Junior Solar Sprint
Transportation in the United States is
expected to change radically in response to economic factors,
fluctuating oil availability and environmental constraints. The choices, the
skills and the imagination of today' s youth will define the transportation systems
that emerge in the 21st century. As
scientist and engineers, they will develop new vehicle and fuel technologies.
As citizens, they will make decisions balancing mobility, environmental and
economic needs.
Junior Solar Sprint challenges students to
use scientific know-how, creative thinking, experimentation and teamwork to
design and build high-performance solar electric vehicles. The Junior Solar
Sprint program offers teachers and students a creative approach to learning. It
is a hands-on product-based program that is both interesting and rewarding. The
results of a students thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving skills are
readily seen in the finished product as well as throughout the Junior Solar
Sprint project.
Ken Sheinkopf, “Drivers, on your mark, get
set, go. We have some competition here. We got us a race.”
Crowd cheering, clapping
Junior Solar Sprint is a national program
that was begun in 1990 by the US Department of Energy at Argonne National
Laboratory at the University of Chicago.
It is endorsed by the National Science
Teachers Association, and is hosted by the Society of Automotive Engineers, the
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, The Florida Solar Energy Center and the
University of Central Florida.
Junior Solar Sprint is a science class based
program for middle school students. Working in teams, guided by a teacher or
mentor, the students design and build a solar-powered model- sized vehicle.
Incorporating a multi-disciplinary approach to learning, the Junior Solar
Sprint program offers challenges in science, math and engineering.
Using the science of solar power and
electricity, students learn how to create and use a simple form of energy. The
sun and the solar panel provide the necessary energy to power the vehicle.
Student, “The power comes from the three volt
solar panel. As you can see the solar panel from the inside and all the
connecting wires.”
Student, “It went through the wires to the
motor, which turn the gears and made it go.”
Students use their knowledge of math to
design the vehicle and to help them determine the proper gear ratios for
propelling the solar powered car.
Student, “Gears are connected to the axle,
which makes the wheels turn when the engine runs, which occurs when the sun
hits the solar panel.”
Student, “We had a bigger gear on the axle,
and a small gear on the motor because the motor didn’t really have much guts.”
Student, “We have a gear … two gears .. on
here. The little one makes the big one run and it turns the motor and the motor
is connected to one of the wheels. And one wheel goes and all four of them go
when it is on the ground.”
Student, “There are different ways to move
the axle. There’s not just one.”
Putting it all together - constructing the
frame, attaching the motor and the wheels, and securing the solar panel to the frame - takes some engineering skill on the student's
part.
Student, “I think that one of the most
difficult part of building our car and stuff was to get it to stay, the glue.
We had glue, we had hot glue, we had epoxy and stuff.”
Student, “The hardest part about building the
car was building the frame, because you have to have it directly straight.”
Student, “How should I fit the gear into the
tire where the axle is. Whether I should mount it forward or backwards, giving
me enough room.”
Student, “Also, the wheels where a big
problem because like we would try plastic wheels and then it wouldn’t run.”
Student, “We tried some heavier wheels and
ones with less traction, but they didn’t work as well because it couldn’t catch
onto the ground and go as well.”
Student, “And I was thinking what would be
best for aerodynamics on the car.”
Student, “The place you put the solar panel,
if there is air resistance or any place that the wind comes in, your car might
slant and went the other direction.”
The Junior Solar Sprint program promotes a
creative approach to learning that requires critical thinking in engineering,
science and math. It is a hands-on program that is both interesting and fun for
the students to participate in. Junior Solar Sprint is a product-based,
goal-oriented effort. With teamwork being critical to the success of the
project, Junior Solar Sprint promotes the sharing of ideas among team members
and it promotes a shared level of responsibility among the students. The
students must draw on their individual and collective skills to identify
problems and create effective solutions to those problems. They must solve
problems like how to get the solar power to the axle; how to create an
aerodynamic vehicle with enough weight to support its elements yet light enough
to move fast; and how to create an aesthetically pleasant yet functional car.
Student, “I think team work is a lot of it
too. Because with this car you really had to work as a team with the other
girls.”
