We are here until Tuesday evening as our ferry does not leave until then so we decided to explore Denmark's most renowned park, Legoland.
Now, I have laughed a lot this weekend but Legoland topped the trip off a treat. I will upload photos when I have the opportunity but for now you will have to suffer a bit of narrative.
It was awesome!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, 28 September 2010
Sunday, 26 September 2010
A bit of a larf and a day to reflect
As we are on a high from successfully finishing in a race we have strapped the 48V batteries that we brought to the vehicle and are driving it around. Rides to other teams are providing much amusement as the car is pretty speedy on batteries.
Time to relax, teams are frantically packing up and the competitive atmosphere has certainly quelled.
Time to relax, teams are frantically packing up and the competitive atmosphere has certainly quelled.
SUCCESS!!!! A finshed race
What a morale boost. We managed to cross the finish line in a 4-6m/s crosswind. Our yaw system failed halfway through which slowed us down but we made the 500m stretch of the runway in a cool 29mins 46secs.
The team are certainly relieved and the trip back up the runway upwind where our drag aids us is a fast one. We did what we came to do which was prove the viability of an electric car. The race today has also provided us with some valuable experience and ideas about how we could crush the competition next year.
Time for some more testing and celebrations.
The team are certainly relieved and the trip back up the runway upwind where our drag aids us is a fast one. We did what we came to do which was prove the viability of an electric car. The race today has also provided us with some valuable experience and ideas about how we could crush the competition next year.
Time for some more testing and celebrations.
Last chance at a finish
We have been called onto the race track for our second race of the day. Having not managed to successfully repair the custom built motor controllers we are using the stock controllers bought with the machines.
There are two risks associated with this. The first is that the operating voltages for these controllers is limited to around 60v. If the turbines spin too fast their voltage will exceed this and risk damaging the controllers. This was the main reason for using our own controllers.
The second problem is that the stock controllers have a limited output current and during testing the vehicle barely started when using them. The custom controllers are being repair by the team whilst we attempt our race so if they are ready we'll use these in a further race.
Team morale is at its lowest and despite working hard to get the car working again I think that all of our expectations are low at the moment.
There are two risks associated with this. The first is that the operating voltages for these controllers is limited to around 60v. If the turbines spin too fast their voltage will exceed this and risk damaging the controllers. This was the main reason for using our own controllers.
The second problem is that the stock controllers have a limited output current and during testing the vehicle barely started when using them. The custom controllers are being repair by the team whilst we attempt our race so if they are ready we'll use these in a further race.
Team morale is at its lowest and despite working hard to get the car working again I think that all of our expectations are low at the moment.
PANIC!!!! Second controller fails...
After the push start in our first race of the day we have lost the second controller. The symptoms for both controller failures are identical, blown MOSFETs but the root cause is unknown as the electric drive system has been fully tested in the wind tunnel.
We suspect shoot through as a result of some noise/crosstalk on the gate drivers but there is little time to try to find this.
The car is sadly wheeled off the track and back into the hanger for an attempt at a speedy repair.
We suspect shoot through as a result of some noise/crosstalk on the gate drivers but there is little time to try to find this.
The car is sadly wheeled off the track and back into the hanger for an attempt at a speedy repair.
One controller down, one to go.....
Disaster has struck. For an unknown reason one of our controller channels appears to have blown. This is a bit of a blow but we can still attempt out first race with a single channel and in this wind still use all of the torque.
Race day 3: morning update
This morning is a bit of a rush. On the whole the car is doing well. It works and as mentioned before we had a test where we has a good run of wind powered movement yesterday. However there has been very little wind so races have not been great for us. Today, the final race day, the wind seems better but now have our work cut out making the vehicle rainproof as it raining quite a bit. If it doesn't get wet and cause problems I believe that today is the day that the finishing line will be ours. The team spirit is high but we are all keen to cross the end of the race today and end positively so all are quite nervous.
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Wind are good, the car stays dry
We are now on the track and our car is fairing well. We will struggle to beat the mechanical designs as being here, it becomes apparent that our turbine creates a lot of thrust, resulting in drag that the motors must overcome. Test runs have gone well and we hope to score at least a point by crossing the line....
Race moved forwards
Currently the rain is falling a bit but the winds are good and to ensure that we actually race whilst there is some wind around the race organisers have decided to pull the race time forward to fill the time originally to be use for testing.
We are all a little nervous as this is our last attempt to at least cross the finish line of a race and become the first all-electric drivetrain to complete a race. For us, there is a lot on the line and I reckon that my nerves are starting to show.
We are all a little nervous as this is our last attempt to at least cross the finish line of a race and become the first all-electric drivetrain to complete a race. For us, there is a lot on the line and I reckon that my nerves are starting to show.
Saturday, 25 September 2010
Maiden wind powered voyage makes the history books
It is a warm sunny day with a mild wind blowing across the road ahead. Our team of dedicated engineers keen to prove themselves as the new boys on the block are out in force.
Their enthusiasm is rewarded as the race vehicle sets off and maintains speed for around 10 metres. Further morale boosting occurred when crowds turned up for the race and we were the only vehicle out on show. We attracted a great deal of interest and several photos.
