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New Formula for learning engineered at
Queensland University
The
University of Queensland has set the wheels
rolling to compete in the hottest event to
hit Australian education in years.
Its
engineering students are preparing a car
that they hope will assure them of success
in Formula SAE-A, a program that pits
similar cars from 14 other Australian
universities and an anticipated five teams
from overseas against in each other in tests
ranging from fuel-efficiency to speed and
endurance.
Formula SAE-A
is produced by the Society of Automotive
Engineers – Australasia, supported by
Australia’s four major car manufacturers
and a string of major automotive industry
suppliers. It develops the technical and
business skills of young engineers,
providing them with experience in areas from
design and engineering through to
sponsorship and promotion.
After only
one year, Formula SAE-A has been
incorporated into the engineering curriculum
at the University of Queensland (UQ).
"UQ is
implementing a change of syllabus for a
third year design subject, compulsory for
all Mechanical Engineering students,"
said Francis Evans, team leader for UQ’s
FSAE-A team.
"In
the past, the subject’s objective to
design a mechanical system in a team-based
environment would change every year. In
support of our FSAE-A involvement, this year’s
objective is the design of our FSAE-A
vehicle. It is intended that this will
become a permanent feature of this
subject."
The
Mechanical Engineering Department at
Queensland University allows students to
embark on undergraduate thesis topics
including Formula SAE-A design and
managerial issues. Students choose their own
topics and work within the FSAE-A team with
a high level of academic independence. The
university hopes that future years will
attract a higher proportion of fourth-year
students adopting a Formula SAE-A topic.
"Formula
SAE-A introduces students to ‘real-world’
engineering problems and problem
solving," Mr Evans said. "Students
highlight and obtain necessary resources for
the design and construction of the vehicle,
and are actively involved with decisions
involving complex financial issues.
"Because
the money is real, there is a higher level
of student responsibility. The project
involves tangible resources, funding, and a
definite deadline for the display of a
working product. "
About half
of Queensland University’s Formula SAE-A
team participate as extra-curricula members,
participating in presentations, meetings and
decision making on marketing, risk,
insurance and purchasing.
"Many
of these concepts and duties are only
briefly covered by a standard engineering
curriculum. We believe students receive a
higher quality of education by actively
participating in the Formula SAE-A project,
and necessarily exhibit higher levels of
achievement and diligence," Mr Evans
said.
The
Queensland University Formula SAE-A team
will travel to Victoria for this year’s
event, to be held from December 6 to 9 at
Holden’s Lang Lang Proving Ground. Their
team web page is www.uq.edu.au/fsae
What is
Formula SAE-A?
The Formula
SAE-A program requires student teams to
design, engineer and construct an open-wheel
vehicle similar to a racing car
construction. The car is to be powered by a
low-capacity engine, usually a motor cycle
engine. The engine must be air-cooled.
Suspension, transmission, styling, choice of
tyres and other engineering decisions vary
but, like any other motorsport event, they
must comply with Formula guidelines.
When the
teams and their cars from around Australia
gather for competition, they are assessed
over nine ‘events’: Acceleration,
Autocross (manoeuvrability and handling),
Brake and Noise, Cost, Endurance Track and
Fuel Economy, Design, Fuel and Tilt,
Presentation and Technical and Safety.
A similar
event has run in the United States for the
past 18 years, and the 2001 Australian event
is expected to attract some of these teams.
This year’s
Australian team entries are:
- Adelaide
University
- Australian
National University/Army Logistic
Training Centre
- Deakin
University
- Melbourne
University/Kangan Batman TAFE
- Monash
University/Chisholm TAFE
- RMIT
University/RMIT TAFE
- Swinburne
University/Swinburne TAFE
- University
of New South Wales/Western Sydney
Institute of TAFE
- University
of Queensland
- University
of Sydney
- University
of Tasmania
- University
of Technology, Sydney
- Victoria
University/VU TAFE
- University
of Western Australia
- University
of Wollongong
For more
information contact:
Geoff
Brooks Formula SAE-A Event Manager (03) 9486
9566 / 0407 486 953
Multimedia
Public Relations
E-mail:
gbrooks@medianet.com.au
Fax:
(03) 9486 9322
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