Update 9/30/24:
Dear Friends and Family of the Okemos Solar Racing Club,
Start of the Year: As we kick off the school year, we’re excited to share the progress we’ve made so far. Our fundraising efforts have been going strong, thanks largely to our successful participation in the farmer's market on four occasions: August 11, August 12, September 14, and September 15. We’re thrilled to announce that we've raised nearly $1,000! While we likely won’t have any more visits to the market this year, be sure to keep an eye out for us next year!
In addition to our fundraising success, our club’s membership has nearly doubled at the start of the year, growing from around 10-13 members to an incredible 20-25 members. We love to welcome new members and their families into the club, and we are excited about what we can accomplish together!
Start of the Year: As we kick off the school year, we’re excited to share the progress we’ve made so far. Our fundraising efforts have been going strong, thanks largely to our successful participation in the farmer's market on four occasions: August 11, August 12, September 14, and September 15. We’re thrilled to announce that we've raised nearly $1,000! While we likely won’t have any more visits to the market this year, be sure to keep an eye out for us next year!
In addition to our fundraising success, our club’s membership has nearly doubled at the start of the year, growing from around 10-13 members to an incredible 20-25 members. We love to welcome new members and their families into the club, and we are excited about what we can accomplish together!
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Fall Clean-up: In addition to our participation at the farmer's markets, we have been working on we’re excited to announce a new fundraiser called the "Fall Clean-up." This initiative involves our team visiting different homes to provide yard work services, with all proceeds going directly toward funding our car. By signing up for the Fall Clean-up, you can request the following services:
Other Fundraising Activities: Along with the farmer's market and fall clean-up, we have been working on getting more formal sponsorships through cold-calling, emailing, and door-to-door fundraising as well as working on organizing a golf outing which other teams have had great success with.
- Leaf and debris clean-up
- Small tree trimming
- Gardening and weeding
- 1st-story gutter cleaning
- Other small yard projects
Other Fundraising Activities: Along with the farmer's market and fall clean-up, we have been working on getting more formal sponsorships through cold-calling, emailing, and door-to-door fundraising as well as working on organizing a golf outing which other teams have had great success with.
Changes to the current design: With the progression of our design, we've done an in-depth analysis on the design constraints for our car. Based on our findings, we've determined that if we optimize our vehicle to consistently maintain a speed of 35 mph, we will be able to cover the majority, if not all, of the miles on our road trip across Texas. As a result, we’re making several significant design adjustments, including:
- Steel Frame: While aluminum round tubing is lighter, it's significantly more expensive, harder to manufacture, and the weight savings aren’t substantial enough to justify the trade-off.
- Higher Efficiency Tires: Has an estimated rolling resistance of 0.002 instead of 0.007 which will result in a much greater efficiency boost than what minimal weight savings could offer.
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Budget Overview for the Car: With the changes in our design, it also means that we have also had to make some significant changes in the current budget for the car. Here’s a breakdown of the essential components and their costs:
Thank you for all of your continued support in the club!
- Frame: $600
- Battery Pack: $1,400
- Motors: $700
- Aerobody: $500
- Solar Panels: $4,000
- Solar Charger (MPPT): $1,000
- Motor Controller: $300
- Tires: $1,600
- Rims: $700
- Tools/Equipment: $1,500
- Supplemental System: $400
Thank you for all of your continued support in the club!
Update 6/8/24:
Dear Friends of the Okemos Solar Racing Club,
My name is David Ried and I am the new Captain of the Okemos Solar Racing Club. With many of our key members having graduated this year, we find ourselves in a position to reassign roles and responsibilities within the team. Just four weeks into the summer, we have already begun working on the following:
My name is David Ried and I am the new Captain of the Okemos Solar Racing Club. With many of our key members having graduated this year, we find ourselves in a position to reassign roles and responsibilities within the team. Just four weeks into the summer, we have already begun working on the following:
- Inventory Management: Completed extensive inventory assessment.
- New Fundraising Campaign: This includes setting up information tents at local Farmers Markets, soliciting contributions from National, Regional, and Local companies who share similar interests in Solar Energy and updating our Go-Fund-Me account.
- Creating a Business Model: This will include an Expense/ Income Statement and Cash Flow Statement.
