Coppell Solar Racing Team

The Race is announced!

2012-02-02T15:37:00.002-06:00

Hey everyone!
We just found out that the race for this summer will be at the Texas Motor Speedway instead of Cross Country, due to economic concerns.

Due to this change of events, the team has split two groups, a small team mainly composed of seniors which will be improving Aurora 10- the car which raced last summer- and the rest of the team will work on the new car, Aurora 13. Aurora 10 will be undergoing many design improvements, with the main goal being to drop weight. The design of Aurora 13 is currently underway, with the suspension nearing completion and other parts' designs underway.

Plano race

2012-01-30T10:55:00.003-06:00

This is the FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT for theSaturday, April 14th Solar Car Challenge Drive & Display at the City of Plano's Learn 2 Live Green Expo.

Teams would assemble at the fabulous Plano BMWClassic Facility on Tennyson Parkway and drive to Hewlett-Packard's WorldCorporate Office, and then continue to the upscale Shops-at-Legacy for a daylong display.

We anticipate an estimated 30,000people, both "on-the-road" for the 3 mile drive, and on display atthe Shops-at-Legacyin Plano. We also expect huge media turnoutbased on "moving" solar cars!

Pegasus!

2012-01-23T16:43:00.003-06:00

A company named Pegasus has recently donated a thousand dollars to the Coppell Solar Racing team. Pegasus is an aerospace consulting firm that runs mainly on the work and dedication of Christopher Wilt. The Pegasus consulting firm has had a large part in the success of the Cornerstone Research Group, Inc. (based in Dayton, Ohi0), Moiré Incorporated (based in Issaquah, Washington), TRI/Austin, Inc. (based in Austin, Texas), and Triumph Aerostructures - Vought Aircraft Division (based in Dallas, Texas). A big shout out to Pegasus Aerospace, thank you for giving us more company contacts and the generous donation of $1,000!

For more information, go to http://www.pegasus-aerospace.com/ !

Team preaenting

2012-01-21T14:17:00.001-06:00

The team is presenting at the "New Teams Workshop". We've also gotten some good information as well.

The Race is on!

2012-01-18T11:54:00.000-06:00

We just received word that the 2012 Solar Car Challenge will be held at Texas Motor Speedway July 16-19. Due to uncertainties in the economy and fuel prices, the race organizers have decided to hold off on the cross-country trip from Dallas to LA until 2013. This gives us an extended time to complete the new car while still having our old car available for the race. Development on the new car is not stopping or slowing. As always, we are hoping to have the new car ready this summer, but are still holding to the belief that it is better for the car to be done right even if it means that it is not ready for the race this summer.

We hope to see you at the track this summer. Be sure to bring a hat, sunscreen and plenty of water.

Soldering the cells has started

2012-01-06T10:21:00.000-06:00

We've started on the solar array. The electrical team is learning how to solder the cells right now. It is a steep learning curve (some of the team members swear it is vertical). We've broken a few and finally have successfully tabbed one! Check out the photos.

Celanese -Platinum Sponsor

2012-01-03T11:03:00.000-06:00

We would like to Celanese for sponsoring us at the Plantinum level this year. The team gave a presentation to the company earlier in the fall. We are looking forward to developing our relationship with the company. In addition to financial support, Celanese is also offering mentorships for the team. Having industry professionals work with our student members is a huge asset to the team. It give our students an opportunity to find out more about Science and Engineering professions as well as develop their own skills as a team.

Celanese is a Fortune 500 global technology and specialty materials company with its headquarters in Dallas, Texas. The company is a leading producer of acetyl products, which are intermediate chemicals for nearly all major industries, and is the world's largest producer of vinyl acetate monomer (VAM). You can find out more about Celanese on their website at www.celanese.com.

Thanks to Missouri

2011-12-21T10:06:00.002-06:00

We'd like to give a big shout out to the Missouri S&T Solar Car team for all their help. You guys have been great with helping our members and answering all the questions we have. We'd like to wish everyone a great holiday season!

Meeting!

2011-10-24T16:12:00.002-05:00

Another meeting! :) The Drive-A-Thon has been moved to November 6th, make sure you're there! We're working on getting funds and sending out the newsletter, along with designs today!

Meeting!

2011-10-17T16:56:00.002-05:00

Another meeting! We're working on designs for the car and preparations for the EXPO! Don't forget, Drive-A-Thon is October 22, and the EXPO is November 6!

