Project Highlight: CalSol Shell

Every year, CalSol competes in endurance-based races on racetracks and highways across the United States. To achieve optimal performance with our road-legal fully solar-powered vehicle, an aerodynamic shell must be designed, validated, and fabricated to minimize drag while maintaining dynamic stability. For our tenth-generation vehicle, Excalibur, this complex design and manufacturing problem was tackled by myself and the rest of the CalSol Aerodynamics/Composites Team (who are credited in the sections below).

CAD Model of Final Designed Shell

Design

CFD Analysis

Collaborated with Yousuf Abubakr, Alec Dughi, Annika Yong, and Anthony Zhou

Composites Manufacturing

Collaborated with Yousuf Abubakr, Alec Dughi, Annika Yong, and Anthony Zhou

Final Fabricated Part

On-Track Race Debut: FSGP 2024