Lower amount of exhaust fumes, lighter body. PGRacing Team develops new solutions | Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Ship Technology at the Gdańsk University of Technology

The research part of the project was distributed among three separate research centers. With this, the project joins students working in different areas into one team.

Telemetry, or system transferring data collected in the racing car competing in the Formula Student directly and in the real time (live) from the car to the rest of the team is developed by Digital Technology Center. The system will allow our team to keep up with the best teams in the world. 

Telemetry system will consist of linear displacement sensors, tire temperature sensors, tensometers, display screen and additional data transfer modules. 

Monocoque system - what is it? 

The students are also working in cooperation with Future Materials Center. Here they build an optimum monocoque system, or car body that transfer the loads at the same level as metal reinforcement structure elements: roll-cages and frames in race cars or longerons in standard cars. To achieve their goal the studens will prepare specimens of previously producted composite built of three layers of carbon fibre, approximately 20 mm of divider (foam) and another three layers of carbon fibre. 

Composite produced by means of infusion method is very hard and can transfer substantial loads.

Tests allow to determine which pattern and what type of the applied carbon fibre can transfer the largest loads. Such a solution directly influences the safety of a driver. A side efect of using a monocoque is significant reduction of the car's mass. This in turn translates into better performance and competitiveness with the top teams of Formula Student competition which constructed 50 racing cars in the history of the races and recently have also appplied the monocoque.  D

Reduced environmental impact

Another center cooperating with PGRacing Team is Ekotech Center. At this stage the students will obtain data that wil allow them to determine the drag depending on the geometry of the car's suspension. This will influence the reflection of the data directly in the fuel consumption characteristics when the engine is on. Moreover, the results translate into the characteristics of the amount of exhaust fumes emitted to the atmosphere. The research will show how properly designed suspension can reduce the environmental impact of a vehicle. 

The results of the research will be presented by the students in international conferences, including the International Seminar of Science Club at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn. The project will last until 2022. 

PGRacing Team functions within the Mechanik Science Club supervised by Bogdan Ścibiorski PhD, ME.