Engineering Students Shine in Solar Rally
Six students from the College won a solar-car rally last weekend by driving the sun-powered vehicle they designed and built from the Brevard County Campus of the University of Central Florida to Walt Disney's Epcot Center. The car was then on display at the Center for two additional days.
The Sixth SunDay Challenge, which offered five categories of competition, began at the Florida Solar Energy in Cocoa on a rainy sunless day; not the best for solar car racing! The students from FAMU-FSU COE competed in the Cross-Continental category, and defeated cars from three other universities' Principia College, University of New Orleans, and University of Toronto.
The students brought home a trophy, ribbon, and set of books relating to alternative energy vehicles. Theirs was one of four awards in various categories that went to Tallahassee groups and individuals.
The rally was sponsored by the Florida Solar Energy Center, the Florida Energy Office, and the Florida Department of Community Affairs. Participating from the COE were David Bryant, Alvin Collins, and Karl Knipple from Electrical Engineering and Walter Grimes, Larry Sartori, and Philip Ryan from Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Thomas Harrison, Professor of Electrical Engineering serves as the advisor for the group of more than 20 students involved in the solar-car project.
