Sunrayce 97 A New Learning Experience For The Engineering Technology Students At Middle Tennessee State University

The US Department of Energy (DOE) organizes a solar car race called Sunrayce, once in every two years. This race is open for all colleges and universities on the North American continent. As faculty advisor for the undergraduate team at Middle Tennessee State University, I submitted a proposal in the Spring of 1996. We were selected as one of the top 30 teams to compete in Sunrayce 97. The solar car project gave our students a unique learning experience in areas such as Engineering Mechanics, Machine Design and composite fabrication. It also provided an opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge to practical situations, gain hands-on experience, and at the same time, get credit for their work. The project has been a great success and we are looking forward to competing in the race in June, 97.