15.02.2017 change 15.02.2017

Białystok/ Bialystok University of Technology students are building racing car for international competition

Students of Bialystok Technical University are building a racing car that will take part in an international automotive industry competition for students - Formula Student. The first race will take place during the summer.

Formula Student is a competition between teams from universities and technical faculties from all over the world. Their task is to design, or design and build a prototype race car, and sign it up for the competition. Then, throughout the year, cars built by students race on eleven Formula 1 tracks.

Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Bialystok Technical University Prof. Andrzej Seweryn told PAP that 530 teams from all over the world would compete in this year\'s races. He added that in the current ranking of all teams, the team from Bialystok University of Technology ranked 35th; last year the university car took second place on the track in Italy.

Nearly 30 students from the team are currently working on the car CMS-04. Team coordinator Dariusz Szmurło told PAP that it would be the fourth car built at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. He added that it should be ready in early April, so there would still be time for tests before the competition.

Compared to the previous vehicle, the construction of which took two years, this one will be designed and built in a few months - added Szmurło. He said that the previous car "took the best" of the two earlier cars: the first car\'s engine durability and "lightness (weighing 217 kg) and agility" of the second car. The fourth car - according to Szmurło - will be the "evolution" of the third design.

He explained that the main goal was to reduce the weight of the car, go below 200 kg. He added that the current design used new materials, solutions, the aerodynamic package was optimised and significant modifications to the engine would be introduced. The car will have a motorcycle engine with an estimated power of 85 horsepower, which would allow to reach the speed of 100 km per hour in less than 3.5 seconds.

This year, the car will race in Italy, the Czech Republic and Hungary, possibly in Spain.

Seweryn believes that the car will be much better than the previous one. Dean added that the university was still looking for sponsors to be able to finish the vehicle and arrange travel to the competition.

During the event, the car will be tested in several competitions. The most important, but also most difficult task - according to the students themselves - will be two laps on the 11-kilometer race track with mandatory driver change (the competition rules require that drivers are selected from among the car constructors). In addition, the car will be checked, among other things, for short distance speed and cornering, so-called figure eight drill. The jury will also assess structural engineering solutions used in the car, construction cost valuation and business plan.

Bialystok University of Technology students have been successful in international competitions; their Mars rovers repeatedly won prestigious competitions held at the Mars base in the Utah desert in the US.

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