2011-10-03T16:13:00.001-05:00

Meeting! Drive-A-Thon has been changed to October 22! Update your calendars! :)

Sponsor Announcement

2011-09-29T21:06:00.001-05:00

We would like to thank The Ratliff Group. They met with the team earlier this week. The Ratliff Group has agreed to continue their relationship with Coppell Solar. We are happy to announce that the Ratliff Group will continue as a Gold level sponsor for the 2012 season.

The Ratliff Company, LLC was founded in 2002 with the goal of providing independent representation for the Commercial Development and Automotive Industry that was missing in the market at that time. Since then, the firm has been honored to be involved in a wide variety of projects and to continues to perform projects for former and repeat clients, their friends and business associates.

We invite you to see more about The Ratliff Group at www.ratliffgroup.com.

Mentor/Volunteer Orientation Change

2011-09-24T13:35:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the change, but we have to move the mentor/volunteer orientation to a new day. We will offer it on two different days. Tuesday 9/27 and Thursday 10/6. Both will be at 7pm still. We are trying to get the lecture hall. If that doesn't work, we will meet in C203. Thanks for your understanding.

Parade

2011-09-21T11:05:00.002-05:00

The students had a lot of fun in the Homecoming Parade on Monday. Here is a photo of the Solar Car as it made its way down the parade route. If you have other photos to add, please send them in. We will also be uploading these to our photo site.

Volunteer help - No experience necessary

2011-09-20T19:32:00.002-05:00

Our team need your help. We have record numbers of students participating. No experience is required. We need all kinds of help. If you are able to help in any way, we will have an orientation meeting on Thursday, 9/29 at 7pm in the Engineering Classroom (C203).

Mentors for helping students (technical, business, operations, technology, etc.)
Lab/classroom monitors
Meals/snacks
Transportation
Fundraising
All kinds of other help.

Homecoming Parade

2011-09-20T09:29:00.001-05:00

We had a great time at the homecoming parade. This was the first year we were able to get all of the teams together for it. The MATE Team did a great job with the mock-up and bubble machine. Everyone had a blast and the weather was perfect. Thanks to all the parents and supporters who showed up and cheered for us. A huge thanks to David Gill for towing the trailer for us! See you in December at the Christmas Parade of Lights.

Parade prep

2011-09-19T18:10:00.001-05:00

Nicholas Cage eat your heart out. We just hot wired the car.

Brakes

2011-09-08T15:35:00.001-05:00

We broke the brake cable on the main brakes last week. Thanks to Mr. Cowan, we are now getting those repaired. Josh and Carter are getting them fixed right now in the lab.

Tuesday work

2011-09-06T21:55:00.001-05:00

The team did a great job. We have several more new members today. The officers did great at getting them on board.

Yesterday's Meeting

2011-09-06T16:32:00.002-05:00

Yesterday at 9am the team came up to drive the car around and take some data. We found a break in our brake cable that we are fixing right now. We're looking forward to driving in the homecoming parade!

Labor Day Testing

2011-09-05T13:00:00.002-05:00

We got the car out this morning to start training the new members and to begin prepping for the Homecoming Parade. Good thing we did. The team learned a lot today and we discovered a broken brake line. All is well and we will be ready for the parade. We made several laps around the parking lot.

2011-09-01T16:33:00.002-05:00

Team's working hard to get the team running into a regular routine so we can be more productive.

Todays Meeting

2011-08-29T16:50:00.001-05:00

We are working on the homecoming parade and planning for potential upcoming events like the Drive a thon.

School Board Recognition

2011-08-28T17:50:00.002-05:00

The 2011 team will be recognized at the School Board Meeting on Monday, August 29th. Way to go team!

Lab

2011-08-28T10:15:00.002-05:00

The team worked in the lab all day Saturday getting it cleaned up and rearranged so that we have a good place to work.

First official meeting!

2011-08-22T17:11:00.000-05:00

Today's the first official meeting of the 2011/12 school year! We just elected leadership positions and everyone has their assigned groups.

Race Wrap up

2011-08-03T11:08:00.001-05:00

The car did great. We logged in 325.5 miles over the 7 sessions. We were able to run the entire race and coasted in on fumes. Great job team. We are looking forward to next summer when we race from Dallas to California.

Racing Day Three

2011-07-20T23:11:00.000-05:00

Today we had a great run! Throughout the day, the clouds caused us to slow down a bit but we were able to maintain a steady pace. In the morning session, our team captain, Michael Hays, drove our car around Texas Motor Speedway a total of 32 times during the session. After lunch, Nick Chapman drove our car for a total of 32 laps. This unofficially puts the team in 8th place for the day and 160 total laps. We will have to wait for the drivers' meeting in the morning for the official results.

