NREL Model Car Competitions NREL hosts car competitions which include building and racing solar- and battery-powered model vehicles. Middle school teams from all around Colorado participate in this fun, educational, and exciting event every May.
Building solar- and battery-powered cars requires skills in both math and science. The goals of the competition include: Generating enthusiasm for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) Improving students' understanding of scientific concepts and renewable energy technologies Encouraging young people to consider technical careers at an early age. Teams work together building cars with guidance from a parent, teacher, or coach to compete in race and design categories. A "Spirit Award" is also presented to one team recognizing good sportsmanship.
2018 Model Car Competitions The competition this year will be held on May 19, 2018. To register, please contact Marcus Giron (mailto:
[email protected]).
Sources for Model Car Kits and Accessories From the suppliers listed here, you can order kits containing solar cells modules and electric motors, surplus motors, and gears. Download the kit and component supplier list (/workingwithus/assets/pdfs/car-competitions-list.pdf) for Junior Solar Sprint and Lithium-Ion Battery model cars.
Junior Solar Sprint Solar Made (http://www.solarmade.com/store/category/junior-solar-sprint) Pitsco (http://www.pitsco.com/)
Lithium-Ion Battery Cars Horizon Hobby (http://www.horizonhobby.com/)
Resources How To Build A Junior Solar Sprint Car (/workingwithus/assets/pdfs/build_junior_sprint_car.pdf) How to Build a Li-Ion Battery Car (/workingwithus/assets/pdfs/lithium-ion_battery_car_how-to_guide.pdf) Li-Ion Battery Safety, Testing, and Compliance Coach Compliance Form (/workingwithus/assets/pdfs/coach_compliance_form.pdf) Material Safety Data Sheet Lithium Polymer Battery (/workingwithus/assets/pdfs/lithiumion_battery_materials_safety_data_sheet.pdf) Tips for Planning, Building, and Testing a Model Car (/workingwithus/assets/pdfs/model_car_tips.pdf) Classroom Investigations (/docs/gen/fy01/30830.pdf) Teachers, mentors, and their students can use this publication to explore the components of model solar cars. It includes investigations and experiments to improve car performance. So You Want to Build a Model Solar Car (/docs/gen/fy01/30826.pdf) Written for teachers and students who want to participate in JSS, this document contains teacher background on photovoltaics, classroom activities for measuring solar cell output and understanding transmission components, tips on the vehicle construction process, hints for transmission design, formulas for calculating vehicle performance, and design considerations. Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) Cars of Tomorrow: Grades 9-12 (/workingwithus/assets/pdfs/nesea_cars_of_tomorrow.pdf) This document teaches students about the impact of today's transportation systems on their communities and explores the possible effects of shifting to alternative-fuel vehicles. The curriculum includes 35 hours of activities that help students develop problemsolving, creative-thinking, and decision-making skills. Inside Tips on Parts and Construction (/docs/gen/fy01/30827.pdf) This booklet helps students identify possible options for obtaining parts to build the vehicle's drive train and chassis and provides formulas for determining appropriate gear ratios and wheel sizes. An Introduction to Building a Model Solar Car: Student Guide for the Junior Solar Sprint Competition (/docs/gen/fy01/30828.pdf) This guide assists students in the selection of components and materials for creating model solar cars. The publication identifies potential problems based on components chosen for chassis, wheels and bearings, power source, transmission and body shell and discusses possible solutions. Teacher and Mentor Guide (/docs/gen/fy01/30829.pdf) Suggestions to teachers and mentors for integrating JSS activities into their classroom curriculums are presented here. Useful background information about the role of a technical mentor, recommendations for teaching "hands-on" design in classroom groups, a description of the engineering design process, and an eight-week lesson plan can be gleaned from this guide.
Contact For more information about NREL's model car competitions, contact Marcus Giron (mailto:
[email protected]), 303-275-3047.