Engineers find a creative outlet building solar cars

COURTESY TEAM LUX Alex Potter, JE '01, and Ed West, ES '01, prepare their solar car.

Underneath Mason Laboratory, a group of budding designers and engineers spend countless hours working on a cutting-edge, complex design project. No, this isn't a graduate-level engineering seminar—these students are members of Team Lux, Yale's solar car team. Since its founding in 1994, Team Lux has won top spots at numerous races, finishing in the top 10 at Sunrayce '97—a national cross-country race—and 15th overall at Sunrayce '99. Lux is currently preparing to race in either Sunrayce 2001 or in a coast to coast race across Australia in the fall of 2001.

Yale Engineering likes to tout the success of Team Lux: the department's web page has a picture link to Lux right at the top. Lux also graces the cover of the "Orange Book," the guide to engineering classes at Yale, which is sent out to prospective students. Acccording to the Team Lux website, various departments in the physical sciences have donated between $500 and $4,000 to the team in the past. Dean of Engineering Allan Bromley and University President Richard Levin, GRD '74, are listed as sponsors of the latest Lux car, Lux Aeterna. Lux has also been given space in the Morse teaching labs in Mason, and a number of professors have been willing to lend a hand. However, the relationship between Team Lux, the engineering department and the Yale administration is not quite as strong as it may seem.

Edward West, ES '01, who is in charge of "frame, suspension, and steering" for Lux, explained that while the engineering department enjoys the public relations advantage of Lux, it often does not come through with actual resources. "They think [Team Lux] is great in that it brings in publicity," West said. "But when we're looking for space, they turn the other way." As an example, West pointed out that last year, when the Team was scrambling for space to build parts of their new car, "a couple of things that [Dean] Bromley and other administrators said they would do didn't pan out."

Another sore point, according to the many engineering majors in Lux, is that the academics of the engineering program itself do not always satisfy the needs of the students. "If it weren't for Team Lux, I wouldn't have any idea what being an engineer is like," West said. "Design is a pretty important aspect of engineering that is often overlooked at Yale." Alex Potter, JE '01, the leader of the electrical systems team, said, "I would like to see more lab work added. As of now, there are a very limited number of lab classes."

Yale's engineering faculty, in response to such comments, has been trying to improve hands-on engineering opportunities within the department. Beyond supporting Team Lux, Yale's department of engineering is striving to provide better experience in both lab courses and through individual engineering projects. Peter Kindlman, DUS of Electrical Engineering, admitted that "[engineering labs are] a sore nerve. In the past there has been less than optimal teaching." However, he insisted he is "trying to do an awful lot to make the labs more meaningful."

The lab portion of EE 226 has been totally overhauled this year, with a new custom-designed mobile robot teaching platform, according to Kindlman.

Meanwhile, the students of Team Lux continue their experiment in engineering. Lux Aeterna was built after team members raised over $200,000. Much of this money came from Yale alumni and corporate sponsorships. West explained that the team received support and access to a network of alumni contributors from the Yale Science and Engineering Association. Companies such as Ford Motors, Schick, and Connecticut Limo all support the team. Lux members spent a lot of time on the phone lines. "We raised funds by getting people excited about the project," West said.

The students of Team Lux are receiving better training, and Yale is getting a welcome publicity boost. But some members feel Yale gives the team the short end of the stick. "We'd like to be a high priority, but sometimes we're not," West said.

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