Race 2 was fast approaching…
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Their enthusiasm is rewarded as the race vehicle sets off and maintains speed for around 10 metres. Further morale boosting occurred when crowds turned up for the race and we were the only vehicle out on show. We attracted a great deal of interest and several photos.
Race 2 was fast approaching…
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Race 2: Another tough day
Race day 2 was as frustrating as the first day. The wind varied between 0m/s and 3.5m/s and on both of our races we came to a standstill after the push start and were left behind as the other teams were able to maintain a constant 0.5 mph (literally) in the very low winds.
We are beaten today but we are not down and we were no the only ones not to finish.
Higher winds are promised tomorrow so crossing the line is still a target firmly within our sights as is passing another team during a race.
We are now enjoying a nice sausage and a pint, contemplating our strategy for tomorrow, deciding what to do if anything to the vehicle tonight.
All is still working well and amazingly the team spirits are high so we are looking forward to demonstrating our immense power tomorrow.
Watch this space…
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We are beaten today but we are not down and we were no the only ones not to finish.
Higher winds are promised tomorrow so crossing the line is still a target firmly within our sights as is passing another team during a race.
We are now enjoying a nice sausage and a pint, contemplating our strategy for tomorrow, deciding what to do if anything to the vehicle tonight.
All is still working well and amazingly the team spirits are high so we are looking forward to demonstrating our immense power tomorrow.
Watch this space…
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Up against it again....
The throttles have been modified, the blades have been stripped, rebuilt, stripped and rebuilt again. We have some more options for racing the vehicle this afternoon but we have run out of time for testing on the runway before today's race.
All is not lost, we can test on a local road and some of the taxiways near the airfield and we have a good plan for testing in order to decide upon a strategy for the race today.
The good news is that the wind is slightly better today and at the moment is a crosswind, good for us, not for others. Motivation is good, the team are working hard and well.
Please all keep your fingers crossed and if all goes well we will cross that finish line.
All is not lost, we can test on a local road and some of the taxiways near the airfield and we have a good plan for testing in order to decide upon a strategy for the race today.The good news is that the wind is slightly better today and at the moment is a crosswind, good for us, not for others. Motivation is good, the team are working hard and well.
Please all keep your fingers crossed and if all goes well we will cross that finish line.
A few thoughts after a few drinks
As the evening draws to a close and the vehicle relaxes in the hanger, batteries charging we turn to a bit of liquid refreshment and reflect on what was a tough day.
Our main downfall was a lack of raw resource, wind energy. The vehicles that made it over the line were using extremely low gear ratios and even then were stop-start for large periods of the race as the power drawn from the blades stalled them. We can get these low ratios with our systems but it might be that the throttle is set up such that even small throttle demands result in too high a ratio.
We are going to try the following things tomorrow:
Now to sleep.....
Our main downfall was a lack of raw resource, wind energy. The vehicles that made it over the line were using extremely low gear ratios and even then were stop-start for large periods of the race as the power drawn from the blades stalled them. We can get these low ratios with our systems but it might be that the throttle is set up such that even small throttle demands result in too high a ratio.
We are going to try the following things tomorrow:
- Update our vehicle throttle management controller to offer to sets of sensitivities. This will effectively give Susan (our driver) a second or low gear.
- Reduce the pitch angle of our blades. This will result in a lower power at higher wind speeds but given that the prediction is for low winds this may be a worthwhile strategy.
Now to sleep.....
Day 2
10AM Stauning time.
We have woken up this morning to a beautiful sunny day. One minor problem - no wind!
At the moment the pitch on the blades is being adjusted to try to get the most out of whatever wind we do end up with on the runway, so fingers crossed for a bit more forward movement today. There are also some throttle and gearing adjustments in progress. Dave has a drill in his hand and he's not afraid to use it!
The solar film skin went on yesterday afternoon and it looks brilliant. Clive has added racing stripes. The scrolling red lights on the front definitely make an impact and all the other teams love them.
Racing starts at 2pm today. We should have the vehicle out in the wind later for testing - will keep you posted on how it goes. Spirit of Amsterdam - look out!
We have woken up this morning to a beautiful sunny day. One minor problem - no wind!
At the moment the pitch on the blades is being adjusted to try to get the most out of whatever wind we do end up with on the runway, so fingers crossed for a bit more forward movement today. There are also some throttle and gearing adjustments in progress. Dave has a drill in his hand and he's not afraid to use it!
The solar film skin went on yesterday afternoon and it looks brilliant. Clive has added racing stripes. The scrolling red lights on the front definitely make an impact and all the other teams love them.
Racing starts at 2pm today. We should have the vehicle out in the wind later for testing - will keep you posted on how it goes. Spirit of Amsterdam - look out!
Friday, 24 September 2010
Race 1: A tough start
The good news is that the vehicle is working well and the longer we run it the better it gets. With wind speeds predicted to be higher tomorrow we hope to make the finish line.
Roll on tomorrow. Testing starts at 10 in the morning and you can bet your life if there's wind we'll be out in force.
