Welcome to Team PrISUm

Team PrISUm is a multidisciplinary, student-run organization at Iowa State University (ISU) which designs, builds, and races solar powered electric vehicles across the United States every few years in the American Solar Challenge. Outreach and education are also important aspects of our project as we work to raise awareness about solar energy and efficient transportation. Don't hesitate to email us if you would like to have our solar car at an event.

This project would not be possible without our current and past sponsors. We encourage you to take a look at our sponsorship page and download a copy of the corporate sponsorship packet or an adopt-a-cell form to find out how you can help us pave the way towards a future in renewable energy!

2012 American Solar Challenge - Rochester, NY to St. Paul, MN

Team PrISUm is currently gearing up for the cross-country 2012 American Solar Challenge. This competition begins on July 6th with four days of "scrutineering" where race officials will inspect all of the solar cars for compliance with race regulations. Teams that successfully pass these inspections will move on to the 3-day 2012 Formula Sun Grand Prix track race from July 10-12 on the 1.6 mile South Course circuit at the Monticello Motor Club in New York. The final results of this qualifying race determine the starting positions for the cross-country race. If a team is unable to qualify enough drivers with a sufficient number of laps, they may not be allowed to continue in the competition. The solar cars that have successfully qualified will embark from Rochester, New York on July 14 on a 1650 mile road competition that ends July 21st in St. Paul, Minnesota.

There are 23 teams from universities around the world signed up to compete in this year's competition. Team PrISUm remains the only team that has successfully qualified and competed in every American Solar Challenge since the GM Sunrayce in in 1990 and team members are working hard to ensure that our 11th car, Hyperion is ready for this upcoming journey. We expect to have a race crew of 10-20 members and will be conducing testing and driver training throughout the rest of the semester and into the early summer. You can find more details about the event schedule including a map route at the ASC website. Also, be sure to keep tabs on our pre-race progress by checking the team status page as well as our website and Flickr gallery.

News Articles

BLATS System Running - April 23, 2012

The day before Hyperion was unveiled at Veishea Village, electrical team member Todd Wegter had a sleepless night working on installing the car's new brake lights and turn signals (BLATS) system. Thankfully everything went smoothly and all the lights worked without a hitch. They are plenty bright and sequential turn signals in the rear add some extra flair to the system.

P11 Hyperion Painted by Carstens Autobody - April 19, 2011

A huge thanks goes out to Carstens Autobody in Webster City, IA for donating Hyperion's paint job. We were very happy with their work on our last car, Anthelion, and they agreed to continue their sponsorship this year. They helped us through the color selection process for the car and offered helpful suggestions for body prep work. The end result is a gorgeous solar car body with popping colors and clean, flowing lines. We couldn't be happier and think this car will represent Iowa State University well for the next two years!

Hyperon's First Public Viewing at Veishea Village - April 18, 2012

Team PrISUm just received the new car back from the paint shop and we are pleased to announce that the first public viewing of Hyperion will be at Veishea Village outside Marston Hall from noon to 4:00PM on Saturday, April 21st. Earlier in the day, our previous car, Anthelion, will drive in the Veishea parade.

Over the past month, team members have been hard at work finishing the final body work and testing the vehicle's new electrical system. The battery box is assembled and tests with brand new Battery Protection System (BPS) are ongoing. Most of the suspension components are still out being machined so unfortunately we won't have a rolling chassis to present on Saturday. However, we are excited to share our progress and and take any public input as we work to complete the car in anticipation of our upcoming race in July.

We hope to see you on Saturday!

Frame Welding at Sinned Customs in MN - March 17, 2012

The welding on Hyperion's aluminum space frame is nearly complete. The work is being done in Minneapolis, MN by Sinned Customs, which is a custom race car fabrication shop. The company was founded by Dennis Burnevik, a long time apprentice of legendary chassis builder Don Ness. Several of the frames for our previous cars were welded by Don Ness, but now that he has entered semi-retirement, we're glad to have the continued support of both Don and Dennis as we forge ahead with Iowa State's latest solar powered race car.

Fiberglassing the Top & Bottom Shell - February 26

Lots of progress was made this weekend on Hyperion's body. The last set of carbon fiber bulkheads were installed in the top shell. Then, following hours of careful alignment and preparation, the top and bottom shells were attached together using the team's typical approach of a fiberglass wet layup around the middle seam. This was a two day process. On the first day, tabs were left on both shells and fiberglass was added in between the tabbing. This allows for simple clamping and alignment. The next day these tabs were cut off and the fiberglassing was completed. Thanks to the countless hours team members spent making pristine molds for the car, the shells align nearly perfectly. Later this week, the shells will be cut apart once again along the finalized cut line and the inside of the body seam will be filled and fiberglassed. We are scheduled to have the body painted in mid March.

In other news, the team is preparing to begin jigging and welding the aluminum frame the first weekend in March. Machining of our suspension parts is also right around the corner. If you know of any machine shops in the Midwest that might be willing to donate some time to the team, please send us an email.

Battery Module Assembly - February 25, 2012

The new Boston Power battery modules for Hyperion are coming together nicely. Over 20 modules have been glued together out of the 27 needed for the car. We are on track to have them completed by the end of February. Meanwhile, coding and testing for our new battery protection system (BPS) and other electrical boards is underway.

5kW Sorensen Power Supply Arrives - February 24, 2012

Team PrISUm just received its new Sorensen SGI160-31 5kW power supply to replace the team's deceased 3kW Xantrex supply. This powerful digital supply offers a ton of features that weren't possible with the older unit including, sequencing, constant power mode, and a computer control interface. It will be used extensively during the vehicle testing process and for charging the car's lithium-ion battery pack. A special thanks goes out to the Iowa State GSB for covering 80% of the cost for this supply, which should serve the team well in the years ahead.

Fall 2011 Sundial Newsletter - January 11, 2012

Our fall 2011 newsletter has been released. It can be viewed on our website now and will be mailed out to our sponsors in the coming weeks. Hope you enjoy it.

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