Two teams of students from Missouri University of Science and Technology will demonstrate their Formula One-style racecars at Formula SAE-Lincoln, an international student design competition sponsored by the SAE International.
The competition, held June 17-20, at the Lincoln Airpark in Lincoln, Nebraska, challenges students to design, build and operate small-scale Formula One-style racecars. The competition features two separate categories – one for traditional combustion engines and one for fully electric vehicles. Missouri S&T’s Formula SAE and Formula SAE Electric teams will both compete at the event. This will be the first competition for Missouri S&T’s Formula SAE Electric Team.
As part of the competition, students must present a budget report and the engineering principles behind each car’s design to a panel of industry experts. The electric team will also have to pass a rigorous electronics inspection to ensure the car’s safety. Teams will then compete in four dynamic events.
A skid-pad event tests the car’s turning and cornering on a figure-8-shaped course. An acceleration test measures the car’s speed over a short distance. A one-lap autocross event proves the car’s maneuverability on a tight course and determines the starting order for the final event – an endurance race to prove durability. In the endurance race, the car must withstand the stress of long-term driving at elevated speeds over long course. Each race is timed to rank the teams; none of the events are head-to-head races.
Reviewed 2015-06-16