Race Day 2 - Session 1

2011-07-19T12:31:00.001-05:00

Great first session of Day 2, we got in 34 laps and our drivers were Raj Panesar and Nick Chapman. Eating lunch now, we will begin racing at 2:00 pm and later we have a parade in Roanoke. We're currently in 5th place.

Race Day 1

2011-07-18T21:44:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the late post, it has been a crazy first day. The car passed scrutineering this morning and was officially accepted into the race. Aurora left the starting line at 2:30 and completed 33 laps in 3 hours without any pit stops, driver changes, or breakdowns. Nick Chapman, our pit crew chief, drove the entire time and did a great job. Tomorrow morning the judges will announce what place we are in based on today's driving. Also, go to WFAA to see interviews and video of Aurora.

Day 1 of Racing

2011-07-18T21:36:00.000-05:00

The first day of racing went great. In the morning we finished scrutineering with the endurance test, and began racing by 2:30. We averaged a speed around 16 mph with our driver, Nick Chapman, to allow for us to receive a baseline of power usage data for the race. We also wanted to make sure enough energy was available in case of cloud coverage that is expected tomorrow, and later in the week. Unofficially, we finished in 5th place for the day in the classic division with 33 completed laps. We'll have to wait till tomorrow until the official results from the judges are released. Can't wait to begin racing tomorrow!!

Finished Day 1 of Scrutineering

2011-07-17T16:47:00.001-05:00

Finished the first day of Scrutineering. CSRT was the first team to pass the Mechanical inspection! Saagar handled the breaking test very well, completing it on his second try. The only trouble we had today was with the Electrical inspection of the car, where a current was found in the frame of the car. After taking the car back to the high school, the short was found to be with the brake light switch and the problem was fixed. Tomorrow we finish scrutineering with an Endurance test, and then begin racing around 2:00. Finally, we get to race!

Scrutineering Day 1

2011-07-17T10:50:00.000-05:00

Finally here at the hotel and just passed the slalom course. We've got all our drivers accepted and we're moving much faster than we expected. Can't wait til tomorrow when the race starts. Looks like it's going to be alot of fun!

The Motor is on

2011-06-30T13:13:00.001-05:00

The motor has been mounted and the team is working on aligning the belt. It's coming along. We are also updating the website. Should be live soon.

Mounting the motor

2011-06-29T18:25:00.001-05:00

We are finishing the motor mount. Thanks to David Gill for getting it fabricated for us.

Putting on side panels

2011-06-29T11:16:00.001-05:00

We are currently mounting some side panels for sponsor logos and to protect the electrical bay.

New Welder

2011-03-07T21:46:00.000-06:00

I'd like to thank Greenscape Pump for their recent donation to the team. Today we received a new welder. The students are so excited. It's fun to watch our students get so excited over equipment. This will help the team tremendously. Thanks!

Tomorrow's GAME PLAN - FIRST

2011-02-14T23:07:00.000-06:00

GAME PLAN FOR TOMORROW:

Meet after school, add the last finishing structural changes

(After testing today, the robot was able to score the inner tube at the 9 foot level. But it was unstable and hit a few glitches...)

...and of course, this will be followed by testing.

And fixing, and testing, and testing, and you get the picture.

Stay tuned for more updates!

P.S. Did I mention our twitter? chs_engineering

First Basics, for those of you who are wondering

2011-02-14T23:02:00.000-06:00

Okay, so many of you are probably wondering what FIRST is and what we are trying to do this year. I posted a few things on twitter, but since there's a word limit, there's only so much I can explain on there.

FIRST Robotics is a 6 week robotics competition. This year's challenge is to build a robot to score different shaped inner tubes. Another part of scoring is deploying a minibot that must climb an 8 foot pole.

Currently, the robot stands at 4 feet, 10 inches and reaches with a single arm to a maximum height of 9 feet. The arm is hooked up to belts and a fisher price gear box motor setup for greater torque. Two springs counterbalance the arm, so the center of gravity maintains stable.

The team is now in week 6/6 of the competition. (Because we missed a week for bad weather, time has become even more of an issue than usual.)

Right now, the robot is working, but it is a bit unstable, so the FIRST team is working tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after that, on until the job gets done (or, more likely, until February 22, the robot send off date- though they will meet consistently after that as well).

FIRST Robot Ship Date coming soon!

2011-02-14T22:44:00.000-06:00

Our FIRST team is working frantically to finish the robot in time for...

