Welcome to PrISUm
Team PrISUm is a multidisciplinary, student-run organization at Iowa State University which designs, builds, and races solar-powered electric vehicles across the country in the North American Solar Challenge. Outreach and education are other important aspects of our project as we attempt to increase awareness about efficient transportation and solar energy. Email us if you would like the 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 transportation.
PrISUm News
Seventh Place at Formula Sun Grand Prix 2009 - June 10, 2009
Team PrISUm is back in Iowa after competing in FSGP 2009 where we finished seventh in a field of ten. Everything was going smoothly early in the week as we passed all of our scrutineering and dynamic testing. Misfortune struck while we were balancing our battery pack the night before the race was to begin, when a near-by lightning strike fried our battery protection system. This resulted in one and a half days of troubleshooting and repairs that we did not get to use to compete on the track. After a lot of soldering and testing our electrical team was able to get us up and running on the second day of raycing. Once on the track we immediately performed as well as the top teams. We were able to accumulate 204 laps over our 13 hours on the track. On the second day we accumulated 157 laps, which was only a few less than the top team. This was a great, albeit stressful, experience for the team. Congratulations go out to Minnesota for their impressive victory and thanks especially go out to Verizon Wireless for providing us with mobile internet at the last minute which was a life saver.
Now back to work on P10 for NASC 2010!
Returning from SunRun and on to Texas! - May 19, 2009
We are back from SunRun, which was a great success. We visited many schools and businesses. Although the rain and long legs of the trip prevented us from driving the car frequently, we were able to get it on the road for over a hundred miles of driving. We have two new drivers, Chris Bergsneider and Trevor Dobbs, who gained needed experience for FSGP 2009 during the tour.
Immediately after SunRun we were off to Dubuque for a the Northeast Iowa Boy Scouts Camporee. The event was very fun and we built a miniature Sol Invictus, "Small Invictus". We also were able to do some hiking around the Mississippi and visited the "Field of Dreams" in Dyersville. It was a lot of fun and thanks to the troop that fed us.
We are now preparing Sol Invictus for FSGP 2009 in Cresson, TX. This includes an improved battery pack and tougher brakes. Hopefully this will give us some improved performance against our new competitors and those from NASC 2008.
Team PrISUm at Iowa Speedway - May 10, 2009
Sol Invictus has a new top speed! On May 2nd, 2009 it reached 68 mph beating it's previous top speed of 65 mph, which it attained in NASC 2008. We would like to thank Iowa Speedway for allowing us to use their facilities to test out our car.
Formula Sun Grand Prix - May 9, 2009
Team PrISUm is proud to announce our entrance into the 2009 Formula Sun Grand Prix. This is a track race to be held in Cresson, Texas, at the Motorsport Ranch roadcourse. We will enter the car that competed in the 2008 North American Solar Challenge, Sol Invictus. The event will take place from June 1st to 5th, with the last three days comprising the raycing days. We are excited to see how our car performs as we return to the track where it qualified for the NASC 2008. We nearly missed the fastest lap time by 1 second and we hope to build on that with improved reliability of our electronic and mechanical systems. We would like to thank everyone who donated to the team to make this possible and extend an invitation to those who have not to please support us as we attempt to represent Iowa State against a strong field of university teams.
SunRun 2009 - May 8, 2009
The team is currently getting ready for our biennial tour of Iowa called SunRun. About twelve team members and our new adviser will be crossing the state with our most recent car, Sol Invictus, which competed in the 2008 North American Solar Challenge. The tour will travel almost 1,000 miles as we visit high schools, middle schools, and sponsors across Iowa. While the car will not be driving the entire route, keep an eye out on the highway because we will be driving it on select segments of the journey as time provides. We are proud to bring our solar car to these events and look forward to seeing you at the following locations:
May 11
- Des Moines, East High School, 8:00-9:30 am; Science Center of Iowa, 10:00-11:30 am
- Massena, CAM Middle School, 1:30-3:00 pm
May 12
- Council Bluffs, Lewis Central High School, 8:00-9:30 am; Lewis Central Middle School, 9:30-10:30 am
- Les Mars, Les Mars Community Middle School, 1:30-3:00 pm; Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor, 3:00-4:30 pm
May 13
- Mason City, Newman High School, 8:00-9:30 am; Mason City High School, 10:00-11:30 am
- Cedar Falls, Cedar Falls High School, 1:30-3:00 pm
May 14
- Muscatine, Allsteel Inc, 9:00-10:30 am; Stanley Consultants Inc, 11:00-12:30 pm
May 15
- Gilbert, Gilbert Middle School, 8:00-9:30 am; More to be added.
Sol Invictus is home - September 16, 2008
After a rushed week in Texas wiring the car and tweaking the mechanical systems, ten days spent covering 2400 miles of North America's roads, and a trip to Mt. Rushmore, Sol Invictus is finally back home. It's been a busy few months - which explains why it took until September to say so - but the team is finally getting back into the swing of things. Design meetings have begun for the P10 project, and some radical redesigns are in the works to make the team more competitive for the 2010 North American Solar Challenge.
The Solar Car year has officially started, which means general and mechanical/electrical meetings are now going to be held weekly at the standard times (see the left sidebar). A big thanks to everyone who showed up for last night's meeting, the first general meeting of the year - it was a great turnout, and we have some promising new members. If you missed the meeting, it's not too late to join - feel free to attend this week's mechanical or electrical meeting, and be sure to catch the next General Meeting Monday at 8PM in 171 Durham.
Finally, since we didn't have time for an unveiling before we left for the race, we will be holding a reception on Thursday, September 18, at the garage (Old Sweeney, just north of the water tower) from 4-6. Come by, have a cookie and some punch, tour the garage and see Sol Invictus in all its post-race glory. More information can be found here.