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Home » Dorian West » Sunrayce Tips |
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PARENT PROFILE Dorian West |
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LINKED PROFILES West, Dorian Stanford Solar Car Pr... American Solar Challe... Sunrayce 99 Sunrayce 97 Sunrayce 95 Sunrayce 93 See all 6 related events |
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Sunrayce Tips OCID cn00000107 |
LINKED CATEGORIES Race Logistics |
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Sunrayce Tips by Dorian West created 6/5/1999 submitted 4/4/2002 11:45:32 PM In anticipation of Sunrayce 99, I compiled my experience in previous Sunrayces ('93, '95, '97) into this document. It focuses on race techniques which have worked over the years for Stanford. For a formatted version, try: http://www.homestead.com/dorian/files/Manifesto.PDF DORIAN’S SUNRAYCE MANIFESTO The following is a compendium of information useful for teams attending Sunrayces. I am basing my suggestions on experience from 3 Sunrayces (’93, ’95, and ‘97). This isn’t the ONLY way to do things, but it has worked well for 10 years, so it should work well for teams who want to win. You may notice that the majority of the information pertains to organizational, rather than technical, issues (for good reason). ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES TITLE: Team Captain RESPONSIBILITIES: Ultimate authority and responsibility for team/car performance. Check off checklists, attend driver meetings, operate radio in chase. Not a driver. REQUIREMENTS: Understand all systems, tradeoffs, and regulations. Good relationship (mutual respect) with each team member. VEHICLE: Chase, next to observer on front bench. TITLE: Strategist RESPONSIBILITIES: Set/monitor battery targets daily based on solar car performance model, terrain, and weather. Must obtain best possible weather/battery data. Not a driver. REQUIREMENTS: Understands car intimately. Analytical, understands all systems, and able to make crucial decisions under high stress. VEHICLE: Chase, back bench far left. TITLE: Weather God (also Radio dude) RESPONSIBILITIES: Monitor all weather (insolation) prediction resources (cell phone, web, 7-11’s, SR reports, etc.) May also take care of all communications. Not a driver. REQUIREMENTS: Comfortable asking strangers for (weather) info, knowledge of all communication systems. VEHICLE: Chase, next to strategist. TITLE: Elect. Head RESPONSIBILITIES: Maintain all electrical tools/supplies. Perform electrical checklist (minus batteries and array). General authority and responsibility for electrical systems. REQUIREMENTS: Understands electrical system thoroughly, familiar with common problems/solutions, troubleshooting. Especially concerning the motor. VEHICLE: Chase, easy exit ability TITLE: Mech. Head RESPONSIBILITIES: Maintain all mechanical tools/supplies. Perform mechanical checklist (minus brakes and tires). General authority and responsibility for mechanical systems REQUIREMENTS: Understands mechanical system thoroughly, familiar with common problems/solutions, troubleshooting. VEHICLE: Chase, easy exit ability TITLE: Tires Dude RESPONSIBILITIES: Change tires daily. Maintain spare wheels. Perform tires checklist. REQUIREMENTS: Rigorous and meticulous. Able to change a tire in under 3 minutes. Enjoys lying in the dirt under the car. VEHICLE: Chase, easy exit ability TITLE: Brakes Dude RESPONSIBILITIES: Maintain brake system. Perform brakes checklist. REQUIREMENTS: Understands brake system intimately. Works against the team to make the car NOT go as fast as possible. VEHICLE: Lead or Chase TITLE: Battery Dude RESPONSIBILITIES: Monitor state of charge. Perform battery checklist. Care for batteries like a mom. REQUIREMENTS: Understands battery chemistry/ performance intimately. Reliable. VEHICLE: Lead or Chase TITLE: Array Dude RESPONSIBILITIES: Assure entire array is always working. Perform array checklist. Yell at people who touch the cells. REQUIREMENTS: Understands array/ppts intimately. Familiar with common problems/solutions, troubleshooting. VEHICLE: Lead or Chase TITLE: Solar Car Drivers 1-4 RESPONSIBILITIES: Drive the solar car. Report readings and any problems (noises, smells, vibrations, etc.) Can be anyone from the list above except as noted (Captain, strategy, wthr) REQUIREMENTS: Under 176 lbs. Good driver. Familiar with general aspects of the car. Able to identify problems quickly. VEHICLE: Any Route Dudes 1 & 2 RESPONSIBILITIES: Read the route each day. Drive the route the afternoon before if possible. Instruct the solar car where to go. An extra route dude should be the radio dude in lead. REQUIREMENTS: Sense of direction, able to read maps well. VEHICLE: Lead, backseat TITLE: Radio Dude (lead) RESPONSIBILITIES: Report all traffic conditions (route turns, lane changes, potholes, stoplights, roadkill) to the solar car and chase. Should also be one of the route dudes. REQUIREMENTS: Understands/uses radio protocol. Good eyesight and