A Lighter Intake and We're Back on Track
A new take on the Intake
The air intake system is critical to the performance of any internal combustion engine. A consistent flow of air into the cylinder ensures that the combustion process is as efficient as possible. As SHU Racing aim to extract more performance from their KTM engine, the powertrain team have been busy using a variety of advanced engineering technologies to design an innovative engine intake system.
Led by MEng student, Nathan Prentice, the powertrain team designed a system which can be SLS 3D printed using a Nylon material. This method of manufacture allows a 40% weight saving to be achieved, compared to the spun-aluminium system used previously by the team. Furthermore, since the plenum is no- longer limited to an axi-symmetric shape, the overall air flow is more efficient.
This system is paired with a new electronic throttle control system, which is expected to improve drivability. An “auto-blip” throttle is being developed which allows down-shifts to be completed in a much shorter time.
Throughout the design of this year’s powertrain system, the team has been using software from our sponsor, Ricardo. Ricardo WAVE is a simulation tool used in the design and analysis of internal combustion systems. Using 1-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations, the transfer of mass, momentum and energy of compressible gas flows can be obtained, along with sub-models for combustion and thermal analysis. WAVE enables performance and acoustic data to be obtained during the design phase, saving valuable physical testing time.
The team are excited to see how the new powertrain system performs on track later this year.
6 Hours of Norfolk
Following on from the team success at the 6 Hours of Kent Esports race which SHU Racing entered back in November, the next Apex Online Racing Endurance event is the 6 Hours of Norfolk. This virtual race at Snetterton will see SHU Racing enter 3 cars, #361, #111 and #505. Once again, the team will be competing alongside Sheffield Formula Racing, who have entered a single car into the event.
Qualifying for the event began on Sunday and runs throughout the week until Friday 26th February. Current lap times can be viewed via the following link: https://apexonline.racing/event/1#qualifying
The team have been practicing in the lead up to qualifying, using MoTeC i2 Pro software as used on real GT series cars to analyse the telemetry to become more competitive throughout the event!
The race starts at 15:00 on Saturday 27th February. Keep an eye on our social media in the leadup to the event to see the car liveries and driver line-ups, as well as how the team performs and how you can watch the live stream!
Meet the Team
Meet the Team is an opportunity for us to give you a chance to learn a little more about the people who make up SHU Racing. This week, we welcome a member of drivers environment team, Estelle Hobbs.
Name: Estelle Hobbs
Age: 19
Course: BA Fashion Design
Role: Member of the Drivers Environment Department
Number of years with the Team: 1
Hobbies and Interests: I enjoy swimming, going to music festivals and motorsports
Favourite Car: Ferrari 250GT California Spyder
Dream Job: F1 Mechanic
Reasons for Joining SHU Racing: I joined SHU Racing because of my growing interest in motorsports and mechanics and in the hopes of gaining knowledge and experience in this industry. Also in this current climate being part of a team felt very important and comforting to me.
