Going with the flow
With the first semester coming to an end and the Christmas holidays fast approaching the team are still working tirelessly in the run up to the end of semester design freeze, even amongst the mountains of assignments and exams! Read on to find out more about what the team have been up to during this busy time of the year.
Imparting the wisdom
One of the main reasons students join Formula Student, is the chance for students to put the theory we learn at University in to practice. It’s also a chance for team members to discover different processes and software packages outside of the typical academic setting, in an environment where they can learn and develop new skills with the help of more experienced team members to best prepare them for their time in industry as professional engineers.
This year Team Principal and Bodywork and Aerodynamics manager, Matthew Hoyle, has introduced a new opportunity for the younger team members, by hosting weekly Computation Fluid Dynamics (CFD) classes.
Once a week, members of the team who have a keen interest in the aerodynamics of the car, meet to learn about how best to use the CFD package adopted by the team in order to test, analyse and verify their designs.
The sessions incorporate a wide variety of activities, for example, it could be looking at how the part performs as a stand alone but then considering the wider implications when integrated with the rest of the car, improving the components aerodynamic efficiency or simply discussing different ideas with other team members to ensure our designs are the best they can be.
By running these classes, SHU Racing hopes to gives its younger members an opportunity to gain hands on applied experience with the software, which they might not get until later in their university studies, and involve more members in the development of the aero package making for a diverse working environment.
Technical Developments - Aerodynamics
Remaining on the topic of CFD, this week we bring you a technical update from our bodywork and aerodynamics team. After incorporating our first ever package on the 2019 car, the team are now looking at how they can develop and improve the overall performance and efficiency of the cars aerodynamics.
One of the key changes this year, and for the first time in SHU Racing history, is the move away from side pods which house the radiator and exhaust, to a more aerodynamically beneficial venturi tunnel. By incorporating a venturi tunnel we are able to take full advantage of ground effect, similar to the design of the legendary Lotus 79 F1 car. However, as Formula Student cars compete on a short, tight technical circuit its of great importance that the cars are capable of producing negative lift (downforce) at lower speeds without significant drag penalties which would hinder the cars overall performance. Initial simulations, using a simplified model of the car, are promising and we cant wait to see how the design will fair in our wind tunnel testing.
Meet the Team
The new meet the team section continues this week, giving you an insight into the team and
who we are. This week we welcome Nathan Prentice, who is the Society Secretary for Formula Student at the Students Union. SHU Racing runs as a team as part of the University, but also as a society. This means all
members of the team are in the society thus allowing them to enjoy socials such as Go
Karting.
Name: Nathan Prentice
Age: 20
Course: MEng Mechanical Engineering
Roles: Chassis development & manufacturing.
Hobbies and Interests: Cycling, swimming & walking in the outdoors. I also love music; playing my guitar or cello whenever I can. My new year resolution is to learn to ski.
Favourite Artist: Foals
Favourite Car: Aston Martin DBS Superleggera
Favourite thing about Sheffield: The proximity to the Peak District. Within 20 minutes you can go from the city centre to the mountains.
Reasons for Joining SHU Racing: When joining the team in my first year, I wanted to learn about aspects of engineering that aren't covered on the course and apply them to a real-life project. With Formula Student, there are many aspects of the project to get involved with and so many opportunities to learn and develop your skills. The team is an extremely friendly bunch
