This year’s Formula Student race competition is fast approaching, and student engineering teams from around the globe are taking part.
One of Europe’s most well-known educational motorsports competitions, the Formula Student invites engineering students to design, build and showcase a single-seat autocross or sport racing car.
Each year brings more impressive vehicles, and 2016 is no exception, as students take advantage of the newest technologies and tools to improve their designs. One of the greatest assets to young engineers is having access to the newest professional-level tools and software. Thankfully, there is an ever-growing trend of companies making these professional software and hardware available to students.
Take the Delft University of Technology as an example. Team Delft recently unveiled their 2016 Formula Student entry, an electric race car called DUT16, which shows the results students can achieve when they have access to the right tools.
The team used a popular cloud platform for collaborative product development, 3DEXPERIENCE by Dassault Systèmes, a platform that is widely used in professional engineering.
Team Delft engineers were able to use the software platform to design and test all aspects of the mechanics, kinematics, composites and electrical applications of their vehicle, addressing complex design challenges before building the physical car.
The results are impressive. The DUT16 is a single-seat car weighing in at 160 kilograms with 177 horsepower. The vehicle can accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in only 2.2 seconds. Its unique design features a wing on the front that is automatically adjusted by the suspension. In addition, a motor, transmission and brake system in each wheel optimizes the car’s weight, speed and performance under wet or dry conditions.
The team accomplished all this in just 8 months, a feat which appears to owe a great deal to the collaborative opportunities available through the professional software. Because the system is cloud-based, team members could access their work at any time from any location, whether on-site or from home.
The students themselves benefit greatly from their experiences in the Formula Student competition and from access to professional-level tools. These young engineers gain experience that closely mimics what they will encounter in a professional career and build an essential knowledgebase using the software tools they are likely to use in the workplace. This can open up a wider range of career options and enable these students to hit the ground running when they enter the workforce.
“Dozens of students, starting from scratch, using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud for the first time, to design, build, test and then race a highly competitive car in less than a year is an inspiring achievement,” said Philippe Forestier, the executive vice president of global affairs and communities at Dassault Systèmes.
“Our team of industrial design, applied sciences, and aerospace, mechanical and electrical engineering students has only one goal: win all Formula Student competitions!” said Bas aan de Stegge, team manager for the FS Team Delft. And having access to this cloud software, “enabled us to work as one team to optimize parameters of the tires, chassis, suspension, drivetrain, aerodynamics and electronics in much less time.”
The first Formula Student race is set to take place July 14th through 17th at Silverstone Circuit in the UK.
For more information or to follow the Formula Student competition throughout the summer, check out the Formula Student website at IMechE.