enunciation. VEHICLE: Lead, shotgun TITLE: Packmeister RESPONSIBILITIES: Creates and maintains tools/supplies list. Performs packing checklist. REQUIREMENTS: Well organized. Not easily frustrated by disorganized people. VEHICLE: Any TITLE: Chase Driver RESPONSIBILITIES: Don’t hit the solar car. Maintain appropriate distance. Facilitate passing. REQUIREMENTS: Experienced driver. Willing to sacrifice the chase to save the solar car. VEHICLE: Chase TITLE: Lead Driver RESPONSIBILITIES: Report traffic hazards. Maintain appropriate distance. Facilitate passing. Act as shield from possible hazards. Drive the route the afternoon before if possible. REQUIREMENTS: Experienced driver. Willing to sacrifice the lead to save the solar car. VEHICLE: Lead TITLE: SAM Dudes 1 & 2 RESPONSIBILITIES: Setup/takedown Solar Array Maximizer. Collect all forgotten items (couches). Drive Penske/trailer to overnight stops. REQUIREMENTS: Experience driving large vehicles and trailers. Willing to spend time away from the caravan. VEHICLE: Penske/ trailer Array Duty RESPONSIBILITIES: Watch for shadows, cool array. Rotate responsibility through different people. REQUIREMENTS: Alert, attentive, and patient. VEHICLE: Any TITLE: RV Support Crew RESPONSIBILITIES: Cook dinners, setup breakfasts, pack lunches, food shopping, manage food fund, clean up after meals, drive the RV between overnight stops. REQUIREMENTS: Experience driving RVs. Willing to spend time away from the caravan. Willing to perform thankless tasks for the good of the team. VEHICLE: RV VEHICLES Solar Car: This is the subject of the race. Spend your time making it work as well as it possibly can. Chase: The Chase Van is the center of all decisions and support for the solar car. It is typically a 15 passenger van, outfitted with flashing amber lights, two front bucket seats, a front bench (seating 3 max) and a mid bench (seating 4 max) arranged as shown below. [Sorry, no text version of the graphic. Try the web link.]. Note that the tools carried in the chase van are limited to items needed for quick fixes (which wouldn’t take long and don’t need support from the lead or the trailer). Lead: The Lead Car is primarily responsible for detecting and reporting road hazards and route information. Often, the Lead will request lane changes, prompting the Chase to move over and clear the Solar Car for a lane change. At least 3 people need to populate the Lead vehicle. You need one to drive (and notice road hazards), one to operate the radio (sitting in the shotgun seat to see sudden hazards quickly), and one to keep track of the route (backseat position, leaning forward). More people can cause distraction and are actually a hindrance during the race. The cargo space of the lead can contain tools and supplies necessary for roadside repairs which would take more than 10 minutes or so. Crucial repair equipment needs to be in the Chase, and overnight repair supplies are best kept in the Penske. Also, if possible, tools important for afternoon/evening repairs should be kept in the Chase and Penske, because it is useful to have a car available for route scouting and running errands during those times. If you can manage, try to have the lead be a small, quick, and maneuverable vehicle. A larger van works if you need space for people, but isn’t ideal. Penske/Trailer: The Penske should be considered the team’s workshop, basically providing a repair/maintenance home base with well-organized tools and supplies. During the race day, the Penske tows the trailer (and array stand, SAM) to the overnight stop. It is not allowed on the race route, thus may caravan with the motorhome along the alternate route. It is crucial for the Penske to be in communication with the race caravan (Chase, Solar Car, Lead). If the solar car needs to trailer to the finish, the Penske needs to be able to respond immediately, entering the race route for emergency rescue. It is also very important for the Penske to arrive at the day’s finish as quickly as possible. Often, the solar cars can make it faster, and charging without an array stand is sub- optimal. There needs to be 2 people assigned to this vehicle on any given day. While some rotation is nice for variety, at least one of two specifically assigned individuals should stay with the Penske. Motorhome: The motorhome serves as domestic base for the team. In GM SunRayce (’90), the Stanford team went for days without proper food and rest. We brought a motorhome along in ’93 to alleviate these issues, and have been bringing one back to every race since then. At least one person, though preferably two people (especially if the team is larger than around 12) who aren’t critical to the operation of the solar car and other racing issues should drive the RV and cook the meals. Dinner usually happens after the car is impounded (and the team is forced to stop working). Breakfast can be fruit, cereal, etc. and available from 7-9 or whatever. The RV crew also should pack lunches for the 3 other vehicles for the day. Make sure to remember to feed the