Race car engineers celebrate best result in Formula Student competition

Race car engineers celebrate their best result in Formula Student competition

Race car engineers at Manchester Metropolitan have secured their best ever result at the 2018 Formula Student competition after finishing 27th out of 81 international teams.

Around 18 engineering students from the University headed to Silverstone from July 11-16 to compete in the race car design competition that brings together teams from 30 different countries across the globe.

Each team is required to design and build a racing car to compete in a number of events on the track, such as sprinting and endurance races. The students are also required to present costing and design presentations in a boardroom environment.

For the sixth consecutive year, the team has been able to present a vehicle, pass the scrutineering process and attempt all static and dynamic events, this year with their 2018 vehicle 'Tempesta', which they have been designing, developing and building during the past academic year.

For the first time, Manchester Metropolitan also hosted a top prestigious team from Rochester Institute of Technology in America. The team of student engineers arrived at the University on Friday, July 6, where they built their car ahead of the competition.

Invaluable skills

Jack Hammond, a Mechanical Engineering student, was part of the Formula Student team and will be the Team Principal in 2019.

He said: “I feel fantastic that this year’s team has been able to gain Manchester Metropolitan’s best-ever result. It has proven to all of us that we are capable of building a car that can compete with some of the best Formula Student teams from around the world.

“Throughout the year we have all had to create a balance of completing our coursework and putting enough time into this project to give us the best chance for a good result. It has been tough but very rewarding and has given us invaluable skills for the future. 

“On behalf of the team, I would like to thank all of the staff and the University for the support that they have given us and allowing us to work on this amazing project – I can’t wait to make a start on next year.”

History

Formula Student is a competition held by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and this year is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Some of the original contestants from Texas attended the event in a 1998 car to show the teams how much can change in 20 years.

MMU Racing supplied two vehicles to add to IMechE’s historic vehicle display. They also had their current racing car signed by Pat Clarke – an internationally renowned and now retired bike and kart racer and a design judge, who has been involved in Formula Student since 2000.

Opportunity

Paul Aldred, Senior Lecturer in Automotive Engineering, oversees the project at the University.

He said: “Formula Student is a great opportunity for our students. They build up so many additional practical skills and knowledge that they wouldn’t normally get to and is a true reflection of what is required from an engineer in the real world. The team get to work in one large interdisciplinary team with a common objective.

“Being involved gives the students an enhanced sense of involvement at the University, keeps them on campus and gives them something to be proud of, which is something the University strives to do - the team motto is ‘Manchester Met Proud’.

 “A lot of hard work and dedication from the students goes into this competition and they deserved all the success they got, plus more.”

[GALLERY]

The tests

The scrutineering element of the competition happens at the very beginning to check that the vehicle is in a track worthy condition, in line with the requirements for race vehicles. It also checks that the team meet the safety constraints as set in the rules from IMechE and finally, a technical inspection to ensure all other rules of the design are met.  

The dynamic events include, acceleration, skidpan, autocross and an endurance test.