FURTHEST TRAVELLING SOLAR CAR -TamilYoungsters.com
Solar panels on the large, flat, upper surface absorb energy from the sun to power the vehicle.
Aluminium frame and a Kevlar-composite body make the car light but strong.
Midnight Sun is thin and low – no space for any passengers or luggage.
MIDNIGHT SUN
Imagine a car that can run forever on no fuel – how cool would that be? The Midnight Sun solar car can do just that, as it takes all its energy from sunlight that falls on its flat upper surface.
Each Midnight Sun car takes about two years to make – they’re all made by hand by the engineers of the Midnight Sun Solar Rayce Car Team formed by students at the University of Waterloo in Canada. Midnight Sun VII holds the world record for the longest single journey covered by a solar vehicle: a 15,070 km trip through the USA and Canada in 2004.
HOW SOLAR CELLS WORK
Light is made up of photons – tiny parcels of light energy. A solar cell has two layers of semi-conductor with a slice of silicon in between. The photons pass through the top layer of semiconductor and strike the silicon. At this point, an electron is knocked off by each photon. The electrons are trapped in the top layer of semiconductor and fl ow out as electric current. The power can be used to charge up a battery or used immediately.
SUN IN SPACE In space,
sunlight is available all the time and is much stronger than on Earth. Satellites often use solar panels to provide the power they need to run electrical equipment. They can be angled to catch the most sunlight as the satellite moves through space
CATCHING THE SUN
Midnight Sun X has 403 Sun Power A300 solar cells with a total sun-trapping area of 6m2. The energy caught by the solar cells is stored in a lithium polymer battery.
SAILING IN THE SUN
NASA is looking at ways of propelling spacecraft very long distances through space. As there is no air resistance in space, a tiny amount of thrust can move a vehicle a long way. One possibility is solar sails. As photons fall on the sail, they push the vehicle through space, just like wind pushes a yacht over the water.
