Solar Eagle II

Prospectus

Solar Eagle III

School of Engineering and Technology California State University, Los Angeles

I. Introduction

   The Cal State L.A. School of Engineering and Technology has developed a national and international reputation in the area of solar-powered electric racing vehicles through the success of its past two Solar Eagle projects. School faculty, students and staff have gained significant knowledge and expertise in the area of electric vehicle technology. This along with our desire to win the national competition has motivated us to go forth and to design and build Solar Eagle III.
   The vehicle will compete in the upcoming Sunrayce 97, a major U.S. collegiate solar-powered electric-car race sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and in the 1998 World Solar Challenge race across Australia.
   The nine-day Sunrayce 97 will cover a 1,600 mile cross-country route from Indianapolis, Indiana to Golden, Colorado. As a participant in this event, the Solar Eagle III will be competing against forty of the most prestigious universities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

II. Project Structure

   We have enlisted Mr. Bob Steinbacher, a retired JPL Project Manager, to serve as volunteer Solar Eagle III Project Manager and oversee the four different parts of the project: 1) Mechanical/Design Fabrication; 2) Power Electronics/ Instrumentation; 3) Solar Power System; and 4) Race Strategy/Team Logistics/Fundraising.
   A special course, ENGR 454 Solar Vehicle Design, was offered in fall quarter, 1995 with two primary objectives: 1) to identify potential student team members; and 2) to efficiently train and educate student team members in solar-electric vehicle technology. The course received an enthusiastic response with seventy students enrolling.

III. Project Schedule

   The overall schedule for the project will be as follows:
Solar Eagle III project beginsSeptember, 1995
Submission of proposal to DOENovember, 1995
Notification of acceptance in Sunrayce 97January, 1996
Vehicle completedDecember, 1996
Testing phase beginsJanuary, 1997
Regional qualifier eventApril, 1997
Sunrayce 97June, 1997
1998 World Solar ChallengeNovember, 1998

IV. Background

   The Solar Eagle and Solar Eagle II projects were two of the most successful endeavors in the history of Cal State L.A. and the School of Engineering and Technology. The projects brought significant recognition to the School and to the University. They engendered unprecedented enthusiasm and pride all across the Cal State L.A. campus community. And the projects provided the more than sixty Solar Eagle and Solar Eagle II team members with the educational experience of a lifetime. Furthermore, the projects played important roles in raising public consciousness of the need for environmentally clean transportation systems.
   In 1990, Cal State L.A.’s first solar-powered electric car, the Solar Eagle, placed fourth of the thirty-two entries in the GM Sunrayce USA, ahead of entries from many of the most prestigious universities in the nation including MIT and Stanford and first of the five California entries. The Solar Eagle vehicle received the U.S. Department of Energy first place cash award for "Best Artistic Design" based on both aesthetics and workmanship. In the 1990 World Solar Challenge race across Australia, the Solar Eagle placed in the top ten in the world competing against cars built by multinational corporations including Honda, Nissan, and Swatch. The car went on to place first in the Arizona Governor’s Cup Solar Car Race held as part of the Phoenix Formula I Grand Prix in March, 1991.
   In 1993, Cal State L.A. ‘s second solar-powered car, the Solar Eagle II, won the regional qualifying event and started in the pole position in the Sunrayce 93. An unfortunate electrical system failure on the first day took the car out of contention for first place. However, the Solar Eagle II won three of the last four days of the competition, more first place daily finishes than any other entry, and finished in third place of the thirty-six car field. In November, 1993, the team traveled to Australia to compete in the 1993 World Solar Challenge. The Solar Eagle II finished thirteenth in the fifty-four car field. The vehicle averaged 37 miles per hour driving daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., bettering the Solar Eagle’s 1990 speed by over 10 miles per hour.
   The Solar Eagle and Solar Eagle II continue to bring credit and recognition to Cal State L.A. The Solar Eagle has been on display at the L.A.’s new "world-class" auto museum, the Petersen Automotive Museum, since it opened in June, 1994. The award winning video "The Flight of the Solar Eagle" which chronicles the process of designing, building, and racing the Solar Eagle, continues to be widely distributed. The Solar Eagle II is highly sought after for display in the community. A grant from Assembly Bill 2766 and the South Coast Air Quality Management District has supported a public awareness campaign to display the vehicle at schools, ride-share fairs, and at environmental and automotive shows across Southern California. The Solar Eagle II is featured in a frequently aired PBS "Scientific American Frontiers" program hosted by Alan Alda.

