The Formula category racing car designed and built by students of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham has won multiple awards, including the National Award for ‘Best Appearance at SUPRA 2016, a national engineering contest organised by SAE India. The car also received third place overall and bagged the second prize in design and cost estimation categories.
Thirty-six teams from top universities participated in the annual competition which presents students from engineering institutes with the challenging task of designing, simulating and modelling a formula-category racing car. Each team designs and fabricates the vehicle based on strict guidelines, which also has to perform in a dynamic event in a live race track.
The Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham team, consisting of 24 students, designed and developed the prototype car, called Student Formula Vehicle (SFV), and showcased its racing capabilities at the Buddh International Circuit near Delhi.
Said Khushal Bhatija, the student captain of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Racing Team, “The whole idea of the project was not about racing but the engineering that goes into making the car. We split our team to focus on different aspects such as steering, suspension, design, powertrain and brakes and wheels. In six months, we developed a 500cc, 5-gear petrol engine capable of a top speed of 105 kmph. The car was subjected to rigorous static tests by the judges for tilting, noise and brakes. This was followed by dynamic testing including acceleration, skidding, endurance and manoeuvring the car in a zig-zag fashion. The car was then driven on the Buddh International Circuit. Our drivers Arun and Neeraj drove a total of 5 laps, with each lap of 4.8 km.”
Added Dr. Sasangan Ramanathan, Dean, Amrita School of Engineering, Coimbatore, “This achievement of our engineering students is a true example of what Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham’s young inspiring minds can achieve, given the right encouragement and support. They have taken the classroom knowledge to the race track and yet again validated our innovative pedagogy. We are truly proud of this national accomplishment of our students and congratulate them heartily.”
Dr. S. Thirumalini, Chairperson, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amrita School of Engineering, Coimbatore, added, “The students had synergy and were very focused. They optimized the design of their prototype and replicated it in the final vehicle, which helped them improve efficiency and cut down costs. Their design car was optimal and safe, which was appreciated by the judges.”