Student, “The strength that I brought was
determination. I think all of us had a will and wanted really to do the car and
get it done. But I like to get things done fast.”
Student, ”We all had probably about the equal
amount of strength because we all helped in building the car and all helped
race in the competition.”
Student,”I’m very competitive, so I always
encourage my friends to try to build faster and better cars.”
Student, “Aerodynamics is used on most cars
to help them to go down highways and stuff faster. And we used aerodynamics in
all of our cars by making a slim design and pointed to cur right through wind
and stuff.”
Student, “I learned a lot from the car. When
it runs along the eyelet I could have moved this over and the tire over to make
it go straight instead of curved.”
Student, “When we were there, we say so many
different cars and stuff that worked better. And the winning car had like
really everything was like…”
Student, “What I’ve learned was the less
weight runs faster.”
Student, “The winning car . . . just flew. It
was really interesting to see that.”
The science of solar power tied with the
mechanics of motion gives the student an avenue to new ideas and concepts.
Concepts that are apparent in real world applications of solar technologies
within our own communities. Ideas that apply and promote energy awareness and
energy efficiency in our everyday lives. These can open doors to long term
habits that are environmentally friendly.
Student, “Now that we worked with this car, I
realize that solar power is really helpful in everyday life and what an asset
it is.”
Student, “I like electricity and solar panels
that produce electricity are very useful for me and for daily life.”
Student, “I’m more surprised about how good
solar panel energy is. How good it can run.”
Student, “I believe solar panels are a very
good idea to generate power, but we still can not waste it.”
The Junior Solar Sprint competition is held
annually. It is a statewide competition held at a central location, usually on
the first Saturday in May. Past competitions have been held at Walt Disney
World's Epcot Center,--- the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame, --- the
University of Central Florida, ---the Florida Solar Energy Center --- and the
Orlando Science Center. On the Junior Solar Sprint race day, students are given
the opportunity to have their vehicles judged on design, innovative use of
materials, and performance. Each car goes through a technical inspection to
verify compliance with the rules. The cars then compete in the track portion of
the event. The vehicles race until three winning teams in each category are
determined. At these competitions the students see the results of their efforts
materialize. They see the planning pay-off. They see the teamwork pay- off. They
see the results of their labor pay-off.
Student, “I like the competition the best
with how they had it with the double elimination. Say something went wrong with
the first one, you could go back and try it again.”
Student, “The final product, you worked so
hard and everything to build the car and try to see who was faster. It was like
a healthy competition kind of thing.”
Student, “We learned a lot about solar panels
and how it works and we had a lot of fun doing it.”
Susan Schleith, “You all did an outstanding
job. In fact, that you took this on as a project tells me about how industrious
you are. And thank you. You did a great job. Every single one of you that built
a car and came out here to race.”
The Junior Solar Sprint program helps to
build creative thinking and shows students that learning can be fun. Students
learn by doing!
For more information on Junior Solar Sprint,
contact the Florida Solar Energy Center at (321)638–1000. Or find us on the
world wide web at www.fsec.ucf.edu/.
The Florida Solar Energy
Center is a research institute of the University of Central Florida
Credits:
Videography and Still Photography – Steven C. Spencer
Video Editing – Steven C. Spencer
Junior Solar Sprint logo design – Anne Marie Anderson
Additional Graphics Support – Shelli Keisling and Sherri Shields
Graphics Animation – Steven C. Spencer
Sound – Steven C. Spencer
Produced at the Florida Solar Energy Center
Space Station and Shuttle photographs courtesy of NASA
Photographs of solar powered consumer products courtesy of Real Goods Trading Corporation … Products for an Ecologically Sustainable Future
We gratefully acknowledge the support and assistance of Guytri Still and her students at Ronald McNair Magnet School, Bill Hausmann and his students at Edgewood Middle School and Amanda Byrens, Bill Byrens, Reetta Byrnes, Shao Fu Chang, Sally Ann Corbley, Chris Giblin, Penny Hall, Michael Karasevich, Chris McClure, Rachel Redlien, Treacy Redlien, Lisa Riendeau, Susan Schleith, Leah Stanifer, Jennifer Welch, Sarah Williams, Kevin Siniewski.
Copyright 2001, Florida Solar Energy Center