TÜV SÜD helps Portsmouth University’s Formula Student team reach the grid
The world’s largest student motorsport show, Formula Student, takes place annually in the UK. For the first time in 2011, it saw the participation of a team of engineering students from the University of Portsmouth, one of 107 teams from 34 countries competing in the event.
The students were challenged to produce a reliable and easy to maintain prototype of a single seat race car before testing it over four days at Silverstone on 13-17 July. The racing car had to be at the same time low in cost and show high performance in terms of acceleration, and handling qualities.
As in previous years, our TÜV SÜD team of professional engineers was invited to take part in the preliminary process and supported Formula Student Portsmouth in the design- verification tests for the front impact structure of the race vehicle.
The tests involve dropping a 300kg mass from 2.5m, reaching 7m/s before impact with the vehicle’s structure. The requirements set by the FSAE (Formula Society of Automotive Engineers) were to prove that the design could withstand an average deceleration not exceeding 20G, and a peak deceleration of up to 40G, as well as ensuring that the total energy absorbed did not meet or exceed 7350 Joules. This was required to ensure that the driver would be safe in the event of a head-on collision. Formula Student Portsmouth's design was based around the use of aluminium honeycomb in a tiered structure.
The car proved to be fairly competitive during the dynamic events, until a vital fastener on the drive-train sheared during the endurance race, meaning that they could not continue with the dynamic events. The team achieved 70th place, but they have reviewed the lessons learnt from this year’s competition and have already completed a number of new designs for next year’s car, so they believe that 2012 will prove to be the year they can make a big impact at the event.
