Click to view
larger image

Team Momentum, a core group of 40 students and 100 supporting teams members from the University of Michigan (UM), recently said Y.E.S. to success when they finished in first place at the 2005 North American Solar Challenge. The Y.E.S. (Young Engineers Support) Program participants used Chainflex ® continuous-flex cables provided by igus Inc. in their solar car, Momentum, that they designed and built to race in a number of competitions throughout the year.

For their most challenging journey, The North American Solar Challenge, the team had to travel 2,500 miles starting in the U.S. and ending in Canada. The Challenge, the longest solar competition in the world, was Michigan’s fourth national championship.

The students used Chainflex CF300, a single core cable specifically designed for heavy-duty use, to connect the batteries to the motor. The CF300 cables provided the team with a small, lightweight solution, but in a large enough gauge to minimize resistive power loss.

The team reported the 1AWG cables donated by igus were, “as light and thin as a 2AWG wire,” and that CF300 was also “very flexible, and allowed us to bend them around corners and fit them into tight spaces.”

After 11 days of intense competition, Team Momentum finished a full 12 minutes ahead of the second place team, securing its first place finish at the competition.

With only a few weeks rest, the UM solar team started its next adventure half way across the globe in Australia. In September, the team used the same vehicle to compete in the World Solar Challenge, a race across the Australian Outback. After a number of obstacles, the team persevered and Momentum finished with impressive third place honors, in part thanks to the contribution made by igus.

To learn more about the University of Michigan Solar Car Team and its 2006 race plans, visit www.engin.umich.edu/solarcar.