The Formula Student competition
Formula Student is a project for engineering students to design, build and race a small single seater racing car. The project usually forms part of their academic studies, and culminates in a competition where teams from all over the world come together to run their vehicles and compete against each other. Restrictions are placed on the car frame and engine so that the students’ knowledge, creativity, and imagination are tested. Internal combustion engine powertrains, hybrid and (recently) all electric powertrain solutions are allowed offering students opportunities to create cars with parts manufactured using cutting edge technology.
Each team designs and manufactures a small formula-style racecar, based on certain rules. The cars are judged as commercially available products focused on non-professional weekend autocross, hill climb or sprint racers, and therefore must have very high performance, which is evaluated during the following dynamic events:
· Acceleration (0-75m)
· Skidpad (a figure of 8 with specific dimensions)
· Autocross-sprint (a timed lap in a specially formed racetrack)
· Endurance (30 timed laps totaling ~22km, where speed as well as reliability and energy/fuel consumption are evaluated)
Besides dynamic events, Formula Student includes static events where the teams are judged for their engineering design and approach, overall cost and mass production capabilities, as well as for creating a sound business case for such a product. The car's marketability is enhanced by other factors such as aesthetics, comfort and use of common parts. Points are allocated for each of those events, and the team with the most overall points is declared the winner.
Formula Student is a project for engineering students to design, build and race a small single seater racing car. The project usually forms part of their academic studies, and culminates in a competition where teams from all over the world come together to run their vehicles and compete against each other. Restrictions are placed on the car frame and engine so that the students’ knowledge, creativity, and imagination are tested. Internal combustion engine powertrains, hybrid and (recently) all electric powertrain solutions are allowed offering students opportunities to create cars with parts manufactured using cutting edge technology.
Each team designs and manufactures a small formula-style racecar, based on certain rules. The cars are judged as commercially available products focused on non-professional weekend autocross, hill climb or sprint racers, and therefore must have very high performance, which is evaluated during the following dynamic events:
· Acceleration (0-75m)
· Skidpad (a figure of 8 with specific dimensions)
· Autocross-sprint (a timed lap in a specially formed racetrack)
· Endurance (30 timed laps totaling ~22km, where speed as well as reliability and energy/fuel consumption are evaluated)
Besides dynamic events, Formula Student includes static events where the teams are judged for their engineering design and approach, overall cost and mass production capabilities, as well as for creating a sound business case for such a product. The car's marketability is enhanced by other factors such as aesthetics, comfort and use of common parts. Points are allocated for each of those events, and the team with the most overall points is declared the winner.
