1998 Photos

Larger versions of most images are available from webmaster@solarsplash.com.

All photos on the site are protected by copyright law. If you want to use a photo that you find, contact webmaster@solarsplash.com for permission, and we will direct you to the owner of the photograph.

June 17 - 21, 1998
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Sponsored by:
ASME Solar Energy Division, EDS, EATON, IEEE, Miller Brewing Co., Marquette University, State of Wisconsin, & Wisconsin Electric

1 New Orleans in the Sprint The University of New Orleans boat kicks up a big spray en route to a Sprint victory.
2 Solar Splash group shot The whole gang welcomes you to Solar Splash ‘98. It is never possible to get everyone into a shot like this but we did do pretty well. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, a few teams were not able to make it, but, as you will see, it was a great Event and a really good time was had by all.
3 Technical inspection The first order of business after registration is getting the boat through Technical Inspections. One group of inspectors handle Mechanical areas, one measures the output of the solar arrays, and one does the Electrical. This boat is in the Endurance configuration. It is not unusual to see from left to right, the Student Team Leader, a very attentive female skipper, and other team members talk with the Inspector.

 

Life jacket, lanyard for the "Dead man switch" and part of the air horn are visible.

4 Eating at the mixer In the evening, everyone gathers for our Mixer. After supper, we see a group from one of our sponsors, EDS, introducing themselves and telling everyone about the activities to follow. Although the teams are competitive on the water, the cooperation and willingness of everyone to pitch in and help makes it possible to run the Event with a very small staff.
5 On the water testing Having completed Technical Inspections in the Paddock area, each team is checked on-the-water for certain requirements before Qualifying. Here, Ottawa Hills Tech Prep is preparing to run their 70 meter Sprint qualifier. They must also successfully complete a Maneuverability course, part of which can be seen in the background.

 

In addition to the competition on the water, there are two "supporting" Events. Technical Reports are submitted and judged prior to the Splash and then reprints are available for future teams.

6 Visual display Visual Presentations are the second off-the-water competition. These are a nice way for visitors to learn about the various participating schools and their programs.
7 UC-Santa Barbara with the Milwaukee skyline in the background The venue for the Splash is a lagoon, adjacent to the Summerfest grounds at the lakefront in Milwaukee. Some of the downtown buildings can be seen in the background. The University of California at Santa Barbara is ready for their Qualifying. "The Bomb" adorns the bow while the names of the team members can be seen towards the stern, complete with a flame job.
8 Boat launching This year a great deal of emphasis was placed on proper means of launching and retrieving the craft. Many teams used the ramps while some chose to use the intermediate spaces. Columbia made their lifting frames out of ordinary half inch iron pipe. Eventually, one joint failed but, fortunately, no damage was done and they went on to win 2nd Place Overall.

 

The University of Arkansas, Little Rock, made excellent frames with square steel tubing and slings which worked very well and they were kind enough to share them with several teams.

9 Michigan boat In addition to the awards previously mentioned, many design awards are presented from various sponsors. The University of Michigan Student Team Leader is explaining to Dr. Jeff Morehouse, current Chair of the Solar Energy Division of ASME, the drive and steering system of their Sprint configuration. Note the unusual five bladed props. Due to the very high torque, it can be seen that they are counter-rotation to keep the boat on a level plane.

 

For the Endurance Event, this entire drive train is removed and a much more energy-efficient one is mounted in the bracket on the centerline.

10 UMass-Dartmouth water pump system The rules for the Splash encourage innovation and creativity. The University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth has built their hull from carbon fibre over a Nomex honeycomb.

 

To keep their drive motors from overheating, they have this dual water pump system which delivers the relatively small amount of cooling water needed.

