‘Ladies and Gentlemen, Wear sunscreen, If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it’ – Everybody’s free, Baz Luhrmann
A few years ago I heard this song for the first time on the radio. I could never have imagined how applicable this first sentences would turn out. In October 2015 I will be, together with the rest of Solar Team Twente, in Australia to participate in the World Solar Challenge. A great opportunity, which I am lucky to experience.
I am a part of the technical team and responsible for the electronics inside the solar car. Examples of the electronics are the development of the solar panel, the battery pack and the motor. The goal is to collect as much energy as possible and to dissipate as few as possible. The most interesting about Electrical Engineering is the combination between physics, mathematics and informatics. During my study, the focus is on the theoretical parts of electrical engineering, while during Solar Team Twente I get the opportunity to use this knowledge in a more practical way.
It is amazing to see how much can be realized in a few months. During the concept and design phase you experience the process from wild ideas to real designs. In collaboration with other disciplines you come up with solutions and one final design. Everyone has his own expertise, which makes us a good team. In a few months we will start with the production phase of the project. I am looking forward to the moment where I can see in reality how all the designed components will be combined to one solar car.
In about ten months we will be at the start of the World Solar Challenge in Darwin. It is an amazing
challenge to build a top solar car in one year. Ten months sounds like a long time, but ‘Time flies when you’re working hard’ and before I realize, it will be time to start packing up my sunscreen.
Portrait photo: Jerome Wassenaar
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