# Delft University Triumphs In 2013 World Solar Challenge!



## Boris (Nov 18, 2010)

"...Nuna7 managed an average speed of 90.71 kilometres per hour and it took just over 33 hours to complete the 3,000 kilometre trip from Darwin."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-...world-solar-challenge-adelaide-finish/5014254

http://cleantechnica.com/2013/10/10/2013-world-solar-challenge-winner/

More details about The World Solar Challenge:http://www.worldsolarchallenge.org/

Boris Romanov
www.borisromanov.com


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

It sounds like they are really getting efficient.


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## Boris (Nov 18, 2010)

"The solar cells are made of gallium arsenide (GaAs) and consist of three layers. Sunlight that penetrates the upper layer is used in the lower layers, resulting in an *efficiency of over 26%. This type of solar cell is among the best available currently.*...
However, the batteries have a fairly constant voltage, which also has a rather different value than that of the solar cells. So a voltage transformation is needed. A special type of DC-DC converter is used to ensure the load resistance presented to the solar cells is such that the solar cells give maximum power, so also at the top of the green line in the graph. This is called a Maximum power point tracker (MPPT). Here too, the goal is to have this conversion achieve maximum efficiency (>97%).."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuna

Interesting statistics: "Nuna is the name of a series of manned solar powered vehicles that *won the World solar challenge in Australia five times, of which four times in a row*: in 2001 (Nuna 1 or just Nuna), 2003 (Nuna 2), 2005 (Nuna 3), 2007 (Nuna 4) and 2013 (Nuna 7)"


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