The car built by Silesian University of Technology students will compete in Australia

The car WT-02 has been built by students from the science club Silesia Automotive at the Faculty of Transport, Silesian University of Technology.

Agnieszka Rutka of Silesia Automotive told PAP that the machine is almost ready. The last tests will be carried out within two weeks. After that, the students will fly to Australia, where together with more than 20 teams from technical universities all over the world they will participate in the Formula Student competition. The main task of the participants is to design and build a car according to the competition rules, and then take part in the competition, during which the vehicle will be evaluated by the judges, undergo static and dynamic tests, and take part in the main race.

Competition car is a development of the previous type of design - WT-01. "Our first car weighed approx. 330 kg, now with better design and lighter materials such as aviation-grade aluminium, titanium and carbon fibre composites we went down to approx. 230 kg. We also changed the frame - the previous weighed approx. 60 kg, the current - half as much. It was made of tubes with smaller diameters and steel with improved properties. By reducing the vehicle weight and increasing power we will be able to improve track performance" - Rutka said.

She explained that the hull of the machine was made of carbon fibber using the infusion method, giving it low weight and high strength. "For comparison, the previous hull made of fibreglass weighed approx. 20 kg, the present one weighs approx. 4 kg" - she added.

Designers are also pleased that by modifying the head and intake system they were able to increase the power to 110 horsepower.

Describing the specifics of the Silesian car, Rutka said that the students had fitted a Yamaha FZS600 engine. "It is controlled by a Magneti Marelli controller cooperating with display, and the whole is fitted with an aviation-grade electric bundle. Another difference between us and other competitors is the fact that originally the engine was powered with a carburettor system and we have built it in a complete indirect fuel injection power supply and turbocharged it. These modifications allow our vehicle to reach such power" - she noted.

Formula Student consists of a number of competitors, during which the judges evaluate the technical parameters, execution, and the performance of machines in practice. "The hardest competition are the tests checking the car\'s construction and design. Nothing will hide from the judges" - emphasised Rutka.

In addition, the cars must pass the ramp and braking tests. It is also necessary to present a business plan for introducing the car on the market and cost estimates. "Only then the qualifiers for the main race begin" - she added.

Rutka also reminded that in accordance with the requirement of the competition, drivers in the last part of the competition are the students themselves.

According to the participants, the competition will not only give them the opportunity to present their achievements to a wider, international group of experts, but also to show their achievements to experts of various professions - from Formula 1 judges to constructors and designers.

Members of the approx. 15-strong team Silesia Automotive are students from the Faculty of Transport, Silesian University of Technology (Katowice, Poland). This is not the first start of the team in Formula Student. This year, Silesian students presented their previous car in Italy, and last year in Hungary.

The participation of the team from the science club Silesia Automotive in Formula Student in Australia has been made possible, among others, by a grant from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education awarded in the competition "Best of the Best". The event will take place on 8-11 December.

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland

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