UW Motorsports Team Wins Second Gold in Formula Hybrid + Electric Competition

The University of Wyoming’s motorsports student engineering team brought home its second championship trophy from the Formula Hybrid + Electric Competition at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway earlier this year.

 

Thirteen students traveled with adviser Alex Kapeller to Louden, N.H., to test their mettle against other automotive engineers. Most of the 30 teams that competed entered in the electric category. Wyoming Motorsports competed in the hybrid category this year against teams from the University of Victoria and the Milwaukee School of Engineering.

 

Organized by the Society of Automotive Engineers and the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College, the four-day event features rounds of technical inspections, performance tests and static presentations. Before racing, teams were evaluated based on mechanical and electrical specifications, rules compliance and the safety of high-voltage systems.

 

After meeting these requirements, cars were evaluated in performance tests for acceleration, autocross and endurance, which included a 75-meter start from a standstill; a one-minute lap through a cones course to evaluate braking, cornering and overall ability; and a 44-kilometer run that tests the reliability and longevity of the car under one tank of gas and one full charge of the electric batteries. Teams also must make presentations outlining the design features of their vehicles and project management process.

 

This year’s UW car featured several improvements over the last hybrid build, including moving the suspension inboard to minimize the lateral weight distribution; cleaning up the wheel wells to allow clean air to pass through for aerodynamics; and changing from a push rod to a pull-rod setup to lower the center of gravity on the front end of the car. The senior design team produced an all-carbon-fiber body kit, with venturi tunnel sidepods. Moreover, the team was able to shave off 200 pounds, resulting in a final weigh-in at 594 pounds.

 

“The experience has developed us all as engineers much further than what is offered in the classroom as we see our designs come to life and find problems along the way,” says team member Zach Goldner, of Denver, Colo.

 

Wyoming Motorsports is a unique opportunity at UW for students from all majors and experience levels to put classroom principles in engineering, project management and leadership into practice though hands-on experience in design and fabrication. Team members, listed by hometowns and majors, included:

 

Cheyenne -- Riley Milburn, mechanical engineering, the club vice president who led sponsorship efforts and was on the senior design carbon body kit team.

 

Denver, Colo. -- Zach Goldner, mechanical engineering, chassis/suspension leader.

 

Fort Collins, Colo. -- Julian Amundson, mechanical engineering, chief engineer and fabrication.

 

Gillette -- Matt Cathey, mechanical engineering, who was the powertrain leader and on the senior design carbon body kit team.

 

Greeley, Colo. -- Dax Jones, the club president, a construction management major who led funding and organization.

 

Mount Pleasant, S.C. -- Nolan Howard, an electrical engineering graduate student, who designed and worked on accumulator and safety circuit.

 

Phoenix, Ariz. -- Sam Mitchell, mechanical engineering, the electrical system and steering wheel leader.

 

For more information, go to www.wyomoto.com/.