ROBOT SHIP DATE

on February 22 at noon.

Carolyn Mason and the team are working constantly on this; wish us luck!

Official JETS update email example

2011-02-13T15:43:00.000-06:00

So I'm signed up to get updates from the official JETS website (Junior Engineering Technical Society for those of you who are wondering) and this is one of the emails they send me. You can see more of what they do at www.jets.org!

(Oh, and we have a workday tomorrow - get excited!)

Twitter!

2011-02-12T17:59:00.000-06:00

Hey, make sure to follow our twitter! We're at chs_engineering, and we WILL be updating it with jokes, updates, and anything else related to our team, solar cars, or engineering in general. Czech it out! (pun intended)

www.twitter.com/chs_engineering

We've been back (since X-Mas) and making progress!

2011-02-12T17:22:00.000-06:00

We've been back from the Holiday Break for a month now, and despite all the ridiculous weather conditions Coppell has experienced in the past few weeks, we've made significant progress on the car!

Our two teams are still functioning, with the seniors working on fixing the old car and the juniors and underclassmen learning the mechanics and skills they need to design another car. We recently started welding again; it's pretty exciting! It's great to be back :)

Monday

2011-01-23T19:21:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow's Monday, meaning that it's a workday. We're going to get more work done on the car-- it's going to be fun!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T13:01:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year from CSRT!

We are meeting over the holidays to continue to work on our various tasks. As of right now we have divided into two groups; the senior members are working on Aurora, fixing certain aspects of the car, while the new members are learning about the mechanics of solar cars. Kaelan has taken charge of the underclassmen and is leading them through the work that the team has done in the past. If we can't learn from our mistakes, then we will just repeat them. We are trying to pass on our knowledge to the new members so that we can have a repertoire of experiences to draw from in the coming year and those that follow!

2011! :)

EXPO was a success

2010-11-09T23:14:00.000-06:00

The EXPO was a huge success. Thanks for all those who came out to see us!

We moved the electrical team meetings to Thursdays (meaning I can come to all of them :] ), so we will be having one of those in a couple of days.

There was a workday yesterday, Monday November 8. The highlight was Ali throwing a marble at another team member without meaning to and hitting them HARD and full on the head. :)

Next meeting Thursday!

EXPO DAY IS HERE!

2010-11-07T11:49:00.000-06:00

Today is the Engineering EXPO at Coppell High School!

We're all at the school prepping; it starts at 2PM but there is so much to get ready.

For solar car, we have a booth inside and a booth outside, which is where the car will be situtated. Several of us are outside (we need to dress warmly; it's getting a little chilly) and a few are inside.

We hope to see you at Coppell High School between 2 and 5 PM to see all the work the Engineering students have been doing AND to visit with the 41 colleges we have coming!

Why won't the camera work?!- Prepping for the football game

2010-11-05T17:00:00.000-05:00

Right now we are all trying to get the car ready to take over to the Coppell High School stadium, where it is going to be featured. This is the last home game of the year.

I have been trying to get the camera to work; Kaelan has managed to take one picture. Nojan is going to be in charge of taking pictures for the set up.

We have a few banners that we will be hanging around the car. (Slight detail- how will we get them on and where will we put them?) We will get it figured out soon.

The brochures are ready and we will be handing them out at the game!

3 DAYS TIL THE EXPO!

Workday Highlight: Nick and the Safety Officer Hat

2010-11-04T18:53:00.001-05:00

Today we had a workday from 4 - 6:30 PM.

We're prepping for the FOOTBALL GAME TOMORROW NIGHT! We will feature the solar car, hand out fliers, and have it around to show off before the game and until Halftime!

This is Coppell's last home game of the season. The seniors (including me) are sad that they won't get to see any more games. :(

We set up shifts for the sophomores and juniors to participate in. (By the way, there are only two juniors: Kaelan and Trevor).

I ran through the electrical system and the basics of the car with the sophomores today. Rinu Daniel and Bella Shah, new additions to the team, took the lead in making fliers and brochures to hand out at the football game and EXPO. I worked with one sophomore, Ragho Chamkura, to make an info sheet for all the sophomores to reference, in case a veteran team member isn't there when someone is asking a question.

We all had a blast today; Nick (I swear) is going to propose to this safety officer helmet (AKA Bike Helmet) we have; it has an amber flashing light taped to its top. He might seriously wear it to school....

The team is meeting after school tomorrow to set up for the game! :)

4 DAYS UNTIL THE EXPO!

Working tomorrow. 5 days left!