V. Benefits to the School and the University

   The overall goal of the Solar Eagle III project is to win the Sunrayce 97 and to place first in the university class at the 1998 World Solar Challenge. Reaching these goals will bring significant benefits to the University and to its students. These benefits are summarized as follows.
  1. The School of Engineering and Technology has carved out a niche of excellence for which Cal State L.A. is widely recognized. We feel that we can capitalize on the reputation that we have built and bring even greater recognition to the University.
  2. Achieving our goals for the Solar Eagle III project would be one of the most significant achievements in the history of the University. This accomplishment would contribute to Cal State L.A.’s fiftieth anniversary celebration scheduled for 1997.
  3. Cal State L.A. was the only "Minority Institution" of the more than fifty universities that participated in the GM Sunrayce USA and the Sunrayce 93. Success in the Sunrayce 97 will continue to demonstrate that such an institution can match or exceed the achievement of the most prestigious universities in the nation.
  4. We have developed significant knowledge and experience through the design, fabrication, and racing of the Solar Eagle and Solar Eagle II. The Solar Eagle III project will futher develop the knowledge and experience and position us for future contributions in the areas of electric vehicle technology, solar energy, and alternative transportation.
  5. Participation in the Solar Eagle III project will have tremendous educational value to our students. Student interest in the project is extremely high. Solar Eagle III student team members will benefit from involvement in a practical, “real-world” engineering design and fabrication project. Based on the impact on Solar Eagle and Solar Eagle II team members, career directions and employment opportunities of Solar Eagle III student team members will be greatly enhanced by their participation in the project.
  6. The Solar Eagle III project will assist us in our outreach and student recruitment efforts. The success of the project will stimulate young students to want to study engineering and technology and to come to Cal State L.A. for that study.
  7. The Solar Eagle III project will allow us to continue to play a role in increasing public awareness of the need for environmentally clean transportation systems. We expect significant media coverage of the project and plan to exhibit the Solar Eagle III vehicle extensively in the community.

VI. Budgeting and Resources

   We have developed the following tentative budget for the Solar Eagle III project:
Solar Cells$20,000
Motors (2)$12,000
Batteries$2,000
Electronics$20,000
Running Gear$15,000
Body$15,000
Trailer$6,000
Logistics/Qualifying event$5,000
Logistics/Sunrayce 97$30,000
Logistics/1998 World Solar Challenge$50,000
Public Relations$6,000
Technical Staff$15,000
Total                                                     $196,000

   This budget is significantly less than the approximately $300,000 devoted to the Solar Eagle project and the $250,000 devoted to the Solar Eagle II project. This reduction is a result of economies in two areas: 1) reduced costs of solar cells and batteries resulting from rule changes; and 2) opportunities for reuse of equipment and vehicle components.
As in the Solar Eagle and Solar Eagle II projects, we will seek support for the Solar Eagle III project from three sources:

  1. The School of Engineering and Technology
  2. The University
  3. Corporate Sponsors

   Our goals for funding are as follows:

School and University Support

School General Fund$10,000
IRA Funds$16,000
Lottery Funds$10,000
Alumni Solicitation$10,000
President’s Reserve $30,000
Total                         $76,000

Support from Corporate Sponsors

   The remaining $ 120,000 will be raised from twelve corporate sponsors that each contribute an average of $10,000 to the Solar Eagle III project. We are hopeful that many of our past supporters will be interested in supporting us on the project this time around. Corporate sponsors of the Solar Eagle and Solar Eagle II project include:

   Full corporate sponsors will have their name placed in the Solar Eagle III vehicle and included in all publicity material related to the project. Furthermore, representatives of corporate sponsors will be invited to all events associated with the project.

VII. Summary

   The School of Engineering and Technology at Cal State L.A. has developed a reputation for excellence in designing, building, and racing solar-powered electric vehicles. We learned an enormous amount in the process of building the Solar Eagle and Solar Eagle II which we would like to put into the design and fabrication of the Solar Eagle III vehicle. We have the knowledge, expertise, and enthusiasm to pull it all together and bring home a first place victory with the Solar Eagle III.

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