Sallyport - The Magazine of Rice University - Winter 2002

Rice Engineering Team Makes a Splash at Boating Competition - Students
The competition was tough, and some of the rival boats were designed and
built by professionals, such as the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s entry,
which was designed by a naval architect. Except for many of the power
system components—solar cells, motor, power controller, etc.—which
were purchased as complete subassemblies and integrated into the craft, the
Rice team designed and built their boat, as well as the power and drive
systems. The hull, steering, drive system, and other parts were built from
scratch.
“During the [Mechanical Engineering 407/8] course,” Wise said, “they did
all the things a design team is supposed to do: They researched different
hull configurations, built scale models of the most promising ones, and
tested them in the wave tank. They studied other teams’ boats, talked with
vendors, and did good old engineering analysis to develop parameters and
establish sources for the drive train and steering.”
Cunningham had high praise for the Rice students’ entry. “I saw no team
that matched the Rice team with a complete engineering approach in all
phases of the design and construction process.”
More information about Solar Splash 2001 can be found at www.
solarsplash.com/.
—Ann Lugg
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