Week3 report

Hmm.. Another week already..

My teammates they all finished their exam last week. And this week is the beginning of the new semester. However, not all my teammates come back for the solar car project. Some of them went for holidays. I am working with some friends in the project room. Start at 10 am, and end at 6 pm. (Different from Singapore 9am to 5pm.)

Bismarck tower in Bochum(Largest one in Germany,last landmark I visit in Bochum)
I met other three guys whom from China last weekend. They are here doing their internship also. I went to their house and we chatted for the whole afternoon. (It has been a long time for me kept on speaking English since I came here.) There is not many Asian here in my school. And we have decided to go to Munich for Oktoberfest (it is a sixteen days festival in Munich, a festival for beer~~) in this weekend.(and I am going to look for Princess Snow White.HAH…more detail in next week report. Coming Soon! )

Oh..Ya! I get contact with other NP Friends who are doing their attachment in Germany (ECE). I got all their hand phone number. Knowing that they all doing quite well in the past few weeks, I need to work harder to catch up with them.
Some of my friends asked me what I eat usually. OK. Let me tell you.

I wake up at 8am every morning. First, I will boil some water. Then use boiled water to heat up a cup of milk by thermal conduction. Then eat with some German bread or toast. After finish my breakfast. I recycle the used water, which now become warm to wash my cup. (You can imagine if you wash a cup with cold water early morning in winter. then you will do what I do) Like that fast, comfortable, and environmental friendly (save water).hah…

Lunch normally I settle at the canteen in school. However, sometime if I am outside then it is different story. My school has one canteen, not as big as canteen 1 in NP. The choices for the food are not as many as Singapore. There is no Chinese food, Japanese food, Muslim food, but western food. It is more like set meal in that senses. The menu is different every day. However, it is between pasta, fries, vegetable, rice, sausage, chicken chop, bread, etc…

One set meal (one dish) cost you about 2.5-3 euro. You can choose some side dishes like vegetable salad, or dessert. (More money of cause) The food here tastes nice…I like it. I am learning how to cook western cuisine right now. Haha…

If you go outside, you can have some German sandwich that cost you about 3 euro. By the way, it is cold bread. (Look nice, but hard to chew) and I have try something special. Hah…My German friend call it “German sushi”. Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to present to you…

German bread with minced pork. The pork here is raw one. Yes. Uncooked! Would you dare to eat it? hah…it taste quite strange, but “nice”….for me.

My school canteen does not provide dinner, that is why I need to cook myself every day. I got an oven in my kitchen. And I decide to make good use of it. I have tried grilled pork ribs, pizza, or things like that. Although my first pizza 50% gone (overcook.), but after that I start to learn how to use an oven. (I Can say I am a master of oven by now) hah… Meat and vegetable is a piece of cake for me. I don’t cook rice at home. Because I don’t see any rice cooker in the supermarket. So… western food all the way till now. I miss Chinese food…hah..How is it? Taste good!

We were told to go to other city for a TV show. They are going to give an interview for us with the car. And we have loaded our car to the container. (it is not a easy job.5 guys working together to move a car.) Everything was ready. But…it end up the TV show director called us and said the TV show is cancel due to some reasons. My student leader told me this was not the first time. They have experience it 4 or 5 times. Hah… No choice, we got to put the solar car back to the workshop. Sian… T.T

My school has organized a welcome BBQ for all the year one students. (like EE BBQ night) Our solar team is invited. Beers, sausage, steak etc. (German style! haha..) I have updated my progress with Professor. Here are some photos with my Group mates.

Poster, they are recruiting new members for solar car team

Ok. Back to my project.

I help to stick some “solarcells sticker” on the new solar car model which in a scale of 9:1.The reason why we do this is to see how the solar cells can be arranged. (1980 cells in total) and how much space we left. This is important. Because we need to show this model to our sponsors by our professor, (The more space we have for the sponsor’s logo, the more money we can get from them) we need many sponsors. I can’t post any photo concerning the new car due to some confidential matter. Sorry…hah…

I just get my project timetable from my leader. Here it is:

Possible alignment of solar cells based on mechanical facts <23/09/08—17/11/08>
Take out the solar cell from the old car <31/10/08—13/11/08>
Cleaning of solar cells (alcohol, TESA) <31/10/08—14/11/08>
Measurement/Test of solar cells at TUEV Rheinland <14/11/08>
Calculation of positions based on test <17/11/08—07/05/09>
Mounting of solar cells <17/11/08—07/05/09>
Wiring of solar cells <17/11/08—07/05/09>
Checking of wiring <>

Our new car will be using the same solar cells from the old car. Because they cost a lot of money, we can’t afford it to buy new cells. You can calculate it. One single cell cost about 300 USD = 430 SGD. That is 43 times different compare to the commercial silicon solar cell we can get from market (10 SGD per cell). And we have 1980 cells together!
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My project is quite different from what my friend they are doing in NP. (Get a topic from adviser and then working on it for one semester, and submit a prototype at the end). It more like learning from them. Help them to do some research work. (Finding MPPT,DC-DC Converter.)
Follow them to some company or things like that. My personal feeling so far is that, maybe due to some sensitive information (confidential) or something. I can’t really get in to the job they are doing. (Or maybe what they say everything is in German. meeting for example.) I feel sense of lost now. Hope it will change when it comes to real solar cell. (Will have more technical stuff for me to do I think.)

Ok..Yes.. This is all. Have a nice weekend! Cheer!