11 Coast Guard students and their boat As can be seen, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy believes in the "KISS" principle, (keep it simple, stupid). It really paid off. Although they finished 5th Overall, a missed mark on their first run on the Maneuverability course was all that kept them from winning the World Championship.
12 Electrical testing Some teams see the Splash as a mechanical engineering project where they need help from E.E.’s, while others see it the other way around. It is not uncommon for the "electricals" to design and build their own circuitry. Testing must include reliability and the capability to withstand water since it is difficult to keep everything dry.
13 Propeller mounting system One area where the "mechanicals" really get busy is in prop design. Previously, we saw the very exceptional U. of Michigan Sprint props. This more conventional three bladed design is one teams’ solution to the endless problem of System Integration. It also looks as if it has been on and off the drive shaft quite a few times, a tribute to testing.
14 Student working on the boat No matter how much testing is done in advance, dilemmas always crop up in the field. Here we see one of the Student Team Leaders from Grand Valley State University pondering what seems to be an electrical problem. He is actually an M.E. but after three years of participating in the Splash, he has obviously honed many skills.
15 Tilting panels It is believed that Marquette University is the first American educational institution to build and compete a solar/electric boat. Many refinements over the years have led to this model which features a front steerable hydrofoil, movable solar arrays to optimize incoming energy, and separate "wings" aft of center for lift. Hydrofoils have been in use on many types and sizes of vessels for many years but they are very tricky for these craft where power is very limited.
16 Maryland-Baltimore County boat The University of Maryland, Baltimore County combined with high school students from the science program at The Park School to build and compete with this entry. Using this very long narrow hull design, and sound, reliable panels, this proved to be great fun and an excellent learning experience for everyone.
17 Boating mishap Unfortunately, the Event is not without some mishaps. The State University of New York entry from Stony Brook was a newcomer in ‘98. They used a single hull from a catamaran sailboat and added small pontoons on outriggers which also supported their solar arrays. Unfortunately, the center of gravity was rather high and when one pontoon got caught under the wake from a passing boat, this was the result. Nevertheless, they recovered and were able to compete in the Sprints the following day.
18 Skippers meeting Since the Splash is a 5 day event which starts with a Skippers Meeting each morning at 8 a.m., almost everyone takes advantage of meal plan service for breakfast and lunch. This trailer from Marquette and another from Grand Valley, provided shelter and storage for any gear that needed to be locked up at night.

 

Each team has the use of a 20' x 20' area under the tents which form part of the Paddock area.

19 Spectators As the on-the-water events get into full swing, spectators have an ideal view from either water-side or from picnic tables higher on shore. The Splash has been held in conjunction with Polish Fest so there are thousands who take advantage of the many photo opportunities.
20 Boats in the Endurance Event The Endurance Event consists of two, 2-hour heats. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. The Columbia skipper (#22) gives plenty of room to the boat from McNeese State University as he passes. The course parallels the shore and is approximately circular. Behind Columbia are SUNY, the University of Turabo, Puerto Rico, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock boat #11 and boat #8 from the University of Southern Maine. Like the Marquette boat, the Southern Maine boat can tilt it’s solar array to the sun for maximum power collection.
21 South Carolina at the dock After just barely edging out Marquette in the morning heat of the Endurance Event, the eventual winner, the University of South Carolina carefully removes their solar panels before taking their boat out of the water. Their hull, as well as that of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, is a Kevlar Olympic class canoe. With the rear array removed, flotation material in the stern can be seen.
22 Safety inspection Before every boat is allowed to enter the water, it is re-checked for all required safety equipment. In addition to the required air horn (white), the skipper appears to have a red spray bottle to be able to mist the array. The cooler the cells, the greater the electrical output.

 

All skippers are ballasted to 70 kgs, 154 lbs. A wrist band on the skipper with matching bands on their life jacket and ballast bag are checked.

23 Sprint leader board By lunch time on Sunday, the match-ups for the afternoon Sprint heats are posted. The fastest three boats from Round 3 will go into the Finals. In early years, it was possible to run Sprint heats of four boats but as speeds have increased each year, it has been necessary for safety reasons to reduce each heat to a limit of three competitors.
24 Southern Maine/Artisans College boat Originally, the University of Southern Maine combined with Artisans College, to take advantage of Southern Maine’s Electrical Engineering capability and the boat building expertise of Artisans. With almost no wake, the boat is very impressive, finishing 4th in the Sprints and winning the Qualifying which is the best combined time in both Sprint and Endurance configurations.
25 Timers One of our sponsors, EDS, handled all of the timing. With practice during the early events, their stop watch thumbs were all tuned up for the Sunday final rounds of the Sprints. The Splash gives their staff a great opportunity it meet and get to know the students. EDS provides technical support to companies in all 50 states and over 40 foreign countries.
26 Sprint heat start As the green flag drops to start the final heat of the Sprint, the #00 boat from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock is first off the line. The very unusual pontoon design of the New Orleans boat (#68) can be seen clearly. Although all three boats are optimized for Sprinting, they all competed and did well for overall score.
27 Sprint finals finish line Three hundred meters later, the University of New Orleans noses out U. of Michigan for the honors. Run from a standing start, these boats still average nearly 30 miles per hour. Patrol boats can be seen in the background and are used, if desired, to tow the competitors back in.
28 Awards ceremony Symbolic of the success of the learning experience and the fun of competing, Grand Valley poses with pride with their framed Certificate of Participation.