observer. The motorhome is also a great place for people to keep their personal items. Ideally, the motorhome will leave after the race start, and arrive before the daily finish. Shopping and errands may hold the RV back a couple of hours, however, so team members should depend on it being at the finish line to meet the caravan every day. RACE PREPARATION Packing: While I personally may be guilty of going overboard on the organizational aspects of this, a well prepared and understood arsenal of supplies is critical to an efficient team. As described above, items should be located according to their anticipated use. Space is a limited resource during the race and easy access to the right tools at the right time is crucial. When packing to leave for the race, spend some serious time considering all possible failures. The seemingly most unlikely situations seem to always surface during solar car races. When the car is stuck on the side of the road, options which seem ludicrous beforehand suddenly become necessary (e.g. switching tire types, motors, major structural chassis repairs, etc.). Try to make things as easy as possible for you and prepare for the worst. While it is important to not over-pack, it is usually better to increase the level of organization than to just bring less (possibly important) stuff. Shelves of well-marked fold-up (“Datasafe”) cardboard boxes seem to have been effective in the past. It is always amazing how much greater a volume of supplies can fit in a well-organized area. Make multiple walks through the site after “everything” is packed, trying to scavenge as much as possible. When preparing the support vehicles for the actual race, be sure to consider all possible scenarios. Ask yourself what failures could be fixed quickly enough that the lead not need return, and keep items for those repairs in the chase. Consider which repairs couldn’t possibly be done during the race day, and leave tools and materials for those in the Penske. It’s all just common sense and planning. Also be careful not to assign critical tools and supplies to vehicles that might need to run errands or run scouting missions in the afternoons (i.e. Lead). Once a comprehensive list of supplies is created, sort the list into sub-lists for each vehicle. Post copies of these lists on the inside of the doors, assign people to manage them, and enforce them. Don’t let stuff get mixed up. You’ve gotta know where the tape is. Checklists: A vital part of the race is creating and utilizing checklists. Not only will they help protect against sleep-deprivation-induced mistakes, but also the very process of creating the lists can illuminate weaknesses in the car. Each list should have a specific individual responsible for it and the team captain should have a list of lists to make sure that every list is complete every day before the race. Multiple copies should be made and stored in safe locations. I would suggest the following checklists be made and used: Brakes: leaks, brakeline routing, pad surfaces, switch operation, driver height adjustment, etc. Wheels/Tires: tire pressure, tire surface nicks, tire seating, wheel nuts locked, wheels balanced and true, etc. Mechanical: fasteners tight, steering adjusted, shocks pressurized, ride height, structural integrity of the overall car. Array: strings all working, ppts working, no exposed wiring, array clean, connectors tight etc. Batteries: individual cells happy, fans working, battery boxes secure, connectors tight, etc. Electrical: meters working, 12V working, motor/controller happy, connectors tight, fresh batteries, etc. Telemetry/Radios: telemetry operational, fresh radio batteries, radios transmitting Last Minute: Crucial checks done just before the shell goes on… There may also be some action-specific checklists for certain procedures. These checklists should be posted at the appropriate locations. Some examples: Raising/lowering the shell Attaching/removing shell from SAM Attaching/removing the hatch Starting line systems check Etc… Leadership: For those that haven’t figured it out yet, this project really isn’t an engineering challenge, it’s a teamwork and leadership challenge. There is no single correct leadership style for the race, but there are some important guidelines to follow. The whole team must acknowledge and support the leadership style. If issues need to be resolved, do it before showing up for the race. Be explicit in defining roles, responsibility, and authority and address potential conflicts between these factors as soon as possible. Often it’s hard to predict what leadership needs the race will demand, but the sooner the team supports the arrangement the better. The morning of the last day of racing is a really bad time for this debate… THE RACE Testing: Do lots of it. Start out on Stock Farm, try out Campus Drive, then Foothill Expressway, and finally, when you think you have most of the bugs worked out, go to Panoche Rd. in the Central Valley. Also, it’s good to do a dry run of the first day’s route sometime before