Driving innovation and ambition
They push us to do better, we push them to do better - it's a great rivalry!
Formula Student
For the past twenty years universities from around the world have gathered to showcase their engineering talent in the Formula Student Competition, organised by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.
Usually part of a degree course, it’s designed to encourage and develop young people to take up a career in engineering, tasking teams of students to design, build, test and race a small scale formula-style racing car. These fall into one of three categories: Internal combustion engine, electric or driverless vehicles.
The universities then showcase their achievements at official events held annually across the globe, including the UK’s main event held at the Silverstone racing circuit, in Northamptonshire.
Usually part of a degree course, it’s designed to encourage and develop young people to take up a career in engineering, tasking teams of students to design, build, test and race a small scale formula-style racing car. These fall into one of three categories: Internal combustion engine, electric or driverless vehicles.
The universities then showcase their achievements at official events held annually across the globe, including the UK’s main event held at the Silverstone racing circuit, in Northamptonshire.
Put through their paces
At these events the teams can demonstrate their technical and engineering skills through a sequence of static and dynamic tests, assessed by a series of judges, who award points towards revealing the overall winners.
The static events consist of a business presentation, plus evaluation of their engineering design, cost and sustainability analysis - accompanied by technical and safety scrutineering through a tilt test, chassis, brake and noise testing.
The dynamic events look at technical ability and driving skills, via a figure of 8 skidpad assessment, 75 m acceleration and 1 km sprint tests, a 22 km endurance race and also evaluation of fuel economy.
The static events consist of a business presentation, plus evaluation of their engineering design, cost and sustainability analysis - accompanied by technical and safety scrutineering through a tilt test, chassis, brake and noise testing.
The dynamic events look at technical ability and driving skills, via a figure of 8 skidpad assessment, 75 m acceleration and 1 km sprint tests, a 22 km endurance race and also evaluation of fuel economy.
Oxford Brookes Racing
Friendly rivalry
Two universities, that are no strangers to the challenge, are Oxford Brookes and Bath.
Both teams have a long pedigree of success from when Formula Student first started in 1999, with Bath being the first UK team to champion a Formula Student event at FS Czech 2016 and Oxford Brookes consistently being placed as top UK team at FS UK.
2019 is particularly a very poignant year for Oxford Brookes, as this is the final year that they are entering a car in the combustion engine category, being fully focused on going all-electric in 2020. There is already a new team in place looking at the design and development, ready for next year’s competition.
Watch our video to follow both teams on their journey to the UK event and get an insight into their ambitions.
Both teams have a long pedigree of success from when Formula Student first started in 1999, with Bath being the first UK team to champion a Formula Student event at FS Czech 2016 and Oxford Brookes consistently being placed as top UK team at FS UK.
2019 is particularly a very poignant year for Oxford Brookes, as this is the final year that they are entering a car in the combustion engine category, being fully focused on going all-electric in 2020. There is already a new team in place looking at the design and development, ready for next year’s competition.
Watch our video to follow both teams on their journey to the UK event and get an insight into their ambitions.
Team Bath Racing
…And the results
In the 2019 UK event there were 81 teams competing from as far away as Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
Team Bath Racing started the competition off enthusiastically, completing the scrutineering quickly and accomplishing some good results in the static events. Sadly, this run of success was not to last as the team saw three failures in steering, fuelling and driveline, which caused them to miss the first two dynamic events. Despite a disappointing turn on the sprint track and a few more frustrations, the team spirit prevailed to see them finish 10th in the endurance event, leaving them in a respectable 15th place overall at the end of the weekend.
Oxford Brookes also encountered a few difficulties along the way, including a small problem with the front wing which needed to be solved to get them through chassis scrutineering. However, as this competition consistently shows, through excellent teamwork they went on to achieve the accolade of being the top UK team, finishing as runners-up behind Italian winners Universitá degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia.
Well done everyone!
More information can be found at: https://www.imeche.org/events/formula-student
Team Bath Racing started the competition off enthusiastically, completing the scrutineering quickly and accomplishing some good results in the static events. Sadly, this run of success was not to last as the team saw three failures in steering, fuelling and driveline, which caused them to miss the first two dynamic events. Despite a disappointing turn on the sprint track and a few more frustrations, the team spirit prevailed to see them finish 10th in the endurance event, leaving them in a respectable 15th place overall at the end of the weekend.
Oxford Brookes also encountered a few difficulties along the way, including a small problem with the front wing which needed to be solved to get them through chassis scrutineering. However, as this competition consistently shows, through excellent teamwork they went on to achieve the accolade of being the top UK team, finishing as runners-up behind Italian winners Universitá degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia.
Well done everyone!
More information can be found at: https://www.imeche.org/events/formula-student
A jubilant Oxford Brookes Racing
RS supports a number of teams who are involved in the Formula Student challenge.
The students are an inspiration to others who are thinking of engineering as a career choice and truly are our ‘Engineers of tomorrow’.
The students are an inspiration to others who are thinking of engineering as a career choice and truly are our ‘Engineers of tomorrow’.
Some products used by the teams
Aerosol Freeze Spray
Provides safe, non-flammable cooling to at least -50°C for fault detection and low temperature testing on your electronic systems.
Hydraulic Hand Pump
Designed for use with 40 gallon metal drums, which will pump up to Hypoid 90 viscosity.
Digital Multimeter
The RS PRO RS12 digital multimeter is a handheld tool which can measure capacitance, voltage, current, resistance and temperature.
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