Covestro Sonnenwagen’s Debuts New Aerodynamic Design

With a new solar-powered racing car, a team of 45 students from RWTH Aachen University and FH Aachen will take part in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2019 in Australia for the second time in October.

Teams from all over the world will compete to overcome the 3,000-kilometer stretch from Darwin to Adelaide as the fastest with self-built vehicles.

Also on the starting line are innovative materials from Covestro, the main sponsor of this year’s project.

Ultra-light cars with good aerodynamics and energy efficiency have the best chances for a good result in the solar race.

The Sonnenwagen Team from Aachen spent two years fine-tuning the construction of their new speedster, paying particular attention to streamlined structures, smooth surfaces and feather-light materials.

Covestro is using the project to test different materials under the harsh climatic conditions of the track. In the Australian desert, temperatures of up to 45°C (113°F) and intense UV radiation prevail in October. A high concentration of dust in the air is also typical for this time of year.

The climatic conditions have above all an influence on the outer clear coat. The Covestro Sonnenwagen is furnished with a two-layer polyurethane car refinish paint system from PPG.

It imparts a smooth, high-gloss surface to the car body and resists the harsh climatic conditions. It is also well protected against scratches. The highlight here is the coating formulation with the bio-based hardener Desmodur eco N 7300 from Covestro. Seventy percent of its carbon content comes from biomass, which reduces the ecological footprint by around 30 percent.

“Covestro and PPG have been working together in the field of coatings development for many years,” said Markus Mechtel, marketing manager for Automotive Applications in the Coatings, Adhesives, Specialties segment at Covestro. “With this joint development, both partners want to demonstrate how a coating can also make a contribution to sustainable mobility.”

A wide range of materials was used to make the new car lightweight, aerodynamic and robust – high-quality plastics as well as composites and metals. The best way to permanently bond such different substrates is by gluing them together. On the trip through the Australian outback, the most important thing is the permanently high quality of the adhesive bond to withstand the high temperatures, the dryness and last but not least the vibrations during the run.