- Completed the 2024-2025 Budget Estimate. The current estimate is $45,000, which includes new equipment, materials for a new vehicle, and all costs for next year's competition.
- New Equipment and Safety Training Policy: Completion of this training is required before students can perform any metalworking, specifically cutting, grinding, and welding.
- Developing New Designers.
- Registered over seven new designers with Solidworks, our primary CAD software.
- Designing essential electronics, including Arduinos and circuitry.
- Registered over seven new designers with Solidworks, our primary CAD software.
The 2024-2025 car will feature a redesigned Chromoly 4130 frame and a new suspension system. A tadpole wheel configuration (one rear wheel, two front wheels), flexible panels, and an upgraded battery pack to minimize weight and maximize battery capacity are also being considered in order to make the car more efficient.
Unfortunately, it’s not all good news. Around late April, we decided to not compete in the 2024 Solar Car Challenge. Simply put, we were unprepared. This may come across as quite a shock to you and we’re saddened to share this news so late in the year. However, please note that last year some advancements were made as a club. These include:
Even though our team will not participate, three active members will be attending the event to learn best practices from other teams, and we will report our findings after we return.
- Experimenting with a new 3D modeling software platform (OnShape).
- Developing new team members in metalworking
- Building electrical components including soldering.
Even though our team will not participate, three active members will be attending the event to learn best practices from other teams, and we will report our findings after we return.
Update 2/14/24:
Dear Friends of the Okemos Solar Racing Club,
In our second edition of the latest season’s newsletter, we have various updates and exciting announcements to make!
Lately, our club meetings have been dedicated to teaching new members fabrication, computer modeling, and critical thinking skills.
In the fabrication department, our rookie members have successfully dismantled our crush zone and neck support structures as we aim to reduce weight and construct a more comfortable head position for our driver. New members gained experience with the angle grinder with its various cutting and grinding attachments.
In our second edition of the latest season’s newsletter, we have various updates and exciting announcements to make!
Lately, our club meetings have been dedicated to teaching new members fabrication, computer modeling, and critical thinking skills.
In the fabrication department, our rookie members have successfully dismantled our crush zone and neck support structures as we aim to reduce weight and construct a more comfortable head position for our driver. New members gained experience with the angle grinder with its various cutting and grinding attachments.
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With computer modeling (CAD), members are learning the basics through a free web-based software.
Aside from these more tangible skills, the rookie members have also begun working in real-world situations. Faced with regulations to meet and a scarce budget, our members are getting an introduction into the realm of problem-solving.
Pictured below is a newly designed steering linkage coverage, which is easily removable to allow for steering maintenance while providing optimal linkage coverage.
Pictured below is a newly designed steering linkage coverage, which is easily removable to allow for steering maintenance while providing optimal linkage coverage.
Aside from that, our team is looking to the future, where we plan to race in the advanced division with a new car. The following is an image of a wooden mock-up frame of the 2025 car our new members helped construct.
Now for a major announcement! As a club, we have decided to officially move from the Advanced Classic Division to the Advanced Division! We believe that experimenting with hub motors and higher efficiency panels will provide us with the needed experience as we look to the future of our club.
So where do we go from here?
As the competition approaches, we have some rapidly approaching critical project deadlines installing a hub motor, buying and mounting higher efficiency solar panels, and various other projects to help maximize our efficiency.
Finally, we would like to thank the generous sponsors and community members who made and continue to make this journey possible. From our first meeting in the summer of 2022 to our 2023 national championship, it has been the continued support of our sponsors and community that has driven us to success, sparking passion in the young engineers involved in the program. Your unwavering support has been the key to our success and on behalf of all members of our team, we thank you.
Cheers,
The Okemos Solar Racing Club
So where do we go from here?
As the competition approaches, we have some rapidly approaching critical project deadlines installing a hub motor, buying and mounting higher efficiency solar panels, and various other projects to help maximize our efficiency.
Finally, we would like to thank the generous sponsors and community members who made and continue to make this journey possible. From our first meeting in the summer of 2022 to our 2023 national championship, it has been the continued support of our sponsors and community that has driven us to success, sparking passion in the young engineers involved in the program. Your unwavering support has been the key to our success and on behalf of all members of our team, we thank you.
Cheers,
The Okemos Solar Racing Club