2010-11-03T18:56:00.001-05:00

We are having a regular team meeting tomorrow at 4 PM.

The EXPO is now in 5 days!

Remember to check out our website (www.coppellsolar.org) and twitter; search chs_engineering.

If you have any questions or need any more information, feel free to email us at coppellsolar@gmail.com.

6 Days Until the Expo!

2010-11-02T18:03:00.000-05:00

Only 6 days left until the Coppell Engineering EXPO!

Remember, it's on Sunday, November 7 from 2-5 PM at Coppell High School.

We are working hard to make this year's EXPO a success - come out to check out what the Coppell School of Engineering is up to!

Working today :)

2010-11-01T15:04:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone,

Today we have a workday scheduled after school beginning at 4:00 PM. We're still planning for the EXPO coming November 7 (have I mentioned how excited we are?).

Additionally, our Electrical Team mentor, Mr. Gary Kidwell, is coming to meet with the Electrical team, as he has been doing for over a month now. We are very glad that he is helping us; currently, we are testing the capacity of the new batteries and developing a chart to measure battery statistics.

We are planning on having a day each month where we drive around town in Aurora. I'll be posting the dates that we're going to do this each month on here, so stay tuned!

Engineering Expo Coming November 7!

2010-10-29T20:50:00.000-05:00

We're all getting ready for the Coppell Engineering EXPO coming up next Saturday, November 7! It will be at Coppell High School (185 W Parkway Blvd, Coppell, TX 75019) and will last from 2-5 PM.

We're working on getting a display ready to show off the car! We're also working on getting a JETS (Junior Engineering Technical Society) booth ready, as well as a SWE (Society of Women Engineers) booth. :)

The EXPO is a great place for colleges to come meet prospective students. Last year had over 45 colleges and universities present, including MIT, CalTech, UT, A&M, and many more! We had over 3,000 people in attendance.

We're all very excited for Saturday!

Still in Progress

2010-07-21T14:45:00.000-05:00

We are still working on getting the car up and running. Thus far it looks like we will definitely be able to run next Friday and Saturday.

Kaelan took a video of our wheel blowout on Friday during Scrutineering. Hopefully we will be able to upload that later.

Progress Update: Fixing the Car

2010-07-19T18:35:00.001-05:00

The team is working quickly and efficiently to get the car fixed for good.

We have cleaned up the wiring in the electronics bay and covered the wires in the driver compartment. A couple of team members are looking at brakes.

Currently some members are going to the school to pick up a few tools, while others are at the shop working on putting locktite on parts of the car and organizing information.

The suspension is coming along; in fact, we discovered a weak weld near the shocks an hour ago when a team member ripped off the weld while trying to disconnect the shocks to realign them. This weld is relatively simple to repair, and fortunately we found the weakness now rather than later on during operation. Team members are continuing to fix it currently.

Research and Redesign

2010-07-19T11:42:00.000-05:00

Today, the team has begun researching and redesigning parts for the car. Everyone is hard at work, trying to identify the problems that were caused by the blowout at scrutineering. We will have to find completely new wheels along with new rear shocks that can handle the weight of the car. Rishi, Saagar, and Nick are heading up the search for wheels, while Michael and David are adjusting the front shocks and looking for replacements for the rear shocks. According to which wheels they find, the spindles on the kingpins may have to be changed.

Although the team has met problems, we are still determined to get this car done and show everyone the result of our hard work.

Sending off the teams

2010-07-18T17:36:00.000-05:00

This morning, CSRT members went up to Texas Motor Speedway to send off the other teams in the Hunt Winston Solar Car Challenge 2010. We were excited to see all the other cars and be able to see a part of the race first hand! It was a pleasure to meet all the representatives of the race and to discuss the other cars designs with team members from Mississippi, Florida, and other teams, including some from Texas itself.

The crowd gave the cars a rousing sendoff, and Coppell even recieved one round of applause for supporting the teams, although we were not able to race.

It was a pleasure to send off the other cars participating in the race!

Meeting Update

2010-07-17T13:43:00.001-05:00

This morning the team met to decide on a new game plan. We will now be racing on Friday, July 30 and Saturday, July 31.

The team has devised a schedule to complete the car and get it running by those dates. We are also working on communicating to all our supporters and sponsors the sad news. However, we are excited for next Saturday and Sunday and hope you will continue to support us.

Tomorrow the team is going to the Hunt Winston Race to see off all the other teams.