the race starts. As Señor Tilson says, number of test miles is the best predictor if final race placing. Our team has beaten the odds in the past, but it will catch up to use. At some point… Scruitineering: The best rule is to get in there as soon as possible. Then you only have to fix what the officials want you to fix. Besides, if you keep coming back over and over again, the officials will eventually become more lenient. Oh, and be careful on the braking and dynamic tests… Qualifiers: There’s lots of debate about the importance of the race starting order. Since each team has its own start and finish clock, it shouldn’t really matter. But the reality is that solar car races are really good at creating congestion, especially at the back. And nobody gives you credit for getting stuck in traffic. But, then again, if you anticipate problems that would make you slower than some cars, it’s better to not have to be passed (since being passed means slowing down and pulling over.) Assuming you have a top 25% car, go for the pole position (but don’t hurt the batteries in the process!) Race Day Dawn (~6AM) - A crew of at least 3-4 people should see the sun rise as they wait huddled outside of the impound tent/building. If you screw this up you don’t deserve to be in the top 10. These 3-4 people take the car as quickly as possible to the site of the previously setup SAM. The crew should have grown to at least 5-6 people at this point in order to get the shell up onto SAM and pointed at the horizon. Breakfast/Repairs (6:30-8:30AM) Folks should be rotating through their positions, taking turns to grab a bite to eat at the motorhome or catch a quick shower. But remember to always have someone tending the array (watching for shadows from onlookers, spraying the array, tracking the sun). When the array needs positional adjustment 4-6 people need to be present. These two hours are also the only safe time in the mornings to do repairs and modifications on the car. Hygiene – Respect your team mates and cleanse yourself once in awhile. Showers should be available at every overnight stop. Driver’s meeting (~8AM) The team captain and one of the drivers must attend this meeting to get details about the day’s route and hear logistical announcements. After the meeting, the relevant information can be passed on to the rest of the team. Checklists – These should be started no later than 8:30AM and finished by 9AM. No major changes should be allowed after 8:30, and all work must be completed by 9 in time for the Last Minute Checklist. At 9:10, the shell should come off of SAM and be put onto the car. Rolling to the start line by 9:20, in line at 9:30. If you happen to arrive at 9:46, you will get bumped to the end of the line, wasting much time passing other cars all morning. We lost over an hour in SR’95 this way. (Lead and Chase should be ready and in position at 9:30 also doing radio checks.) Start line – The driver should be in the car at 9:45 performing his/her own startline checklist (meters, radios, brakes, turn signals, horn, motor, fans, telemetry, etc…). If problems are discovered at this time, a judgement must be made whether to attempt a super-quick fix, get bumped to the end of the start line, or drive with the car as-is. Lead and Chase vehicle drivers should be in their seats at this time, following instructions from the Officials. At 9:50, only 1-2 team members should be on the start line with the solar car. They should have with them a handheld radio and the emergency toolkit (a.k.a. The Yellow Suitcase). Everyone else should be in their assigned positions in the support vehicles. At 2-5 minutes before the car’s scheduled start (which will be sometime between 10:00 and 10:40, depending on the previous day’s finish) the remaining team members should scurry over to the support vehicles. Driving – At different times this can be the most exciting, most boring, and most stressful aspect of the race. It is easy to neglect basic driving safety rules in the middle of a crisis (like jumping out of the van and running out into oncoming traffic). Likewise, when things are going well (or maybe you’re just driving slowly on low batteries), it is easy to forget how dangerous the car is, and how much attention it needs. Of course the solar car driver needs to be rested and alert, but everyone else in the caravan needs to be constantly conscious of their responsibilities. Therein lies the problem with having too many people in the caravan. If each person isn’t focused on a specific responsibility, then the others will lose concentration. Radio Protocol – A system of rules about radio usage needs to be implemented. Communication needs to be quick and informative. The lead needs to be able to quickly warn of oncoming hazards, so the periods of radio silence need to be maximized. The Chase and Lead and Solar Car have very different needs and should play distinct, consistent roles in the radio conversation. Much of the specific details may be worked out as you go along, but everyone should be actively