Getting a little nervous
20 minutes to go and the team are in the final throws of preparations. All is at stake. at the moment everything appears to be working with wind conditions a little on the low side.
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We have engine start...
Great news from the field here in Denmark. We have had the vehicle moving from purely wind power for the first time. Granted it didn't move far (around a foot) but given the low wind speeds we were beside ourselves.
The team is getting excited as our first race is due to start in thirty minutes. We are going to attempt the first series of races with the throttle under manual control. That is to say that Susan, our wonderful driver, will be adjusting the throttle based on turbine speeds to keep them at optimum speed. If all goes well, we'll move onto the electronically controlled system tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed...
More when we're ready to start. Pictures coming soon......
The team is getting excited as our first race is due to start in thirty minutes. We are going to attempt the first series of races with the throttle under manual control. That is to say that Susan, our wonderful driver, will be adjusting the throttle based on turbine speeds to keep them at optimum speed. If all goes well, we'll move onto the electronically controlled system tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed...
More when we're ready to start. Pictures coming soon......
HOT OF THE PRESS - Controller fixed!!!!
In the last 10 minutes we have fixed our motor controllers and have tested the on battery power. Unfortunately there was not enough wind around to test the car during the testing period so our first race is going to be a shaky and nervy time for all involved. Luckily we get to push start so we will definitely get of the starting line.
The finishing touches to our ultra-low friction skin are being made as we speak. Roll-over Amsterdam, Bristol is here, Bristol is working... the hunters are about to become the hunted.......
Stay posted.
The finishing touches to our ultra-low friction skin are being made as we speak. Roll-over Amsterdam, Bristol is here, Bristol is working... the hunters are about to become the hunted.......
Stay posted.
Team Br1stol - Best in Class - First day of racing
Well we have made it to Denmark and all is going well so far. The trip across was uneventful and all credit needs to be given to both those who organised the trip and to the team themselves who just get on with things with a complete minimum of fuss.
The hire cars performed perfectly - the recently resprayed and heavily tinted VW Transporter being used to carry most of the team lends a suitable air of rock stardom to the whole event.
Today is the first day of racing and we, like all the other teams, are currently putting the finishing touches on our vehicle. We are the only 2-turbine fully electric vehicle. Looking around I also believe we are the only truly multinational team, and possibly the only one with a female driver. No matter what happens over the next few days we are already the winners in our class! :)
Winds permitting, our first race today will be against Flensburg, whose vehicle looks remarkably like a tricycle with a desk fan mounted on the front, and Spirit of Amsterdam 2. Spirit of Amsterdam 1 (which we are racing immediately afterwards) won in 2009 so we are hoping to get a psychological advantage by showing the Dutch how it should be done right from the beginning! (To be honest the Spirit of Amsterdam vehicles do look very slick, but then again, looks aren't everything...)
We've had very few mishaps so far. The VW Transporter was still in the panel shop when we went to collect it on Wednesday morning but that didn't hold us up for long.
A slightly more worrying occurrence was the sudden appearance of smoke from one of the controllers when the motors were tested yesterday. This is being rectified as I write this and it doesn't seem to be catastrophic. However, if any more smoke comes out of the vehicle I think Dave will have to practice his Danish in one of the local electronics shops, which could be amusing to say the least.
The vehicle is attracting a lot of interest from the other teams. Dave's presentation last night generated a few laughs from the audience, especially when he named "plywood" and "millions of cable ties" in the list of materials. One thing I can say with absolute certainty is that everyone will remember the University of Bristol's entry - and I think she is already gaining a place in people's hearts.
The hire cars performed perfectly - the recently resprayed and heavily tinted VW Transporter being used to carry most of the team lends a suitable air of rock stardom to the whole event.
Today is the first day of racing and we, like all the other teams, are currently putting the finishing touches on our vehicle. We are the only 2-turbine fully electric vehicle. Looking around I also believe we are the only truly multinational team, and possibly the only one with a female driver. No matter what happens over the next few days we are already the winners in our class! :)
Winds permitting, our first race today will be against Flensburg, whose vehicle looks remarkably like a tricycle with a desk fan mounted on the front, and Spirit of Amsterdam 2. Spirit of Amsterdam 1 (which we are racing immediately afterwards) won in 2009 so we are hoping to get a psychological advantage by showing the Dutch how it should be done right from the beginning! (To be honest the Spirit of Amsterdam vehicles do look very slick, but then again, looks aren't everything...)
We've had very few mishaps so far. The VW Transporter was still in the panel shop when we went to collect it on Wednesday morning but that didn't hold us up for long.
A slightly more worrying occurrence was the sudden appearance of smoke from one of the controllers when the motors were tested yesterday. This is being rectified as I write this and it doesn't seem to be catastrophic. However, if any more smoke comes out of the vehicle I think Dave will have to practice his Danish in one of the local electronics shops, which could be amusing to say the least.
The vehicle is attracting a lot of interest from the other teams. Dave's presentation last night generated a few laughs from the audience, especially when he named "plywood" and "millions of cable ties" in the list of materials. One thing I can say with absolute certainty is that everyone will remember the University of Bristol's entry - and I think she is already gaining a place in people's hearts.
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