Future-oriented technologies premiered on a grueling journey across Australia
Production of STMicroelectronics have been selected to control electrical and electronic systems in Stanford University’s newest solar car. The state-of-the-art, technology-laden vehicle successfully debuted in this year’s World Solar Challenge, a prestigious sun-powered car race across Australia, October 16-21, 2011.
The Xenith solar car, designed and built by Stanford students, was among some 40 vehicles that set out on a 3,000-kilometer challenge from Darwin to Adelaide. The car’s electrical system relies on the STM32 32-bit microcontroller technology from STMicroelectronics, which handles all subsystems from solar power conversion to cruise-control behavior, from helmet-mounted display control to how fast the car accelerates.
The success of a solar vehicle lies in its ability to maximize the amount of power harvested during periods of daylight and to efficiently balance power resources and power consumption. Four STM32 microcontrollers track the maximum power point to optimize output from the Xenith-car’s solar arrays, while another STM32 device monitors the voltage, measures the temperature and current, and performs critical operations such as controlling the flow of power through the vehicle.
Other STM32 microcontrollers manage communication between the driver, the vehicle, the motor controller, and the rear-wheel steering system, and handle ancillary systems such as lighting, telemetry, and tire-pressure monitoring.
The Stanford Solar Car Project is a student-run, nonprofit effort designed to give students hands-on engineering, project management and business experience while raising awareness of clean-energy vehicles. The team operates on a two-year design-and-build cycle, and is funded by donations.