developing the system and conscious of the important patterns. The Lead radio person should be sitting in the front passenger seat, able to see oncoming hazards and able to easily communicate with the lead driver and the navigator (who should be leaning forward from the back seat.) The Chase radio person should be the team captain, sitting in a central location on the front bench, able to communicate with both the Chase driver and the back-seat strategist. The team captain is constantly digesting information from different sources who often can’t hear each other directly. Often, split second decisions need to be made and the chain of communication should be as short as possible. Here’s some key phrases from the top of my head. Often the phrase is followed by the name of the recipient and then repeated as in, “reading, Afterburner, reading.” Hopefully these will get you started: From To Phrase Meaning Chase S.Car Reading Give us a reading of the meters you’ve been reporting recently. Chase S.Car Target speed 35 Change your speed to 35mph. Lead S.Car Bump right (left, etc.) There is a bump coming up on the right. Lead S.Car Tracks heavy (light, etc.) Watch out for these bumpy train tracks. Lead S.Car Rut right (left, etc.) Something nasty to get your tire stuck in on the left. Lead S.Car Crack right(left, etc._ Something bumpy but not so bad on the left. Lead S.Car Grate right (left, etc.) Danger, don’t get stuck in this and tear your suspension off. Lead S.Car Red (Green) light Slow down for this red light coming up. (or continue on through) Lead S.Car Biker (Runner) right (left) Watch out for the biker on the right Lead S.Car Traffic right (left) Watch out for that traffic there on the left. Lead S.Car Clear Clear to pull through an intersection (things the Chase can’t see) Chase S.Car Clear to __________ You can move right, merge, or take whatever action is pending Chase S.Car Center Re-center yourself in the lane Chase S.Car Shift right (left) Move over within your lane to avoid some obstacle Lead Chase Request lane change right Can we move this caravan over? Etc… Basically, Lead provides route and hazard information, and Chase makes gives commands for action. Observer Tactics – While it is important to be honest and straightforward with your observer, it is also important to have a higher level of communication within the Chase vehicle from which he or she is unknowingly excluded. It has long been tradition to develop jargon to describe concepts like, “Don’t worry that you can’t see in the mirrors, just keep driving forward” or, “Are the brakes working at all now?” Besides, there is always lots of obscure jargon floating around anyway (Is the hysol on the fairing fully cured or will we need to do a wet-layup to cover the nomex?) Lunches – Hopefully you have a nice person or two who has prepared a nice cooler full of munchies. Be sure to feed the observer. Mid-day stops – Time to do a driver change and maybe take a quick leak. You’ve only got 10 minutes so make it quick. Passing/Land Changes – Since solar cars have this annoying tendency to drive at any speed they want, no matter how slow, you will likely be involved in lots of passing maneuvers. The protocol used in the past is that usually the lead says “Chase, request lane change left”. The Chase then moves to the left when safe, and once it is clear for the solar car, says “Afterburner, clear to move left”. Lead should move over once it is clear that the Chase has decided to move over, but the solar car shouldn’t change lanes until instructed to by the Chase. Weather – Totally crucial to have rock-solid weather predictions and information. Use all resources available, but be skeptical of standard weather reports. They are usually not catered to provide insolation information. Generally, it’s best to call ahead to points along the route and ask what percentage of the sky is overcast, and also how sharp shadows appear on the ground. Argument Resolution – At times during a standard race day, highly stressful situations can arise inciting strong debate and heated tempers. The potential for accidents and mistakes increases dangerously, so it is usually best to keep the vehicle drivers and navigators out of the conflict. The navigator in the Lead must stay focused on the route, and the solar car driver can’t allow him/herself to get distracted. The team captain should have ultimate authority, but should pay close attention to input from others, especially the strategist and navigator. Hopefully, trusting relationships are in place before conflicts arise so that the team captain can rely on the other team members to fill their responsibilities. I could go on and on with more advice about charging, making repairs, interacting with other teams, doing checks of the car, making it to impound on time, and getting enough sleep. But I think most of that stuff is mostly common sense. Keep in touch with your supporters and have fun! Dorian West June 5, 1999 3944 words | dorian
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