Sad News

2010-07-16T21:20:00.001-05:00

Unfortunately, the car experienced a catastrophic blowout today during scrutineering. The metal wheel is damaged beyond repair. We will not be able to replace the wheels in time to complete scrutineering in the morning.

The team is not giving up on completing the car, though. They are working this week to have the car back up and running ASAP. Stay tuned for more details.

Car without Panels!

2010-07-15T10:45:00.000-05:00

Here is the car without the panels on! The blue covering is shrink wrap to protect the car components from water and other flying debris.

Race tomorrow!

2010-07-15T09:06:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is scrutineering for the race and we have had amazing progress with the car.

Yesterday night we drove it around the school and were able to test the u-turn radius, which was extremely good!

Now the team is working hard to get everything working and packed! We still have to mount the panels ASAP.

Stickers for the sponsors to go on the car are coming in today at some time and I am going to have to pick them up. They will go on the access panel to the electronics bay with a lot of prominence.

Progress

2010-05-23T11:31:00.000-05:00

Today the electrical team continued to wire the model car to ensure that all connections with the panels, batteries, and other electronics fit properly within the car to ensure that all connections will work and not get caught up inside the vehicle. This is important because for the race, the car needs to be street legal including lights. Members also continued welding the frame together working towards our closing deadline. The team also received the butterfly steering wheel the team had ordered. The team would like to remind everybody that the dates for the race this summer is July 18th to July 27th from Texas Motor Speedway to Golden, Colorado. The team hopes to have a fully functional solar car that will be driving around Coppell by June the 1st.

Mechanical Progress: May 15th

2010-05-17T18:04:00.000-05:00

Today, the mechanical team finishing cutting all of the metal for the frame. They began to tac-weld parts of the frame together.
Michael Hays also redid the SolidWorks design to make the metal parts easier to cut and to adjust for the new orientation of the solar panels.

We will be sending out our May newsletter soon. Also, remember to come to our car's unveiling on June 1st!

Saturday, May 8th

2010-05-09T12:58:00.000-05:00

Today, our racing seat came in!

The mechanical team redesigned the battery box and fixed some problems with the front suspension. They also ordered parts for the rear axle, more metal bars, and Plexiglas.

Team instructor Mike Yakubovsky and captain Sara Saastamoinen received the preliminary race route from the Hunt-Winston School Solar Car Challenge. They worked on assignments for the race.

Progress

2010-04-29T20:53:00.000-05:00

Today, Rishi Samani, Michael Hays, Saagar Patel, Raj Panesar, and Kaelan Cowan discussed the suspension and what needed to be changed with it. Michael made the revised suspension in Solid Works, while Rishi, Saagar, Raj, and Kaelan finished the 8020 suspension. The team is working hard to finish the 8020 model of the car, as it is due this Saturday, May 1st.

In addition, Sara Saastamoinen and Rishi discussed what jobs there are going to be during the race and who is going to fill in the spots for the jobs.

Earthfest Showing

2010-04-26T17:08:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday members of the Coppell Solar racing team showed off the '08 car at Earthfest, an Earth day inspired event sponsored by the City of Coppell. The event went well with a lot of people coming to look at our Solar Car and listen to what we had to say about our program. Thank you for all who came out to see the car!!

The team is continuing to prepare for the race, and is panning to have the car finished by May 1st. We hope to have the car done by May 1st so that we can begin testing the car and fixing any problems that show while testing. Be looking out for our car because the team wishes to drive the car around town for everyone to see.

Mechanical Progress

2010-04-15T18:18:00.000-05:00

Today, Mr. Gill came to our work session. He discussed changing the king pin mounting design with the mechanical team. The mechanical team also tweaked minor problems with the frame and suspension. They redesigned the model frame to represent the car more accurately. The team also discussed angles and the positioning of solar panels and supports; they also discussed the schedule for the arrival of the suspension components and other miscellaneous parts.

Ali Brinegar made a comprehensive outline and schedule for the upcoming newsletters, podcasts, and blog posts. And, the team also discussed plans for the upcoming Earth Fest on Saturday, April 24th.

Progress

2010-04-12T18:24:00.000-05:00

Today Saagar Patel and Raj Panesar cut some pieces from our new 8020 Aluminum Extrusion (mock assembly metal). We are now using this material to create a mock of the frame because it is easier to work with than steel since there's no welding involved. Rishi Samani and Chris Klasing have been measuring out where the solar panels are going to be placed. The electrical team discussed the pros and cons of the new mock frame.

