the Advanced Classic Division / Right: Nuna11 is a world-class car from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands (picture by @lightatwork)

The two main drag forces operating on cars are rolling resistance and aerodynamic drag. The former is indicated in the chart below by red lines. It is a function of the product of the rolling resistance C_rr of the tyres times the mass M of the car in kilograms.

The aerodynamic drag is indicated in the chart below by blue lines. It is a function of the product of the drag coefficient C_d of the body shape, the frontal area A of the car in square metres, and the square of the velocity.

The chart at the bottom of the page expresses the same information in terms of the power (in watts) required to overcome drag at various speeds.

At the world-class level, where special low-rolling-resistance tyres are available and cars glide through the air like a hot knife through butter (low values of C_rr M and C_d A), the aerodynamic drag is much greater than the rolling resistance at race speeds, and shaving a few percent off the C_d A value becomes critical to winning. At high school level, with cars that students can afford and racing speeds from 15 to 50 km/h (10 to 30 mph), aerodynamic drag and rolling resistance are roughly similar, and reducing the weight of the car becomes especially important. Some of the high school classes do not permit hub motors, and for those cars, reducing drive train losses is also critical.

A few high school cars in the Advanced Division are both under 200 kg and quite aerodynamic this year (e.g. Invictus from the Iron Lions and Lumidos from Oregon Solar Car Team), so it will be very interesting to see how they perform.

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The High School Solar Car Challenge: the favourites

As I have already said, this year I am covering the (High School) Solar Car Challenge, as well as the upcoming university competitions. The high school event will take place at the Texas Motor Speedway on July 15–22 (with Covid protocols in place). Actual racing begins on July 19. The race will be live-streamed via the event’s YouTube channel, or check out    and    (click on the icons).

I previously posted a list of high school teams for this year and some useful resources. But who are the favourites? Here is a chart of the number of laps which teams clocked up last race (if they indeed raced), organised by division. Some of these teams are returning in the same car, while other teams are coming back with an even better car, which means that it’s kind of hard to pick winners. We’ll have to see how the race unfolds!

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