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December 9, 2015

Young auto engineers compete in Australasian championship

Students design, build and race formula one style car for Australasian championship.

A group of UOW students with a penchant for fast cars and powerful engines will travel to Victoria this weekend to compete in the 2015 Australasian Formula SAE competition. 

The annual competition, now in its 16th year, will see student teams from 25 Australian, New Zealand and Japanese universities, design, build and race a formula one style car. 

Part of an international competition involving 500 teams worldwide, races are held all over Europe, America and in Australia throughout the year. 

Formula SAE challenges students to develop a small race car for a fictional manufacturing company has contracted a student design team. 

The prototype is evaluated for its potential as a product that would appeal to its target market: non-professional weekend autocross racers. 

Each student team then designs, builds and tests a prototype based on a series of rules to ensure on-track safety and promotion of clever problem solving. 

Matthew Anthanasios, team principal and third year double degree engineering and law student, said there are about 60 students involved in UOW FSAE this year. 

“We’ve got guys and girls from mechanical, electrical and mechatronic engineering along with range of other faculties that include law and creative arts.” 

The prototype race car is judged in a number of different events. The points schedule consists of a list that includes overall cost and manufacturing, design concepts and presentation, along with performance on the track, such as fuel economy, endurance and acceleration. 

“There is nothing better than a fast, roaring vehicle,” UOW FSAE veteran Todd Dempsey said. 

“It’s great to see something that is taken from a concept to a product and then been able to test and evaluate it. There great satisfaction in that.”