Solar Racing / en Bronze medal finish for U of T’s Blue Sky Solar Racing team at the American Solar Challenge 2016 /news/bronze-medal-finish-u-t-s-blue-sky-solar-racing-team-american-solar-challenge-2016 <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Bronze medal finish for U of T’s Blue Sky Solar Racing team at the American Solar Challenge 2016</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/206-08-08-solar-car.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=j8yjpxa5 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/206-08-08-solar-car.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=jUNeg2cl 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/206-08-08-solar-car.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=u9vAm4ga 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/206-08-08-solar-car.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=j8yjpxa5" alt="photo of solar car on highway"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>lanthierj</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2016-08-08T16:18:55-04:00" title="Monday, August 8, 2016 - 16:18" class="datetime">Mon, 08/08/2016 - 16:18</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Horizon, the solar car designed, built and raced by the University of Toronto’s Blue Sky Solar Racing team races across Missouri on August 3 during Day 4 of the American Solar Challenge 2016 (photos courtesy: Blue Sky Solar Racing)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/engineering-strategic-communications" hreflang="en">Engineering Strategic Communications</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Engineering Strategic Communications</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/solar-racing" hreflang="en">Solar Racing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/blue-sky-solar-racing" hreflang="en">Blue Sky Solar Racing</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The University of Toronto's Blue Sky Solar Racing team has finished third in the <a href="http://americansolarchallenge.org/the-competition/ascfsgp-2016/">American Solar Challenge</a>&nbsp;–&nbsp;<span style="line-height: 20.8px;">an eight-day, rally-style solar car race.</span></p> <p>Horizon, the solar car designed, built and raced by the U of T&nbsp;team, zipped across the finish line Saturday to cheers and shouts from its&nbsp;18-member race crew.</p> <p>The event. which is divided into four stages, covers&nbsp;1,975 miles (3,178 kilometres) through the American Midwest states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska, finishing at Wind Cave National Park near Hot Springs, South Dakota.</p> <p>Horizon, <a href="http://news.engineering.utoronto.ca/blue-sky-solar-racing-team-reveals-new-solar-powered-vehicle-horizon/">an eighth-generation vehicle</a>, made the trip with an official time of 62 hours, 11 minutes and three seconds, powered only by electricity generated from sunlight.</p> <p>Of the 16 solar car teams from colleges and universities across Canada, the United States and Switzerland that qualified to race, only 11 completed the challenging course.</p> <p>“We always knew this would be an incredible experience, but to place third is really special,” said Engineering student&nbsp;<strong>Frank Gu</strong>, managing director of the Blue Sky Solar Racing team. “It’s a tribute to the hard work of all the team members who have spent countless hours designing, building and testing this vehicle over the last two years.”</p> <h2><a href="/news/blue-sky-solar-racing-university-toronto">Read more about the Blue Sky Solar Racing team</a></h2> <p>Horizon was <a href="http://news.engineering.utoronto.ca/blue-sky-solar-racing-team-reveals-new-solar-powered-vehicle-horizon/">officially unveiled last summer</a>, and in October competed in the biennial World Solar Challenge in Australia, where it placed 12th in a field of 27 vehicles. Since racing in Australia, the team has made some modifications to meet the safety regulations of the American Solar Challenge.</p> <p>The vehicle’s body is designed for aerodynamic efficiency and in June, the team took it to Ottawa for <a href="http://www.blueskysolar.utoronto.ca/?p=2283">testing at the National Research Council’s wind tunnel</a>. Horizon’s upgraded solar array and new batteries offer improved performance and reduced weight compared to previous-generation vehicles.&nbsp;</p> <p>Blue Sky Solar Racing is composed of students from across all engineering disciplines. Specialist groups, under the guidance of a ‘team lead,’ focus on particular tasks, such as maximizing the power from the photovoltaic array or optimizing the airflow around the body’s surface. The students are also responsible for logistics, sponsorship and outreach, and have showcased Horizon at a wide range of events, including <a href="http://www.blueskysolar.utoronto.ca/?p=2271">exotic car shows</a> and <a href="http://www.blueskysolar.utoronto.ca/?p=2335">maker festivals</a>.</p> <p>“On behalf of the Faculty, my warmest congratulations to the entire team,” said <strong>Cristina Amon</strong>, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering. “We are tremendously proud and inspired to see our students shine on the world stage. The competencies our students have developed through this multidisciplinary project will serve them well as they take their place among the next generation of global engineering leaders.”&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="photo of solar team" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__1654 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/2016-08-08-Race-team-%281%29.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 400px; margin: 10px 40px;" typeof="foaf:Image"></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 08 Aug 2016 20:18:55 +0000 lanthierj 99929 at