UQ solar cycle changes strategy

The University of Queensland's Synergy Solar Cycle Team hopes to solve problems with its solar array before day four of racing in the 1999 ETSA World Solar Cycle Challenge, a 1526km race from Alice Springs to Adelaide from October 18 to 24.

Yesterday the three-wheeled, fully enclosed racing cycle powered by human pedalling, batteries and the sun moved up the field from 21st to 7th place, earning them a special yellow jersey.

Today in the 233km Marla to Coober Pedy leg, the cycle continued to lose power to its batteries and today at 2pm team members decided to be towed to Coober Pedy to try to locate the problem.

This strategy effectively prevents members from winning the overall race, but cyclists Ben Guymer, Hamish Fraser, Bill Ellis, Angus Craig and Tom Joyce hope to win individual race legs over the next four days.

Tomorrow the race will continue in the 253km leg from Coober Pedy to Glendambo. The field expects to arrive in Adelaide on Sunday afternoon.

The Synergy team is headed by mechanical engineers Ben Guymer and Matthew Greaves, who were the principal designers and builders of the University of Queensland's SunShark solar car, which won its class in the 1996 World Solar Challenge.

Team member Adrian Clark was the chief designer of the electrical system for the same vehicle, while Caroline Airey, who was a SunShark driver, coordinates race logistics.

The team is sponsored by UniQuest Pty Ltd, the University of Queensland's technology commercialisation and consulting company, and is supported by Jade Engineering of Brisbane, primary machiner of the cycle's metal components, and Velocity Engineering AG of Switzerland, supplier of the drive system concept.

Other sponsors include RF Innovations, Canal Aren, McCullough Robertson, Mountain Designs, Schmooze and Grow Rich.com, Forest Lake College, HBSC, Advanced Composite Technology, Magnetic Automation and Barrier Systems

For more information, contact Caroline Airey or Matthew Greaves, phone 0413 583 274.