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news:
Students to rev
up cars at competition
By Gabriel Lefrancois
On-line Forty-Niner
Four Cal State
Long Beach mechanical engineering students will travel to
Pontiac, Mich. and take part in the Society of Automotive
Engineers' Formula Collegiate Design Competition with cash
prizes totaling close to $39,000 May 17.
The four-day competition,
consisting of 108 schools from Japan, Puerto Rico, Mexico,
Canada and the United Kingdom, among others, will challenge
students to use their imagination in the designing and building
of a formula-style race car. Sponsors for the competition
include big-name corporations such as General Motors, Ford
and DaimlerChrysler AG, which have been sponsoring the event
for seven years.
"The practical
experience we gain from doing a project like this puts you
above other ordinary students," said Justin Cileo, a
mechanical engineering student and project leader for the
CSULB formula team. "Employers like it and it's fun working
with others and getting to know the professors."
The competition
will test the vehicle's overall presentation, design and cost.
A skid pad and
acceleration test will be used in the static portion of the
event. The dynamic part of the contest will measure the vehicle's
fuel economy and endurance, according to the SAE rules and
regulations.
To push the challenge
further, the SAE group has placed restrictions on chassis
and engine design so students will need to apply their imagination
to figure out what works best.
"I believe
that they will expect this to be a learning experience,"
said faculty project coordinator Mike Fritz. "I think
they will do well for their first year. They should finish
somewhere in the top 25."
Since it is CSULB's
first year, funding and participation in the project is dismal
compared with other schools entered in the competition. Many
of the universities have $50,000 to $60,000 budgets with several
students working on the project, according to Cileo.
"As a first-year
team we don't know what to expect," said Brian Schroepfer,
a contributor to the project. "The design is great and
having only four people who put in a constant effort, I think
we'll do good."
The team began
design and manufacturing on the project nine months ago, with
parts coming from outside suppliers such as CalTime Metals.
With costs running approximately $10,000 from start to finish,
the team also received needed contributions from Associated
Students Inc. and CSULB President Robert Maxson.
The formula car
runs on 100-octane unleaded gas and is capable of hitting
a maximum speed of 80 mph. Honda Racing donated the CBR-600
F4 motorcycle engine, which has the ability to hit 12,000
rpm's. Cileo said the most remarkable thing about the engine
is its ability to go from zero to 60 mph in about three seconds.
"It's been
a great experience," Cileo said. "Going to Michigan
and seeing everyone else's cars will be exciting. We'll all
be back next year so the car will only get better."
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