Aurora Solar Car Team

Despite very wet and cold conditions in Melbourne on the shortest day of the year, several intrepid Aurora members made their way to the workshop for the team's weekly planning meeting.  Excitement is high, as the 2013 World Solar Challenge Regulations were released this week; there is much to discuss and plans to be made.

Monash University Industrial Design graduate Ali and Swinburne University Product Design Engineering student David continued work on their scale clay models.  Despite an air temperature of around 10 C in the unheated workshop, Ali and David continued to make good progress.  Hopfully tonight will be uneventful; we don't need another earthquake as we had in Melbourne on Tuesday evening!

In the heated office of the workshop, Darren, Stephen, Bruce and Martin (via teleconference) discussed the new World Solar Challenge Regulations governing energy storage capacity and Cruiser Class scoring.  Although basic calculations have been made, simulation is required to optimise Aurora Solaris' design parameters.  The new Regulations allow Cruiser Class solar electric vehicles to have roughly three times the energy storage capacity of previous solar car racing cars; this change, along with the introduction of some plug-in recharging during the Event, considerably changes the dynamics of the World Solar Challenge.

Martin provided an update of his Marketing and Sponsorship efforts this week.  Martin and Ali discussed the plan to take Ali's latest scale clay model to the 3D scanning experts next week.

Darren discussed the composites procurement plan and the members present agreed to progress it with high priority.  Darren also reported the initial results of his investigation into ADR-compliant competition seats.