Solar car takes on the world

THE University of KwaZulu-Natal School of Engineering’s solar car ‘Hulamin’ is on its way to race among the best in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Australia.

Hulamin is the culmination of hard work and dedication from some of UKZN’s best engineering students, including Scottburgh ‘brainiac’ Kirsty Veale.

Named in honour of the aluminium manufacturing company which funded the project, Hulamin is five metres long, has an aerodynamically optimised design, weighs under 250kg and is nimble and agile.

Over the past two years, the ambitious UKZN solar car team has worked to enhance Hulamin with one goal in mind – to prepare it to qualify as an entrant in the 2015 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.

The car is set to make history as this is the first year the race will see an entrant from Africa.

Solar car project leaders, Kirsty and Dr Clint Bemont, said the team is extremely excited about the race.

Kirsty, a former Scottburgh High pupil and mechanical engineering graduate,  is currently completing her PhD while lecturing mechanical engineering students.

“We are hoping that our functional, reliable design will be competitive on an international level, clinching us a top seven position,” she said. “This may not seem like a very high point to aim for, but there are 37 teams in our category, most of which have budgets in the vicinity of $20-million and 20 or so years’ experience. We have four years, and a budget of only R1-million.”

The 2015 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge will be held in Australia from October 18 to 25. The race will see teams travel a distance of 3 000 kilometres from the city of Darwin in the Northern Territory to Adelaide in South Australia.

“We will be driving from Darwin to Adelaide in five days, using only the power of the sun,” said Kirsty. “Wish us luck. We have to camp on the side of the Stuart Highway, wherever we stop at 5pm every day. Quite terrifying… but very exciting!”