Previous Group Design Projects:
Cranfield Formula Electric Series (CFES)
Five teams of Motorsport MSc students competed against each other in true motorsport fashion. Each CFES race team conceptually designed the thermal management system for an electric version of a Formula BMW, with the aim of achieving maximum performance and safe operation throughout a twenty minute race on the Donington Park GP circuit. To achieve the best design, teams carried out simulated FEA crash studies, heat exchanger and air duct testing, heat transfer coefficient validation of materials, optimisation, thermal performance analysis and aerodynamic testing to name a few. The final design concepts were presented and virtually raced in front of some of motorsport’s leading figures on 14 May during the Motorsport MSc Group Design Project Presentation Day. In addition to the presentations and posters, each group submitted detailed technical reports to the academic GDP review panel.
Group 5 – Volta Motorsport received the MSA prize for best presentation on the day as voted by the audience and Lion GP, group 3, was awarded the Racecar Engineering prize for best poster by Sam Collins, Deputy Editor. The Altair Optimum prize for the best technical report and presentation will be awarded at Graduation in 2016.
2014: Hydrogen-powered Sports Racing Car for the Future
Supported by Radical Sportscars, Aerocom Metals and several other organisations
The project was designed in anticipation of the hydrogen economy and in relation to the Motorsport Industry Association (MIA) Technology Road Map. The students were tasked with designing a 2-seat, low-cost hydrogen-powered sports-racing prototype. They focused on the brand new Radical RXC as an example of best current practice and investigated chassis and powertrain options for a future world where hydrogen may be the fuel of choice.
2013: Active aerodynamics for the Reynard Inverter
Supported by Reynard
Working in four teams, the Cranfield students designed active aerodynamic features for the Reynard Inverter car and quantified their performance benefits. Their brief:
- Focus on drag reduction while maintaining downforce
- Active aerodynamics – flaps, fans, tabs
- Performance improvement to be assessed by:
- L/d ratio
- Mass
- Cost and complexity.
The students:
- Established a CFD workflow
- Validated their CFD models against existing wind tunnel data
- Generated conceptual devices
- Designed and manufactured tunnel parts that were rapid prototyped by Williams F1
- Designed a wind tunnel experiment and then undertook this in the Cranfield wind tunnel using the wind tunnel model supplied by the Automotive Research Centre in Indianapolis
- Specified instrumentation for full size validation on the Reynard Inverter race car that was tested at Silverstone.