Progress

2010-03-22T20:35:00.000-05:00

Nick and David have consulted with Mr. Heaton of Gates corporation about the drivetrain and what style should be selected. A drivetrain was chosen based on the maximum performance rather than constant performance so parts would not fail if a maximum performance situation presented itself during the race.

Also Kaelan worked on establishing the angle of the driveshaft and Steering wheel on the car. The Team has also chosen to choose a Butterfly style steering wheel rather than a standard one.

If you wish to support our team visit our website's Adopt-A-Cell page. The funds would go towards making the project go smoothly and allowing the team to attaining the level the team would like to be at.

Rear Suspension, Websites, and Team Application

2010-03-06T15:53:00.000-06:00

Today Ricky Bureau, Kaelan Cowan, mechanical lead Rishi Samani, and welding expert Michael Wise worked on the rear suspension for the car in the morning hours of the day. They cut pipes, grounded the edges down so that they weren't sharp, and began prepping for welding the rear suspension together.

Team sponsor Mike Yakubovsky and Rishi took the four bottom parts of the rear suspension back up to the high school where they used the mill to drill half-moon holes in the ends of the pipes where the tubes will later connect.

Then in the afternoon, Saagar Patel and Michael Hays cut metal tubing for the rear suspension. Rishi and Michael Wise began tacking the components of the rear suspension together. Next week, we will begin to Mig welding.

During this time, team captain Sara Saastamoinen worked on the layout and appearance of both the Coppell Solar blog and team website. She also worked on filling out the team application for the Hunt-Winston School Solar Car Challenge this summer.

A Arms

2010-03-01T18:15:00.000-06:00

The mechanical team finished welding the A arms this past weekend. They will start welding the rear suspension next weekend.

Solar Panels

2010-03-01T18:09:00.000-06:00

The solar panels are finally in!!!

Auxiliary Parts

2010-03-01T17:40:00.000-06:00

The electrical team visited Northern Tool and found all of the parts for the auxiliary system. They will be ordering these parts from the online catalog soon.

Newsletter Complete!

2010-02-23T19:04:00.003-06:00

The February newsletter has been completed and is ready to email! If you would like to receive it, contact the team!

Meera

Workday Monday February 22

2010-02-22T18:03:00.000-06:00

Today the team has been ordering parts. Electrical has ordered all parts necessary for the main power system but is working on compiling a list for the auxilary system. The electrical team is planning a trip to Ace Hardware during the work session on Thursday to evaluate what is available. Mechanical has been working on the U arm part of the suspension. However, all welding has been taking place on the weekend; in fact, this past weekend the mechanical team began welding the suspension.

Alphagraphics

2010-02-20T15:54:00.000-06:00

Alphagraphics US #391 has made valuable contributions to the team in the past month. Recently, they began work on a team poster to post around Coppell and raise awareness. Visit them at http://www.alphagraphics.com/centers/dallas-texas-us391/index.html

Budget Update

2010-02-20T15:53:00.000-06:00

The team has been collaborating with the Engineering Booster Club to order all the parts necessary for construction of the car. With their extensive support, the team has been able to order over half the parts for the car.

Orcad Software

2010-02-20T15:44:00.000-06:00

Cadence has donated the Orcad electrical schematic software to the team with a large discount. Order and try out the software the Coppell Solar Team is using at www.orcad.com today!

Student Highlight

2010-02-20T15:38:00.000-06:00

This month, team member Nick Chapman has shown an amazing work ethic. He has worked diligently and efficiently on all his assignments for the team. Recently, he modeled and constructed the drivers seat for the car (right). His efficiency and hard work has paid off!

Mechanical Team Progress

2010-02-20T15:36:00.000-06:00

The mechanical team has completed the design and modeling phase and is ready to begin construction. This week, the team has begun to cut the pieces for the frame and suspension. Later, they will begin welding the pieces into the actual frame and suspension, which should take less than a few days if all the parts are ready and cut.

Electrical Team Progress

2010-02-20T15:22:00.000-06:00

The electrical team has been hard at work on the schematic for the car. The team has been working with Orcad Software to produce the final electrical schematic. The team has been working on the auxiliary parts list and schematic as well. Recently, they have ordered many of the main components required for the electrical system, including six Sanyo HIT 195 solar panels, a Compact RIO, and an LCD Driver Display for the driver interface. While waiting for the parts to come in, the team is finalizing the schematic.

