Come July, a group of UCD students will realise a dream. They will travel to Birmingham, where they will pit a racing car they have designed and built themselves against cars built by students in other universities.
Formula Student is a competition that has been running for 20 years in the US, says Dr William Smith, who lectures in mechanical engineering at UCD. "The idea is that engineering schools design and construct a single-seat racing car and compete in a series of events," he says. The US competition is organised by the Society of Automotive Engineers.
Three years ago, the British Institute of Mechanical Engineers introduced the competition to Europe. UCD's is the first Irish engineering school to be involved in the project. Last year, engineering schools in eight countries entered 34 cars in the competition, which takes place at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.
Some 22 final year mechanical engineering students - six of whom are female - and four postgrad team leaders are working hard on the UCD project. Just now, there's little to see - all the design work is being done on the computer.
"We started with a blank," Smith says. "The students have to come up with the conceptual design, design refinements, detailed design, and then manufacturing and assembly. The physical body will be a framework of tubes encased in plastic. We're using an advanced computer-aided design package - the same one used by Jordan Grand Prix and the Ford Motor company."
Project rules stipulate a racing car with a 600 cc engine and four wheels. "The basic design criteria is to make the car as light as possible, with the centre of gravity as low possible, and to get as much power as possible out of the engine," Smith says. Don't be fooled by the size of the engine, though. Speed, says Smith, is less important than acceleration and the UCD car will accelerate as quickly as a Ferrari or a Porsche. "The speed restrictions are for safety. Our car will corner much faster than a Ferrari road car."
At this stage, the students have determined the car's length and width, and the engine and driver positions. "We're now finalising the design and specification of individual assemblies and components." By early April, the car will be assembled and ready for trials.
Thrills apart, the development of the racing car is providing the undergraduates with their final year projects, while the postgrads will gain masters' research spin-offs.
"The project is giving students the opportunity to apply the theory they get in lectures in a relatively exciting and glamorous way," Smith says. "From an educational perspective, it introduces students to deadlines, cost constraints, team work and time-management. They're absorbing skills and having fun at the same time."
Many of groups UCD will face in the competition will come from engineering schools with specific automotive streams focusing on car design. Will this be a problem? "The mechanical engineering department has a background in engine research and automotive suspension systems," Smith says. "We have the base knowledge and expertise to guide and direct students, but we will be bringing a broader skill set to bear and a different approach. We're hoping that the fundamental strengths of mechanical engineering will compensate for the fact that we don't have a specific automotive stream."
At the Birmingham venue, UCD's racing car will be assessed, during a number of events, for its design and quality, endurance, acceleration and skidpan capabilities. Marks will be awarded for a presentation on the car given by one of the students. A team of four of the students will be chosen to drive the car during the tests. Only people with full driving licences will be allowed drive the car. Needless to say, there's a mad dash among the students to secure these licences.
The project is expected to cost up to £70,000. It sounds a lot, but Smith points out that the budget for materials is less than £25,000. "The bigger teams spend upwards of £50,000 sterling on top of student costs," he says. The UCD group is currently looking for sponsorship. They've received equipment from Jordan Grand Prix and Bridgestone, but are in need of hard cash from a major sponsor. In contrast, Leeds University is sponsored by major international companies including Shell, 3M and the Audi Foundation.
It's UCD's aim to be the best of the first-year entrants. "It will be difficult for us to compete with the established teams," Smith concedes. "Leeds University, for example, has been competing for five or six years and they have a big annual budget."
The team leaders - Dave Halpin, Billy Carroll, Alan Drew and Neil O'Toole - remain undeterred. They have a few technological innovations up their sleeves that are likely to give them an edge, they say.
This is UCD's first foray into the competition and it won't be the last. "It's not a flash in the pan," Smith promises. "We will continue the programme for at least three years."
Keep up to speed with the project at www.UCDRacing.com
