SEM-01
This was the teams first car that was capable of racing in competition in 2019. It competed in the the Shell Eco Marathon, a global academic programme focused on energy optimisation and one of the world’s leading student engineering competitions.
Body and Chassis
The chassis consisted of a carbon fibre monocoque construction to maximise stiffness whilst reducing weight. This was manufactured at the Advanced Materials Research Centre (AMRC).
The shape of the body was optimised using CFD software to maximise aerodynamic efficiency, based on the car’s average velocity.
Mechanical propulsion
The car used a 10:1 planetary gear to step the motor down from 3000rpm to 300rpm, equivalent to the average track speed. This was connected to the wheel via a chain and sprocket mechanism.
The wheels for the car were specially designed for the competition by Michelin, one of the competition sponsors.
Controls
The control system was one of the most innovative aspects of the car. This integrated a real time feedback system which determined the most efficient speed at any point on the track and relayed this information to the driver via a “speed up/slow down” display.