Week1 report

This is my first weekly report.It have been one week since I came to Germany.This week is really a “problem solving”week. I need some time for me to actually adapt to this new environment. (culture and food).But I can say this week is a good starting of my intership.

At the first day, After I geted off from the plane. I tried to find my way to the the train station. By asking people like airport police,staff who working at the airport,business man,etc..I finally make it from Frankfurt international airport to Bochum HBF (Stantion). (it is about 2 hour journey by train.) And I find that people here are very friendly to me even though they don’t speak English.But they will try to give you info as much as they can. And I think body language( international language ) it works very well for me.hah..(Don’t be shy to do this because it is going save you in that sense.

Students who from the project team Macrus and Martin(Electrical team leader).They helped me a lot during the first few days. I got my Internet,bank account,accommodation,etc settled quickly with their help.Thanks…

My flat…hmm…look quite nice(for me).I have one big and bright room with all the furnitures I need inside. And I share kitchen and toilet with other three guys. But I don’t know where they are right now. The administrator said they were out for holidays and will be back in couple of weeks.

Washing clothing is really a “challenge” for me. In every student flat’s basement .there is a room used for washing clothes. And there are washing machines and clothe dryer there.And I need a cash card to operate them.But every thing here is written in German.I got to figure it out myself. I keep on trying.lucky there are two French student who came here want to wash their own clothes.I asked them for help. Finally got my clothe washed.and I knew two French friends.(I don’t expect it.hah…But it happened in this “international flat”.)

There is a uni-center nearby where I can eat,shopping etc. it is only 5 minutes walking by foot to my flat. And From my flat go to school it takes about 20 minutes by foot.
First week here in Bochum.I have met most of the team members.Because it is their exam week now.That’s why not all of them show up.I tried my best to grasp any chances to ask them questions.hah…not only electrical part.But the whole car!The students are very nice and try their best to answer me.Here are my result from few days of interviewing the student:

The body of the car are using carbon fiber which is very light material.it comes in the form of sheet. layer by layer and add in “form” in between.using chemical which amount is well calculated and mixed together.This is how they get the structure of the car.They are light and very strong in strength.(more detail in my final report..hah..)

The new car which going to take part in next year competition have been designed.But due to confidential matter I can’t take any photo.But here I can say it is very different from the normal solar racing car.

Here is the wheel of the new car.it is made by 100% carbon fiber.(The old one they used is aluminum which quite “heavy ”in solar car.Every gram it counts!!)this is student from mechatronic engineering.

Solar cell here they used is 27% in efficiency. They are very expensive compare to nomal solar cell.It is GaAs triple junction solar cell. It is used for space technology.

Here is the picture of me and the car..nice car…if you have any questions regarding to the car.Can just leave me a message.

And this is my Professor Dr. Pauzke. My student leader told me that he’s favorite sentence is: I don’t know how…..I don’t know What…(Our project is problem solving base.Professor here act more like a coach rather than a teacher.That’s mean everything here is done by student.)
Meeting conducted by the student.

My first mission here is to find Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT) from three different company. Get the data sheet from their best product.And find the best one out of these three.So that we can use it for our new car.Base on the information that I have got.Because this is a problem solving project. And the student here they are now having exam these two weeks.(exam week).So I can’t get any schedule for my project. I think I should be able to get it in two weeks time.

Ok..That’s all for this week.hm….I going to the downtown city by myself tomorrow...Have a nice weeken!