Présentation
The project in a nutshell
The project is based on the design and prototyping of a streamlined tricycle. This type of light, human-powered vehicle, supplemented by an electric motor powered by solar panels, is part of the search for efficient mobility in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.
Speed, autonomy, lightness and compactness will all be aimed at setting a record and perhaps, at a later stage, at spreading to a wider public to help solve the problem of transport in urban areas.
Origin of the project
The Solar boost project was originally initiated by Vincent Chapin, professor of aerodynamics at ISAE-SUPAERO. The brief was to to ” think about innovative solutions for individual transport between the car, which is highly polluting and takes up a lot of space, and the bicycle, which is impractical in certain situations (such as shopping, for example), not fast enough and dangerous enough for cyclists “.
At the start of the project, 2 pupils began to take part outside the classroom. They worked mainly on the aerodynamics of the velomobile, as well as on the electronics, and entered into a partnership with Solarcloth in order to obtain solar panels. During the 2019-2020 academic year, the project was offered as a PIC (Innovation and Creativity Project) to a group of 4 first-year engineering students, who then carried out an initial market study. In September 2020, Agustina Gascue, a former member of the group, set up the SolarBoost technical club to take the project further and get more people involved.
Solar Boost Technical Club
The club has three technical departments: electronics, structure and aerodynamics. In addition to these divisions, the club also has a management division and a division specialising in market research, with the help of a number of students from Toulouse Business School.
To improve efficiency, the students involved in the club have decided to concentrate initially on integrating the engine and solar panels into the chassis. This will enable them to have a rolling structure fairly quickly. At the same time, the aerodynamics team is continuing to optimise the hull, which will be integrated in a second phase.
The team hopes to have a working prototype in 2022, with which they will attempt to reach Italy! In the longer term, the students would like to create a university competition similar to the Ecoshell Marathon. The idea would be to put different student prototypes of green vehicles in competition against each other, in line with defined criteria.
At present, the students are continuing their search for funding and partnerships.
Contacts
Are you a company interested in supporting the development of the SOLAR BOOST project?
Agustina GASCUE
agustina.gascue@student.isae-supaero.fr
SOLAR BOOST website
LinkedIn page
Related Content
News
Envision responsible air transportAeronautics
Sustainability
News
Corentin Lefloch, an engineering student, wins first prize at the USAIRE STUDENT AWARDS for his ideas on the future of aviationSustainability
News
ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) Congress: Laurent Joly, Deputy Director of Research at ISAE-SUPAERO, talks about the Institute's commitmentsEvent
Sustainability
News
ISAE-SUPAERO expands its collaboration with TU Delft on sustainable aviationDuring President Macron's state visit to the Netherlands, five agreements were signed to strengthen collaboration between the two countries in the field of science and technology. Among them, an agreement between TU Delft and France provides for close collaboration between ISAE-SUPAERO and TU Delft in the field of sustainable aviation.
Decarbonization
Partnership
Sustainability
News
Carbon neutrality: What strategy should ISAE-SUPAERO adopt?Sustainability
Videos
HORIZONS, ISAE-SUPAERO's renewed sustainable development strategyAt ISAE-SUPAERO, environmental issues are at the heart of our commitment. We are therefore mobilizing our teaching skills and scientific expertise to help build the aeronautical and space components of this sustainable society, and in particular to invent the low-carbon air transport of tomorrow.
Horizons
Sustainability
News
ISAE-SUPAERO Environmental Engineering Certificate: training engineers in the challenges of environmental and energy transitionsAeronautics
Sustainability
News
AeroMAPS: a tool for assessing the environmental impacts of the aviation sector's transitionISAE-SUPAERO has released AeroMAPS, an open-source tool for modelling transition scenarios for the aviation sector. The result of three years of research at the Institute, it enables users to accurately assess the effectiveness of different impact reduction strategies in relation to international commitments to combat climate change.
Decarbonization
Sustainability
News
Our alumni have their say: Vinh Ly, co-founder of KyanosAlumni
Career
Startup
News
Our alumni have their say: Meeting with Nathanaël Lecompte (S2021)Nathanaël is a recent graduate of ISAE-SUPAERO with a degree in engineering. Of all the opportunities available to him, he chose to pursue a career in renewable energy. He explains his motivations and his career path!
Sustainability
News
Work on decarbonising aviation recognised by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)Paul Saves, a doctoral student at ISAE-SUPAERO/ONERA, has won the 2022 Best Paper Award from the AIAA for his work in Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO).
Decarbonization
Sustainability
News
Ranking of the top schools most committed to ecological transition: ISAE-SUPAERO in 2nd place!Ranking
Sustainability
News
Nicolas Cruaud, Engineer at ISAE-SUPAERO and co-founder of the start-up NéolitheMeeting
Presentation
Startup
News
Our partners are going green!Sustainability
News
Decarbonised aviation: first successful flight test for the hydrogen-powered Mermoz droneIn January, the first ‘Drone Mermoz’ demonstrator carrying hydrogen gas, developed by ISAE-SUPAERO in partnership with H3 DYNAMICS, successfully completed its first radio-controlled flight on the runway of the Muret model aircraft club in the Toulouse region (31).
Decarbonization
Sustainability
News
World Engineer Day 2020: a young alumni puts his engineering skills to work for the climateOn the occasion of ‘World Engineer Day 2020,’ which focuses on the theme of sustainable development, we present the profile of Maxime Efoui Hess.
Alumni
Presentation
Sustainability
News
ISAE-SUPAERO is broadcasting the webinar "Air transport in crisis and the climate challenge: towards new paradigms" on campus!Event
Sustainability
News
The project for an unmanned, zero-emission aircraft to cross the South AtlanticInnovation
Researcher
Sustainability
News
ISAE-SUPAERO publishes an aviation and climate reportSustainability
Teacher researcher
News
The Institute is involved in the ecological transition of the aerospace ecosystemMeeting
Sustainability
Pages
Job offersAeronautics
Decarbonization
Internship
News
ISAE-SUPAERO ranked among the top three institutions most committed to ecological and societal transition!Ranking
Sustainability
News
Let's make together a durable commitment to new horizonsAeronautics
Horizons
Sustainability
News
ISAE-SUPAERO and ENAC are collaborating on the design of a 100% digital degree programme in English on the subject of aviation transitions!ISAE-SUPAERO and ENAC train engineers with a high level of scientific expertise, humanistic values and innovative skills to master the complex challenges of tomorrow's world in the fields of aerospace and air transport.
Decarbonization
Sustainability
News
COP2 Student: ISAE-SUPAERO affirms its commitment to ecological transition by signing the Grenoble AgreementSustainability
News
OSE L'ISAE-SUPAERO: a long-term commitmentDiversity program
Sustainability
News
Investing and committing to training and research to meet the challenges of the energy transitionISAE-SUPAERO and the ISAE-SUPAERO Foundation work together and take their share of responsibility for addressing these major challenges facing our society. Actions include raising awareness and training future aeronautical engineers, and setting up research programmes to better address energy and climate issues.
Sustainability