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21 September 2022 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Johané Odendaal and Edward Lee
UFS Solar car
Team UFS entered the Sasol Solar Challenge for the very first time this year, competing with seven other teams and showcasing their technological input and innovation.

Excitement. Nervousness. A thousand thoughts going through our minds, but primarily “Are we really ready for the challenges that lie ahead?” and “What did we get ourselves into?” In the moments leading up to this year’s Sasol Solar Challenge, these were the thoughts and emotions of Team UFS, who entered their solar car, Lengau.

“But I had confidence in the team,” says Dr Hendrik van Heerden from the UFS Department of Physics at the University of the Free State (UFS) and project manager of Team UFS who entered the challenge for the very first time this year.

Testing perseverance

Entering the Sasol Solar Challenge – a biennial competition that has been running since 2008 – Team UFS competed against seven other teams (representing local and international universities, high schools, and engineering teams), sharing the public roads of South Africa with trucks and regular traffic, sometimes experiencing steep mountain climbs, testing not only their technological input and innovation, but also their perseverance over an eight-day period. 

“One of our main challenges was the long time on the road, to which the heavy weight of the solar car, efficiency of the solar panels, and the effective charging of the battery contributed,” says Dr Van Heerden, stating that these problems were difficult to tackle with the small budget they had. “We, however, stayed positive and was determined to pull through.” 

“We were also open for learning from the other teams, the scrutineers, and observers regarding the mechanical, electrical, and body of competing solar cars. Thus, building knowledge and collaborating is a success we celebrate,” he adds.

In the end it paid off, as Team UFS completed the race, covering a distance of more than 500 km and ending in seventh place overall. The team that finished with the greatest distance covered within the allotted time won the challenge, in this instance the Brunel Solar Team, covering 4 228,2 km.

Dr Van Heerden believes that they did exceptionally well for a debut team, proving themselves against the best. “I am of the opinion that this challenge made us stronger and gave each of us a new perspective on how we should approach life,” he adds.

“As we are all enthusiastic about science and engineering, this challenge inspired us to build towards a future where renewable energy could be an important source of energy in South Africa.”
For a debut team, we did exceptionally well, proving ourselves against the best. – Dr Hendrik van Heerden.

Learning the ropes

The teams left Carnival City in Johannesburg on 9 September 2022 and arrived at the finish line at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on Friday 16 September 2022.

Talking about the next race, Dr Van Heerden says he wants to build a better, more effective solar car. “We strive to continuously improve the design, technology, and science going into our car,” he says. 

“For this challenge, we were interested in learning about the mechanical, electrical, and overall body of a solar car. Hence, our solar vehicle was designed well enough to participate and reliable enough to succeed.”

According to him, their focus will shift to competing against the other teams for the next Sasol Solar Challenge. “We will also be more prepared, since we now know what to expect from the challenge. It was our first time participating in the Sasol Solar Challenge, and we’ve learnt so much from the past two weeks – we will carry that forward to the next challenge.

 

News Archive

UV betreur afsterwe van baanbreker
2006-06-21

Die hoofbestuur van die Universiteit van die Vrystaat (UV) het met hartseer verneem van die afsterwe van dr. Barnie Human.

 Dr. Human het ‘n B Com- en honneursgraad aan die UV verwerf.  Sy  bande met die UV strek oor amper veertig jaar.   Hy was vanaf 1967-1995 lid van die UV-Raad en was vir meer as dertig jaar betrokke by fondswerwingsprojekte vir die Ontwikkelingstrustfonds van die UV.  In 1977 is hy verkies tot nasionale voorsitter van die UOVS Oudstudente Reünie, voorloper van die latere Kovsie-Alumni Bond.  Hy is in 1981 deur sy alma mater vereer met ‘n eredoktorsgraad in ekonomie. 

 Dr. Human, wat deurlopend baie aktief betrokke by die aktiwiteite van die Kovsie- Alumni Bond, het in 1985 die Bond se hoofbestuurstoekenning ontvang vir uitsonderlike diens gelewer aan die UV.  Hy is ook in 1993 aangewys as ere-trustee van die Ontwikkelingstrustfonds.

 In Oktober 2004 het die UV hom vereer met ‘n Eeufeesmedalje vir sy bydrae tot die ontwikkeling van die UV se fondsinsamelingsaksies, veral ten opsigte van die vestiging van fisiese fasiliteite op die Hoofkampus in Bloemfontein.  Sy geldelike bydrae het die UV in staat gestel om die Callie Human-sentrum te bou.  Die sentrum is ter nagedagtenis van sy seun, Callie wat in 1967 in ‘n motorfietsongeluk oorlede is, opgerig.

 “Dr. Human was ‘n ware steunpilaar vir die UV.  Ons is dankbaar dat ons hom in 2004 daarvoor kon vereer met ‘n Eeufeesmedalje voor sy afsterwe,” sê prof. Frederick Fourie, Rektor en Visekanselier van die UV.

 “Ons simpatiseer ook met mev. Swannie Human en die egpaar se dogter, mev. Christina Strydom.  Dr. Human laat nie net ‘n leemte in die Bloemfonteinse sakewêreld nie, maar ook in die harte van die mense aan die UV wat hom geken het en saam met hom gewerk het,” sê prof. Fourie.

 Mediaverklaring
Uitgereik deur: Lacea Loader
Mediaverteenwoordiger
Tel:  (051) 401-2584
Sel:  083 645 2454
E-pos:    loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
21 Junie 2006

 

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