Frame Complete

2010-01-28T23:41:00.000-06:00

The team is now ready to move to metal!!! The pvc model of the frame is complete and construction of the chromoly frame can begin. The team expects the car to be completed by March 23. The chromoly frame of the car will be welded at The Ratliff Group LLC’s garage. Don’t forget that the Solar Car team will be holding a poker tournament on February 27 if you wish to donate any prizes for the tournament, please contact Mike Yakubovsky at myakubovsky@coppellisd.com. The team will be sending a solid works model to Michael Wise of Trinity Industries, who is helping the team out with welding.

New sponsors

2009-12-28T11:01:00.000-06:00

The Solar Car team has gotten two new sponsors. Frito-lay and Ashgrove Cement have both contributed to the Teams’ efforts. We thank these companies and our other sponsors for their contributions. If your company would like to support our team, please contact Mike Yakubovsky at myakubovsky@coppellisd.com

Poker Tournament

2009-12-28T10:29:00.000-06:00

The solar car team will be holding a poker tournament on Feb 27th to raise money for the race this summer. Players will pay an entrance fee for the tournament and will be playing for prizes. Buybacks will be available if players run out of money. If you would like to donate prizes for the tournament, contact Mike Yakubovsky at myakubovsky@coppellisd.com.

Car progress

2009-12-28T10:20:00.000-06:00

The team has finished the cardboard models of the front and rear suspensions. The angles and sizes of the A-arms on the front suspension were redesigned. Currently the team is constructing the model frame of the car. Two of the team members Kaelan and Rishi, took welding lessons to understand the basics of welding. After the construction of the model car, the team will begin construction of the Cromally frame.

Expo Results

2009-12-08T16:38:00.000-06:00

The Expo was a great turn out. A lot of people came to see the various colleges and universities and even our own Engineering students and their projects. It was great to see a lot of young people interested in this competition. This is great as Solar energy is a renewable source we can acquire. Many people were amazed that our high school students were competing in a challenge such as the Hunt-Winston School Solar Car Challenge, a cross country race from Texas Motor Speed Way in Dallas, Texas to Golden, Colorado.

Expo

2009-11-10T19:59:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone! This weekend the solar racing team will be a part of the second annual Coppell High School Engineering Expo. It will be held on Sunday in the Coppell High school (185 West Parkway Blvd Coppell, TX 75019) commons from 1-3 pm. Mooyah’s cookout trailer will be there selling burgers, so bring money for lunch. 49 universities and 43 companies are currently signed up to participate in the Expo. MIT, Cal Berkley, Drexel, and Stanford are just a few of the universities attending. A full list of Universities, and Companies, along with pictures of last years Expo are on the CHS Engineering website. The Expo will be a great opportunity to show not only the public but also major collages and companies our engineering program including our solar racing team. Hopefully this will spread the outreaches of our program and draw in more supporters. For the team to be able to compete in the race we are going to need a lot of support from the team member’s parents and from the community. If anyone would like to support the team the Adopt-A-Cell program is a great way to help. There are various levels of supporting the team. The easiest way is to adopt a cell. The $20 dollar donation will go to support the team’s ever-growing financial needs. If you wish to support the team on a greater level the complete list of contributions is on the team’s website. The team has finished the cardboard model of the front and rear suspension. The frame of the car is currently being constructed. The racing team will be displaying the cardboard model of the frame and suspension of the car currently being built for the 2010 Hunt- Winston solar car challenge this summer. After testing has been done on the on the model, we will begin construction of an aluminum frame for the vehicle. The solar team will be looking forward to see you at the Expo!

2009-10-17T11:44:00.000-05:00

This year the Coppell Solar team will be entering in the 2010 Hunt-Winston School Solar Car Challenge cross-country race form Dallas, Texas to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. The race this year is going to be interesting. A brand new car is being built for the race. Currently the team is testing two different types of suspension for the car, and evaluating which one would be the best fit. Soon the team hopes to have a cardboard model of the frame of the car completed so that we may do more testing. For more information on the race, visit the Hunt-Winston Solar Car challenge Web site.

Solar Car Modelling

2008-10-09T11:39:00.000-05:00

The team is going to be using a program called Satellite Tool Kit (STK) from Advanced Graphics, Inc (AGI) to model the 2009 race. The software will allow the team the ability to model the entire route as close to realistic as possible. They will include terrain, road, and solar data. This is a great opportunity for the team to do more than just build a car. They will be putting a lot of thought into the design and operation to truly maximize their potential and the capabilities of the car.

Welcome

2008-10-02T22:12:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Coppell Solar Blog. We started this blog to just keep you up to date on what is going on in the world of Coppell Solar.

2008-10-01T12:28:00.000-05:00