What angle of bend can be designed for the solar array to be effective/not break?
Solar cell limitations.
Optimal angles for absorption.
The best case scenario for a solar array to absorb energy is when it is perpendicular to the sun. Different seasons have different angles that the array should be tilted based on the suns position to the earth, but since we are racing in the summer months (when the sun will be highest in the sky), the optimal angle for the solar panels is around 20degrees from the horizon. Panel arrays can be placed anywhere on the vehicle, but the best spot to put them would be on the southern-most facing side of the vehicle, under the assumption that the equator is south of where we will be racing.
Pages 97-100 of The Winning Solar Car: PDF Library - Mechanical - Confluence (atlassian.net)
Pages 39-45 of A Solar Car Primer: PDF Library - Mechanical - Confluence (atlassian.net)
Solar Array Type
An assumption can be made that there are different limitations depending on solar cell type.
Type 1 - Silicon Based Solar Cell
Type 2 - Thin Film GaAs
Lightweight and thin
The most efficient (electrons travel six times faster through it)
Very expensive (1000x more than silicon counterparts)
Type 3 - Multi-junction
Resources/links:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266693582030001X
https://news.stanford.edu/2015/03/24/chips-laser-lift-032415/