Formula Student
Cardiff Racing became the first UK team to win the four-day student competition yesterday after performing well in a number of events. Before penalties were applied for any faults, the team were second fastest in both the gruelling 22km Endurance event and the 1km Sprint time trial. The Cardiff University team came first at Silverstone after points were combined from eight separate challenges.
Speaking to Professional Engineering after the team narrowly missed the start of torrential rain at the Sprint event, lead Alex Goff said the crew’s new car was the best ever after widespread improvements. The young engineers installed an electric clutch, a three-cylinder Triumph Street Triple engine – more reliable and powerful than the previous Aprilia V-twin – and moved to a more efficient ethanol-based E85 fuel, reaching 89bhp out of the wheels.
Despite acknowledging the role played by the extra power in Cardiff's impressive 55.852s Sprint time – 0.221s behind Bath, who were penalised after a late cone collision – Goff said it was also enabled by an increase in the amount of data collected. The team used a car on a “rolling road” dynamometer last year, collecting useful power output statistics and other information. The team also designed large numbers of aerodynamic features in simulation software.
“It basically meant we could make casts, test them and leave them for a day or two, then put that data into a spreadsheet,” said Goff to Professional Engineering. “We did about 50 different casts and decided the optimal one.”
The leader said the team were “more than happy” with winning the Sprint event, part of the four-day competition. Judges combined points from the event with scores from drag race-style Acceleration Tests, a figure-of-eight “Skid-Pad Challenge” and the Endurance Challenge.
“Because the engine is so reliable, we have been really calm and everything has been looked at with the amount of focus it should,” said Goff. “We have worked really hard. This has been an incredibly long year, but we have loved it nonetheless.”
Almost 100 teams from around the world competed in the IMechE event with combustion and electric cars. Formula Student project leader Lucy Killington said it gives budding engineers real-life experience in design, manufacturing and business aspects.
This weekend, organisers announced the 21st annual event next year will also feature an autonomous element. “We know mechanical engineers will be working on autonomous cars, so it is really important to start,” said Killington to PE. The discipline will start with teams coding for a generic platform car, which will be a simulation at first. However, she added: “We are definitely looking for something physical on the track, because that is what it is all about… it is really complex and I think it will really challenge the students.”
As well as the “dynamic” moving challenges, judges awarded points to the teams for cost and sustainability, business presentation and engineering design. The cars came in a variety of styles, with some like Cardiff using large wings and others opting for sleeker, wing-free designs.
More teams than ever used advanced engineering techniques, said deputy design judge Olly Webb from Williams F1. “Even some of the less experienced teams are now developing quite advanced aerodynamic packages, which is good to see,” he said to PE. “I think the main thing is that the car is easy to drive… nice, simple, clean and reliable design that is well thought through."